Work to build a new railway station in Ilkeston is about to reach another key milestone.

Network Rail engineers are due to remove the existing footbridge on Coronation Road and replace it with a new one linking two new station platforms as part of the £10 million project led by Derbyshire County Council.

The new station will be located between Millership Way and Coronation Road and is expected to open in late autumn.

Derbyshire County Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure Councillor Paul Dunn said: “Work has been going on at the site for some time but this will be the first real sign that the station is beginning to take shape.

“Ilkeston has been without a passenger station for around 50 years and the new station will be a great boost to the area. It will mean much quicker commuting times compared to travelling by car, help to reduce congestion on the roads, and it will improve connectivity to nearby major towns and cities helping to encourage visitors and bring new business opportunities to the area.”

A series of weekend road closures will be in place on Coronation Road from the junction with Station Street to the roundabout with Millership Way to allow the work to take place from:

•        Midnight on Friday 22 July – 5am on Monday 25 July
•        Midnight on Friday 29 July – 5am on Monday 1 August
•        Midnight on Friday 5 August – 5am on Monday 8 August
•        Midnight on Friday 12 August – 5am on Monday 15 August
•        Midnight on Friday 19 August – 5am on Monday 22 August
•        Midnight on Friday 26 August – 5am on Monday 29 August

In between the closures, traffic over the road bridge will be reduced to one lane to allow pedestrians access over the road bridge using a temporary walkway separated from traffic by barriers.

Temporary traffic lights will control the single lane traffic and vehicles over three metres wide will need to use the diversion route via Millership Way, Rutland Street, Chalons Way and  Station Road and vice versa. This diversion route will also be in place during the road closures.

Gary Walsh, Network Rail area director for the East Midlands said: “This is another significant moment in the construction of Ilkeston Station as the first big pieces of infrastructure are installed. We have worked with Derbyshire County Council to keep the disruption to road users to a minimum whilst preserving access for pedestrians and we thank everyone for their patience while this vital work takes place.”

Piling works to form the foundations to support the platforms are continuing at the site and there may be some noise disruption on Sunday 24 July and Sunday 31 July due to the footbridge demolition.

The new station will have two car parks – a main car park with 90 spaces on the east side of the tracks and another on the west-side for disabled drivers, motorcycles and bicycles, a taxi rank and drop off and pick up point.

Buses already run along Coronation Road and new bus stops and shelters will be put in place near the station.

Direct hourly trains will call at Ilkeston and run north to Chesterfield, Sheffield and Leeds and south to Nottingham. Some trains will also call at Liverpool and Norwich. It is estimated 160,000 passengers will use the station in its first year.

Derbyshire County Council is leading on the project in partnership with Network Rail, the Department for Transport and Nottingham Housing Market Area. The station has been designed by consultants Aecom.