Work on Cambridge South station continues to make progress after a number of upgrades were made to the site. Plans for the station were approved by the Department for Transport (DfT) in December 2022.
The site is located next to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Once complete, it hopes to link the campus to destinations across the UK, which includes London, Stansted Airport and Birmingham among others.
It is also hoped trains will run to Bedford and further afield along the under construction East West Rail project. In the latest update, Network Rail Anglia posted that a number of upgrades were made over the Christmas period.
The Shepreth branch junction is being completely rebuilt as part of the project to allow for a future increase in line speed from 30mph to 50mph. Whole track panels were lifted and moved into place using remote track panel lifters.
Work has also been done on the rails, including rail grinding, welding and stressing. The new island platform is also being surfaced, while installation of the photovoltaic panels on the canopies continues for the station itself.
The station and associated infrastructure are estimated to cost around £211 million, which is part of a package allocated by the Government. The full site will include a two-storey, four-platform station on the West Anglia Main with lifts to all platforms, and parking spaces for 1,000 bicycles.
Work on the site began on January 17, 2023 with the first works compound built under the Addenbrooke’s Road bridge. Network Rail has said the station will “provide access to a growing area of high-quality employment” and help relieve local congestion through providing “environmentally sustainable transport” in the city.
Cambridge South station is expected to open in late 2025. More details about the project can be found here.
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