Alfreton Station is on the Erewash Valley Line between Trent East Junction and Clay Cross South Junction.
The line opened to passenger traffic on the 1st May 1862 following the completion of the link between Pye Bridge to Clay Cross, linking the Erewash Valley line and the North Midland lines of the Midland Railway. Timetabled passenger trains started running on the 12th May 1862 with one train in each direction per day.
As a consequence of the Beeching Report the station was closed to passenger traffic on the 2nd January 1967 and to all traffic in October 1967 following the laying of a siding into the nearby Explosives & Chemical Products factory to the east of the station and the transfer of remainder of the goods traffic to Derby St Marys Goods Depot. Following closure the station became a depot for the contractors installing the equipment for the Trent Power Box. At this time electricity was installed to the operational buildings, they having been gas-lit until closure. (The station master's house, part of the station building, had electricity for many decades).
At closure the station had a significant passenger traffic, mainly to Nottingham, Chesterfield and further afield. The local councils, who had objected to the closure, mounted a campaign for reopening and on the 5th October 1972 British Rail announced that a new Inter-City station would be built, opening on the 7th May 1973. On the 20th October the station master's family moved out and on the 24th October demolition started. The roofing slate and lead was reclaimed and the buildings razed. The site was cleared by the 24th November and building of the new station started immediately.
On the 7th May 1973 the new station opened as Alfreton & Mansfield Parkway, reflecting the perceived catchment area of the station which included Mansfield, at that time the largest town in the UK without a railway station. The service was seven trains to London and eight trains from London on weekdays and three trains in each direction on Sundays.
On the 10th November 1995 Mansfield had its own railway station with the opening of the Robin Hood Line to Mansfield Woodhouse and Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway was renamed Alfreton.
For many years following the reopening in 1973 the predominant train service was provided by the Norwich to Liverpool services giving about sixteen services in each direction each weekday. In 2009 Northern Rail started a Nottingham to Leeds service giving a total of 31 services northbound and 30 services southbound on each weekday, the greatest number of services in the history of the station.
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