Later that year, the project gained official backing and financing from the UK government via the New Stations Fund, which is managed by national railway infrastructure maintenance company Network Rail.

Despite original plans to open the station during 2014, construction work was repeatedly delayed to account for numerous factors at the site selected, including the potential for flooding, ground instability from historic mining activity, and the presence of endangered species.

[3] During 2009, a proposal was included for the establishment of a new Park and Ride (or Parkway) station for Ilkeston in the Connecting Communities report by the Association of Train Operating Companies.

[3] It was found that commuter times into the city of Nottingham could be reduced, as well as increased job opportunities for people living in the town along the line and that such a station is likely to boost the local economy.

[3][5] Network Rail was appointed by Derbyshire County Council to oversee the project's procurement and installation, while contractor Galliford Try was responsible for performing the construction work itself.

[3] A third track, which serves as a bi-directional slow line solely for the use of freight trains, curves around the back of the new station; as such, it intentionally does not have a platform face.

[3] During February 2015, the finding of more great crested newts at the site was attributed as having caused further delays for the start of construction; as a result, the station's intended opening date was expected to be achieved by August 2016,[9] but one year later, this had become "late autumn".

[6] Clearing and preparing the site included the demolition of the old footbridge, track reprofiling, and the movement of around 10,000 tonnes of material for the two car parks and attenuation ponds, the latter being a flood mitigation measure.

[14][15] By the start of July 2017, it was announced that over 30,000 passenger journeys had already been conducted to and from the station; according to Jake Kelly, the managing director of East Midlands Trains, this volume was regarded as being in excess of expectations.

East Midlands stops are limited to a small number of Liverpool Lime Street - Sheffield - Nottingham/Norwich trains during peak periods and in the early afternoon.