Bromborough Rake (BMR)

Bromborough Rake is a stop on the Merseyrail Wirral Line between Bromborough and Spital. 

Merseyrail 507 024 arrives

Information
Type:	National Rail (Merseyrail Wirral Line)
Station code:	BMR
Opened:	1985
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by British Rail in 1985 as part of the upgrade and electrification of the line from Rock Ferry to Hooton which allowed through trains to Liverpool [1]. The station is a standard Merseytravel operated station with a staffed booking office. There are bus shelter style facilities on both platforms.

The station is in a cutting with ramps down from the main station building at street level. The station is served by trains between Liverpool Central and Ellesmere Port at up to every thirty minutes. Chester bound trains no longer stop at the station.

Bridge across to the booking office

View down the platform

The little booking office is ahead

To the platform

507 030 departs, a friend is going the other way

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Chester to Birkenhead (Middleton Press, 2017) Fig. 51

University (UNI)

An updated version of this station profile can now be found on our dedicated railway station website

University is a stop on the Cross-City Line in Birmingham between Five Ways and Selly Oak.

Under the old station canopy, the new canopies can be seen in the background!

Information
Type:	National Rail (Cross-City Line)
Station code:	UNI
Opened:	1978
Platforms:	2

In 1978 services were restored on the former Birmingham West Suburban Railway between Longbridge and Birmingham New Street through to Lichfield as the Cross-City Line. University was a new station opened to serve Birmingham University and the Queen Elizabeth hospital. The station is near the site of a former station called Somerset Road which closed in 1930.

The Cross-City Line was an immediate hit with passengers with service frequencies quickly increased [1], also there were extensions made to the route. The Cross-City Line was electrified in 1993. University is the second busiest station on the line after Birmingham New Street with around three million passengers a year. The station has a red brick station building and two corrugated metal canopies over part of the two platforms, a design used on a number of stations on the line [2]. Access is via a stairway from the ticket hall at road level, the line and platforms being in a cutting.

Work began in 2020 on a complete redevelopment of the station with new much larger station buildings and full length canopies to equip the station ready for the 2022 Commonwealth Games which were held in Birmingham (some events taking place on the University campus). Unfortunately the work was not completed in time for the games and is now due to be completed in 2023.

As well as West Midlands Railway Cross-City Line services, other WMR services also stop here to/from Hereford and Worcester as do some Cross Country services.

A Cross Country service passes the new (but not completed) station buildings

One of the new station buildings

WMR 323 209 arrives at University

View down the platform at the new station

Another Cross County service passes the station, the old station in the background this time!

[1] John Glover, BR Diary 1978-1985 (Ian Allan, 1985) p. 19
[2] David Lawrence, British Rail Architecture 1948-97 (Crecy Publishing, 2018) p. 155

Clapham North (ZCN)

Clapham North is a stop on the London Underground Northern Line in South London between Stockwell and Clapham Common. 

Northern Line 51608 arrives at the station

Information
Type:	Transport for London (London Underground Northern Line)
Station code:	ZCN
Opened:	1900
Platforms:	2

The station was opened as Clapham Road in 1900 by the City & South London Railway on it's extension to Clapham Common. The station has both underground platforms on a fairly narrow island in a single tunnel, a once more common layout but removed from some stations like Angel. The original station building was remodelled in 1924 by Charles Holden [1]. The station was renamed Clapham North in 1926.

Below the station is a deep-level air raid shelter (photos from the similar shelter at Clapham South can be seen here).

View of both platforms

A North bound train is about to depart

Escalator down to platform level

Station entrance

[1] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 112

Matlock (MAT)

Matlock is the terminus of the Derwent Valley Line. The station used to be an intermediate stop on the Midland Railway's line to Manchester but National Rail only goes as far as Matlock now. The Peak Rail preserved railway continues up the line as far as Rowsley South. The station is located between Matlock Bath and Matlock Riverside.

EMR 170 420 stands at Matlock

Information
Type:	National Rail (Derwent Valley Line) & Preserved Railway (Peak Rail)
Station code:	MAT
Opened:	1849
Platforms:	2

The station was opened, originally called Matlock Bridge, by the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock & Midlands Junction Railway in 1849. The current station buildings date from 1850 remain though most are no longer used by Network Rail (the main station building is now a railway bookshop run on behalf of Peak Rail). The station was renamed to just Matlock in 1905 [1].

The former Station Master's house is a Grade II listed building. The line North of Matlock was closed in 1968. Peak Rail began reopening part of the closed line in 1991 and in 2011 returned to Matlock itself.


National Rail use Platform 1 (where the main buildings are) and Peak Rail use Platform 2. Interchange between the 2 platforms requires going via a bridge and an access route to an adjacent supermarket. East Midland Railway run services from Matlock to Nottingham and Newark Castle via Derby.

Preserved 31 270 stands on the Peak Rail platform

View down the platform

Station building with canopy

Station frontage

EMR 153 319 arrives at Matlock

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Ambergate to Buxton (Middleton Press, 2019) Fig. 22

Bloxwich (BLX)

Bloxwich is a stop on the Chase Line in the West Midlands between Walsall and Bloxwich North. 

LNWR 350 232 arrives at Bloxwich

Information
Type:	National Rail (Chase Line)
Station code:	BLX
Opened:	1858 (Closed 1965)
Re-opened:	1989
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the London North Western Railway in 1858. The station was closed in 1965. A new station opened in 1989 a few hundred metres to the north as part of the re-opening of the Chase Line. The original station was a much grander affair with a brick station building, platform canopies and a goods  yard [1]. 

The current station is unstaffed and has the usual bus shelters and information points. It is managed by West Midlands Railway, services are currently operated by LNWR branded units. In 2019 electrification of the Chase Line through Bloxwich up to Rugeley Trent Valley was completed.

LNWR 350 262 departs heading for Rugeley

Station shelter

Preparing to go

View down the platform

Station sign

[1] Vic Mitchell, Walsall Routes (Middleton Press, 2013) Fig. 26