Overview
Derby's central location and former importance as a 'railway town' have made it an important node of the rail network. First opened in 1844, it was at the time one of the largest in the country and was unusual for being shared by more than one company. Until recently, major carriage and locomotive workshops as well as the Research Division in the Railway Technical Centre were housed there.
The station is an interchange point between the Midland Main Line from London St Pancras to Leeds and long-distance services on the Cross-Country route from Aberdeen through Birmingham New Street to Penzance or Bournemouth (the zero milepost on the latter route is at the south end of platform 1). Until the mid twentieth century, the station was also served by through trains from Manchester and Glasgow to London. It is still a busy station, the section to Sheffield having the highest train frequency (passenger and freight) of any line in the East Midlands.
Local services from Nottingham to Matlock along the Derwent Valley Line serve the station as well as local and semi-fast services to, Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Birmingham and Cardiff Central.
Derby station today has six platforms (all but Platform 5 are through platforms), connected by a footbridge, used as an exit to Pride Park and a car park.
Read more about this topic: Derby Railway Station