BY the time Nottingham Station reopens in just over three weeks' time, 2,000 people will have worked on the biggest rail project in Nottingham for a generation.
Six miles of track are being replaced, 143 new signals are being installed and two level crossings are being uprooted and replaced with footbridges.
The work has seen most train services replaced by buses at the station as 50-year-old track is replaced with shiny new rails.
"It's not just the bright rails that people will notice when the station opens on August 26 – journeys will be quicker and more reliable," said Kevin Newman, senior commercial scheme sponsor for Network Rail.
"A lot of trains when they are coming into the station usually have to stop just outside the Revenue and Customs building because they can't go across all the tracks, but the development work will mean this is possible. Also, trains on the Robin Hood Line will be able to go quicker – at the moment, they can only go at 35mph to Radford junction, but this will increase to 50mph."
One of the main areas where work was taking place yesterday was Mansfield Junction, between Castle Marina Retail Park and the NG2 Business Park. The line splits here between the Robin Hood Line to Hucknall, Mansfield and Worksop and the Midland Main Line to Beeston, Leicester and London.
Yesterday, the trains were going nowhere – the old rails and sleepers had been ripped up and workmen were busy directing heavy machinery laying fresh pieces of track.
Dave Scarth, programme manager for Network Rail, said: "I came here eight years ago to set up the East Midlands resignalling programme, when one of our main aims was to wind down Trent Power Signal Box."
The switch was pulled on the box after 44 years' service on July 19, the eve of the work.
Instead, the signals will be controlled from Derby.
Mr Scarth added: "You can't get nostalgic about these things – all we are doing is replacing the kit that has done a good job for a number of years, and replacing it with modern equipment fit for the 21st century."
All the work is being done with the upcoming electrification of Midlands Main Line in mind and Chris Denham, from Network Rail, said: "It wouldn't make sense for us to do one set of work to only have to close the railways for the electrification, so it's all future-proof in that respect.
"We expect the rails to last as long as the old ones did, for around 40-50 years.
"The track and signalling through Nottingham are past it and people will notice the difference – their journeys will be more reliable and with electrification coming in the next five years, they will be quicker as well."
But the track and signal replacement at the station is just one step of the improvement plan.
Justin Page, acting route manager for the East Midlands for Network Rail, said: "When the station reopens on August 26, there will still be scaffolding and work taking place on site, but this means when it reopens properly early next year, we'll have fast and reliable trains leaving from a modern station."
