In early October 2014, reports emerged that the preferred location for the East Midlands Hub station had been relocated to Breaston, 2-3 kilometres south-west of Toton.

By July 2015 High Speed Two Limited confirmed they were not considering the Breaston site and that their preferred location for the station was at Toton.

In 2009, the Labour Government created High Speed Two (HS2) Limited[4] to examine the prospect of further high-speed rail in the United Kingdom.

In their consultation document, High Speed Two Limited stated that the Toton hub station could attract three-quarters of London-bound passengers from Derby and four-fifths of those from Nottingham.

Council leader Cllr Paul Bayliss stated "It's not a secret we've been looking at HS2 having a station in Derby rather in some place called Toton".

The green belt designation of the land at East Midlands Parkway was also felt to be a significant planning constraint that the Toton site was not subject to.

[11] On 8 October 2014, reports emerged that High Speed Two Limited were considering moving the station 2-3 kilometres south-west from Toton into Breaston, Derbyshire, to the west of the M1 motorway.

[14] In the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands published on 18 November 2021, the government announced updated plans for High Speed 2 Phase Two that involve the eastern leg to Leeds being scaled back with high-speed track from the south terminating at East Midlands Parkway and trains north of the station using existing track.

[15] The proposed site sits close to Long Eaton and is approximately one mile (2 km) away from junction 25 of the M1 motorway, where it intersects with the A52 dual-carriageway (Brian Clough Way) that links Derby and Nottingham.

To the south of the site and the opposite side of the Trent River is the A453 which leads from Nottingham to East Midlands Airport and to the south-west Via A52 and M1 is the A50 connecting junction 24A of the M1 to Stoke-upon-Trent.