New Mills Central railway station

In the mid-eighteenth century, the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway ran as far as Rowsley, and was extended by the Midland Railway to Buxton, in its aim to run as far as Manchester. The MS&LR also wished to extend southwards from its main line through Woodhead Tunnel to Sheffield, and had built a branch to Hyde. The London and North Western Railway meanwhile had constructed their own line to Buxton from Whaley Bridge (with a station at Newtown) which effectively blocked the other two.

An agreement was reached whereby the MS&LR would build their proposed "Marple, New Mills and Hayfield Junction Railway", while the Midland would extend its line to New Mills from Millers Dale via Chinley. Passenger services began to Hayfield in 1868 and the line came under joint control as the Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee in 1870, while the Midland's line opened in 1867.

[edit] The station

The station lies at the junction of what was the Hayfield branch and the Midland line, the two appearing through tunnels, on a ledge blasted out of the cliff face, some forty feet above the River Goyt.

The buildings on the down side still exist, as does the stationmaster's house built in 1864. The London line from Miller Dale closed in 1967 and the Hayfield branch closed in 1970, but the station still supports the Hope Valley Line local service from Sheffield to Manchester.

[edit] Service

From New Mills Central there is an hourly service to Manchester Piccadilly northbound and generally a two-hourly service stopping service to Sheffield.

Sundays, there is a two-hourly service in each direction.