People peek at plans for new station

On Friday, people gathered in the current station to glance at the early-stage ideas for the town’s new station.

While the designs and costs for are currently being completed, Network Rail is proposing to replace the existing station building with a new state-of-the-art development.

Alfreton station will also benefit from a step-free accessible route to both platforms, making it easier for everyone to use the station.

This means building a new footbridge with lifts and steps; the old stepped station footbridge will be removed once the new structure is operational.

A Network Rail spokesperson said the footbridge is due to be completed by the end of 2016, and the station will be completed some time in 2017.

Unfortunately, there were no photographs of the proposals we could publish as designs are yet to get planning approval.

The spokesperson said: “The new footbridge and lifts at Alfreton station will make travelling by train easier and more accessible for a huge number of passengers.

“Where you’re lugging heavy bags, have small children in tow or simply find the stairs a bit of a struggle, the new footbridge and lifts will make a real difference.

“We thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this improvement.”

The Government’s Department for Transport (DfT) are providing funding for the new footbridge, with a contribution from the Network Rail Asset Management Team.

The National Stations Improvement Programme have allocated some funding for the station and Network Rail are working closely with Derbyshire County Council to establish if they can contribute.