Reading’s new train station in Green Park is now set to open next year after coronavirus pulled the brakes on the plans.

Green Park Station, near the Madejski Stadium, is now expected to open in late summer 2021 “at the earliest”, according to Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) Transport and Planning chief Tony Page.

While construction of the station has continued throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the health crisis has been blamed for the delays.

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During the lockdown in April, Cllr Page said: “Green Park is obviously going to be delayed. You can confidently put delayed against pretty much every project. The question is by how much.”

But the council has now revealed the current timeline, which expects construction to be complete in late spring or early summer next year.

Once complete, the station will go through a period of testing before it can open for public use.

Councillor Tony Page said: “The testing period will determine when it opens, as well as the need to co-ordinate with a new timetable. There are many variables.”

Green Park Station will be on the Reading to Basingstoke line, improving accessibility and connectivity to this part of south Reading where large-scale developments are planned.

These include Green Park Village, the expansion of Green Park Business Park, and the Royal Elm Park mixed-use development.

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The scheme is being progressed by RBC and West Berkshire Council in partnership with Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR), who will ultimately own and operate the station respectively.

Funding for the scheme has been secured from the Local Growth Fund (£9.15m), Section 106 developer contributions (£5.6m) and the New Station’s Fund 2 (£2.3m), with planning permission granted in 2015.

Detailed plans were then approved by both councils in summer 2019.

The station and new building was scheduled to open in late 2020 but this has been pushed back due delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to RBC.

The council says it is working with Network Rail and GWR to ensure that the station is open as soon as possible after its completion.