The East Midlands HS2 Partnership will receive up to £1.8 million of funding to help realise the extraordinary potential of the new HS2 station at Toton, the Transport Secretary has announced.

With high speed trains serving Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and other mainline stations, a new station at Toton will deliver significantly faster journeys for passengers and improved connections to Birmingham, London and Leeds.

This builds on significant previous funding for the region, with the government providing Midlands Connect with £25 million to develop a transformational transport strategy for the region, as well as investing £1.8 billion on the region’s motorways and trunk roads and distributing £1.7 billion from the Local Growth Fund.

This additional funding will further develop proposals for public transport connections to the Toton hub, ensuring surrounding communities benefit from new rail, tram and bus services, as well as improved road access, to the new HS2 station.

Proposals also include the development of an innovation campus — creating 10,000 skilled jobs — and 4 new garden villages around the station, driving regeneration and unlocking new housing opportunities. By 2043, it is anticipated that up to 74,000 new jobs will be created, boosting the regional economy by £4 billion.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "As the future backbone of our national rail network, HS2 is vital for delivering better connections between our major cities, bringing communities closer together with faster, more frequent services for passengers.

"It will also play a pivotal role in boosting productivity and prosperity across the country, with new and improved stations acting as catalysts for regeneration, jobs, new housing and economic growth.

"Committing additional funding to support the development of a HS2 station at Toton will help drive forward ambitious proposals, ensuring that the region stands ready to seize the enormous benefits of HS2.

Cllr Jon Collins, Chair of the East Midlands HS2 Strategic Board and Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: "I am delighted about [the] announcement. The additional funding will help us to progress some of the key infrastructure projects that will make our growth ambitions a reality.

"We will continue to work closely with HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport to make sure the forthcoming HS2 Phase 2b Hybrid Bill supports the delivery the Growth Strategy."