Rowsley South railway station lies approximately a mile short of Rowsley village, the location of the settlement's previous stations. This makes Rowsley South the third station to be built in the area, constructed as it was by Peak Rail volunteers in the latter part of the 1990s. Opened to passenger services in 1997, the station was for a time referred to as 'Northwood', which is the part of Rowsley settlement that is near to the terminus. This association can still be observed through the name of the café that stands on the station, which is known as the Northwood Buffet.
Rowsley South is now the main centre for the activities of preservation and heritage group Peak Rail and its various affiliated societies. The former operate a heritage steam service over some 3.5 miles of the one-time London, Midland and Scottish Railway route to the south, with an intermediate station at Darley Dale a halt at Matlock Riverside and terminating at Matlock. Built as it is by the site of Rowsley's former Goods Yard, the station has both good access and extensive space available for future developments. Part of the Goods Yard has been restored as sidings for locomotives and coaching stock, a number of which lead to the sheds that are operated by other societies. Other tracks from the sidings lead to Peak Rail's locomotive shed, which is under construction, and also to a turntable which returned to full working order on 1 May 2010, being opened in a special ceremony by Pete Waterman. The station is currently a single platform based on the Up side of the track and is Peak Rail's northern terminus. Peak Rail has secured a 99-year lease on the trackbed up to the A6 at Rowsley village for a proposed extension, which will involve rebuilding and full restoration of the former Rowsley railway station site itself. There are hopes of extending towards Bakewell in the future.
Facilities at the location include a Ticket Office, the 'Northwood Buffet', and a shop, along with disabled access toilets. Parking at the station is both extensive and free of charge. Access to the station's facilities and to the yard is also without charge, though this only applies on operating days. The LMSCA operate a small visitor centre inside their shed at the yard's southern end, and both they and the Heritage Shunters Trust welcome interested visitors. However, except in the case of such visits, the yard is closed to public access. In 2008, Peak Rail was awarded £10,000 from the National Lottery's "Awards for All" scheme to upgrade facilities at the station itself, and this has since resulted in the construction of a new wooden station building, with new housing for a ticket office, shop and customer toilets, as well as rooms for stores and the stationmaster.
