AROUND 90 volunteers have taken part in a trial run to test buses that will operate during a major revamp of Nottingham railway station in the summer.
Staff from East Midlands Trains posed as passengers and caught buses and carried luggage across the station.
The simulation was ahead of a £100 million upgrade to signalling between July 20 and August 25 when the majority of trains will not run from the station.
East Midlands Trains customer services director Neil Micklethwaite said: "We've had a very successful day and the event has achieved what we set out to achieve.
"We tested a range of scenarios relating to the planned bus replacement services and we are pleased with the results. There are a few areas that we can improve on and we'll take them away to work on. That's why we carried out this event – to make sure we are fully prepared when work starts."
Businesses and workers welcomed the plans to keep the city moving at an event held at the Park Plaza Hotel on Friday.
They were briefed on how commuters heading to London, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield would have to catch replacement bus services to East Midlands Parkway station for connecting trains.
Andy Gray, owner of the Talbot House Hotel, in Bridgford Road, West Bridgford, said: "We have a lot of people from Australia staying with us during the Ashes Test match at Trent Bridge in July, so it's gratifying they have moved the dates of the work back until after this.
"Anything that rejuvenates Nottingham has got to be a good thing."
Nick Harrington, principal planner with engineering company Laing O'Rourke, which is working on the upgrade of the A453 between the M1 and Nottingham, said he was "very much pro" the station works.
He said: "No one likes being stuck in traffic jams and diversions. It's all about keeping Nottingham open for business."
The work also means there will be no trains running on the Robin Hood Line for nearly six weeks.
Between 25 and 35 buses will leave Nottingham station every hour, taking passengers to nearby stations.
A new 100-space car park will be created at Beeston to cater for extra passengers.