Passengers are set to benefit from a more modern and reliable railway this Easter, as Network Rail carry out a £718,000 track upgrade at Duffield station.
On Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 April, engineers will completely renew around 486 metres of rail, sleepers and supporting stones. Replacing this vital equipment will bring smoother, more reliable journeys for passengers in Derbyshire.
The station, which is managed by East Midlands Railway (EMR), served around 14,000 passengers in 2020-21*. Completing this upgrade now will reduce the need for further maintenance work, resulting in less disruption for passengers.
Gary Walsh, East Midlands Route Director for Network Rail, said: “Continuously upgrading our track and equipment means that we can provide better, on-time journeys for passengers in Derbyshire and right along the Midland Main Line.
“We’re working with our train operating partners to keep passengers moving throughout the Easter bank holiday, but there will be some changes to services. I’d urge anybody who needs to travel by train to check their journey in advance to avoid any inconvenience.”
To keep rail workers safe over the weekend, CrossCountry trains between Derby and Chesterfield will be diverted. This could extend journey times by 60 minutes, so passengers are urged to plan ahead and check before they travel with National Rail Enquiries or their train operator.
Richard Morris, Regional Director East Midlands & Anglia for CrossCountry, said: “We know that extended journey times are never popular with our customers, but carrying out this essential track upgrade work across the Bank Holiday weekend will mean that there is less need for further maintenance work later in the year.
“We ask that our customers travelling on our long-distance services between Scotland & the North East to Derby, Birmingham and the South West check our website crosscountrytrains.co.uk for details of amended timetables before they travel.”
EMR trains between London and Sheffield will also be diverted and will not call at Long Eaton or Derby. Instead, rail replacement buses will run between Derby and East Midlands Parkway. For Long Eaton passengers, EMR tickets will be valid on board CrossCountry trains.
Neil Grabham, Customer Services Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “These vital works will provide long-term benefits for customers, reducing the need for further maintenance work on line, while also lowering the risk of possible disruption in the future.
“Any customers who need to travel during the works should plan ahead and check their journey on our website before setting off.”
Across the country, Network Rail is carrying out 530 upgrade projects worth £83m to upgrade the railway for passengers this Easter bank holiday weekend.
While the majority of the railway – over 95% – will be unaffected by the engineering work, there will be disruption on some routes, so passengers are urged to plan ahead.
Photo credit: Network Rail
