By Greig Watson BBC News Online, Nottingham

Building on the railways is fraught with difficulties

It would provide a link to the rapidly expanding East Midlands Airport, take cars off the congested M1 and ease rush hour traffic around Nottingham.

But more than two years after it was granted planning permission, the project has been forced into a public inquiry.

Why has it taken so long and why is it opposed by, of all things, an environmental pressure group?

Motorway pressure

Train operator Midland Mainline is one of the main forces trying to get the facility, next to the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, near junction 24 of the M1 and four miles from East Midlands Airport, built.

Midland Mainline spokesperson Emma Knight said: "The new station could offer a park-and-ride option for commuters and shoppers travelling into Derby, Nottingham and Leicester.

Bold Vision This Parkway station has the potential to take passengers to London without them getting bogged down driving into Nottingham Paul Fullwood, Rail Passenger's Committee

"It could also encourage people currently using the M1 motorway to make the switch from road to rail.

"For some people who already travel by train, it could provide a better option than town centre stations in Derby and Nottingham. "

Paul Fullwood, of the Midlands branch of the Rail Passengers' Committee, backs this view.

He said: "This is very important. For the size of the city, Nottingham has relatively few commuter rail journeys.

"This Parkway station has the potential to take passengers to London without them getting bogged down driving into Nottingham.

"This would take some strain off the often overloaded M1.

Compulsory purchase

"But it could work the other way round as well, with people being able to stop at Parkway and go into Nottingham, avoiding the difficult and congested A453.

"It would also expand the catchment area for East Midlands Airport."

But the plans have come in for bitter opposition from a variety of areas.

Residents in the nearby villages of Ratcliffe-on-Soar and Kingston-on-Soar challenged the compulsory purchase order for the land.

Environmental warning The impact on the airport traffic will be negligible and there are independent studies to back this view up Kallie Lister, Friends of the Earth

The station would be built next to the huge Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station and the owners of this, PowerGen, have raised safety concerns.

But perhaps most surprising is that environmental group Friends of the Earth says the Parkway is likely to cause more, not less, congestion.

Kallie Lister, from the group, said: "It is not properly integrated.

"It is claimed this would serve East Midlands Airport and cut the number of journeys made by car.

"But the site is four miles from the airport, meaning a substantial coach journey.

"We don't think airline passengers will want to make those two journeys.

"The impact on the airport traffic will be negligible and there are independent studies to back this view up.

"What the Parkway will do is attract passengers going to London who will drive to the station, clogging up the local roads, including nearby junctions of the motorway.

Inquiry date

"And these passengers would come from the smaller, more outlying train stations, possibly threatening their status.

"We are looking for much better integration between existing public transport services."

In addition Friends of the Earth, along with the Campaign to Protect Rural England and local cycling and walking groups, have objected to the development, with its 800-plus space car park, on green belt land.