The UK rail network grew by another station on Sunday, with Cambridge South opening to traffic.
As the name implies, Cambridge South Station is south of the city, primarily serving the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and the suburb of Trumpington.
It’s also the first station in the UK to be kitted out in full Great British Railways branding, with a total investment of £250 million.
In terms of facilities, it meets local needs, with Network Rail predicting that over 95% of passengers will use public transport, walk, or cycle to the station. As such, whilst it does have 15 spaces reserved for disabled drivers, staff, taxis, and pick-up/drop-off, there is no public car park onsite.
There are 1000 cycle parking spaces, however, to serve the local needs.
It features four platforms for trains to utilise
Designed to blend in with its surroundings, the station integrates with the existing Hobson’s Park nature reserve, helping to protect valuable green space, recreational areas and wildlife habitats.
Its ‘green roof’ includes a wildflower meadow environment and a rainwater catchment system that will store and slowly discharge rainwater back into the environment and the nearby brook, while the station’s overall design and construction efficiencies have reduced the station’s carbon footprint by over 22%.
Services
In terms of services, it will be served by CrossCountry (with services to Stansted Airport), Great Northern (with services to London King’s Cross), Greater Anglia (with services along the West Anglia Main Line to London Liverpool Street and Royston (for services through the Thameslink Core to the south of England). During the daytime, it is served nine times an hour.
And, of course, it provides connections northwards to Cambridge, King’s Lynn, Norwich as well as across to the East Midlands and Birmingham.
In the future, the East-West Rail link will also serve Cambridge South.
In Quotes
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:
The newly opened Cambridge South station cuts journey times, improves access to jobs and makes everyday life that little bit easier for thousands of people.
This £250 million investment means a journey that once took over an hour – involving a train, a bus, a walk – is now a single 45-minute direct train from London. That’s a real, tangible difference in people’s lives.
With up to 20 services in peak hours connecting passengers to London, Birmingham, Stansted and beyond, Cambridge South will connect people with opportunities across the region and the wider country. This is Great British Railways in action.
Jamie Burles, Managing Director for Great British Railways Anglia, said:
Welcoming the first customers through the door of Cambridge South on Sunday will mark the completion of a new gateway for the 1.8 million people expected to use the new station every year.
Cambridge South will be a game-changer, providing a more sustainable travel option for workers and visitors at the biomedical campus and for local residents too, supporting regional growth and boosting connection to major cities and transport hubs across the UK.
Hundreds of people across the rail industry and our supply chain have worked incredibly hard to deliver this for Cambridge. I know they will all be proud to see it open for our passengers and community. We look forward to serving you as you visit.
Shaun Grady, Chair of AstraZeneca UK, said:
AstraZeneca, alongside local partners, has been supportive of Cambridge South from the start, so we are very excited to see the station opening. It is not hyperbole to say it will be transformative for the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and for the rest of the city.
From colleagues and visitors coming up to Cambridge for appointments, going down to London for meetings and flying in via Stansted, the station will help people get to where they want to go. Improving connectivity to and from the campus has always been the key priority and this new station will greatly support the UK’s ambition to be a global leader in innovation, science and technology.
Peter Denton CBE, Chair of Cambridge Biomedical Campus Limited, said:
This new rail station will be transformational for the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, making it easier to collaborate through better connectivity to London, Manchester, Stansted and beyond.
Cambridge South will deliver long-term growth and have an immediate impact for hospital visits and those seeking jobs and career opportunities within the world-leading life sciences, health, research and education organisations which we are lucky to have here.
Reducing travel times, opening access
Previously, those who wanted to access this part of Cambridge had to travel to Cambridge station, then travel back out, adding 15 to 20 minutes of journey time, depending on traffic conditions. Now, it’s a case of stepping off the platform and out of the train station to access the campus, as well as local onward travel using sustainable travel methods.
Considering the importance of the area and catchment area, it might have cost £250 million – but the numbers make sense to add a new station.
We’ll have to see if the passenger numbers prove this investment is worthwhile.
Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond. Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.
Our Social Media pool has expanded. You can find us across most networks as @economybeyond on BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon and Instagram!
Also, remember that we are part of the BoardingArea community, bringing you the latest frequent flyer news from around the world.
Leave a Reply