Cambridge South new station opening

[camflyer]

More objections on the basis is that it's "not big enough"

Cambridge South station won’t cope with demand - and that could scupper Biomedical Campus growth, warns transport group

Edward Leigh, of SCT, gave evidence at a public inquiry into the new railway station.

www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk

A transport group dismantled the plans of Network Rail for Cambridge South at the inquiry into the new railway station.

Edward Leigh, of Smarter Cambridge Transport (SCT), told the hearing the proposed station would be far too small and unable to cope with future demand, fuelled by rapid jobs growth in the area.

And he warned that the integration between the railway station and bus services was not up to scratch.

 

[Magdalia]

The current proposal for Cambridge South is as big as possible given the geographical constraints of the Biomedical Campus and Hobsons Park.

The key result of the initial consultation was the need to have the main entrance/exit on the Biomedical Campus side of the railway. But there is very limited space to do this because of other buildings existing or proposed between the railway and Francis Crick Avenue, and Network Rail have done well to come up with a proposal that achieves that.

There is some further development of the Biomedical Campus "baked in": preparation for construction has started this month on two of the vacant plots, and the children's hospital is going through planning. But most Cambridge people would welcome stifling of further growth because of local housing and water supply constraints. The 2019 general election and the pandemic have changed things too, further expansion of the Biomedical Campus is much less likely now than it was when Cambridge South was first proposed. Forecasting use in 2040 is a mug's game, but a "quick win" is needed to meet the known requirement in 2025.

And there has never been any intention that Cambridge South should be an interchange station: it is a destination station for workers on and visitors to the Biomedical Campus. Interchange with buses looks tempting because of the proximity of the busway but it has never been a key objective of the Cambridge South project.

I read the Cambridge Independent article and I don't agree that Smarter Cambridge Transport have dismantled the Network Rail case. It is important that the Network Rail proposals are properly tested but Smarter Cambridge Transport have not made a compelling case that the whole project should be further delayed by sending Network Rail back to the drawing board.

 

[camflyer]

I agree that forecasting to 2040 is pointless but I don't think the pandemic will affect the development of the Biomedical Campus as much as other workplaces. By the very nature of the work, biomedical research and patient treatment cannot be done over Zoom while working from home though some ancillary services will be put back. The Cambridge Science Park has postponed plans for a new hotel and conference centre on its site

 

[MarkyT]

And there has never been any intention that Cambridge South should be an interchange station: it is a destination station for workers on and visitors to the Biomedical Campus. Interchange with buses looks tempting because of the proximity of the busway but it has never been a key objective of the Cambridge South project.

There probably won't be many, if any, bus routes stopping around the South station that are not also available at Cambridge central. That's not to say that further bus connections won't develop to serve the medical complex which could also form useful connecting 'last mile' feeders for the station. It is comparatively easy to move or add bus stops in the future, so this matter shouldn't be a dealbreaker for the rail station project.

I read the Cambridge Independent article and I don't agree that Smarter Cambridge Transport have dismantled the Network Rail case. It is important that the Network Rail proposals are properly tested but Smarter Cambridge Transport have not made a compelling case that the whole project should be further delayed by sending Network Rail back to the drawing board.

An important consideration might be how 'peaky' expected demand will be. With hospital shift working, patient appointments and meetings spread throughout the day, flexible hours and partial WFH for some office staff etc, I suspect demand might be more evenly distributed across the day than a traditional London terminal (pre Covid).

 

[Class 170101]

There probably won't be many, if any, bus routes stopping around the South station that are not also available at Cambridge central. That's not to say that further bus connections won't develop to serve the medical complex which could also form useful connecting 'last mile' feeders for the station.

All I would say is bus routes that are available at both Cambridge Central and Cambridge South will be more popular at Cambridge South heading in a southerly direction and at Cambridge Central in a more northerly direction in that why would get a bus from Cambridge Central to a southerly destination and from Cambridge South in a northerly direction when it is quicker to stay on a train between the two due to the traffic congestion in Cambridge Centre.

 

[camflyer]

The Biomedical Campus could do with a way of getting around the site - it's quite a hike from where the railway station will be to Addenbrookes Outpatients and some of the other buildings.

 

[ac6000cw]

The Biomedical Campus could do with a way of getting around the site - it's quite a hike from where the railway station will be to Addenbrookes Outpatients and some of the other buildings.

I agree - from the new station location to the Addenbrookes bus station & Outpatients dept. it's nearly 1km as the crow flies (they are literally on opposite sides of the site).

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @bspahh to provide an update.

 

[bspahh]

The latest Branch Line News BLN 1408.2159 has more detail from Network Rail on Cambridge South station. I can't see this information at https://www.networkrail.co.uk/

It is planned that enabling work will start in November 2022, with the main works on site starting in December this year. There will be two big possessions along with the Cambridge Resignalling project:

• Commissioning Phase 2, a 96-hour Possession from Week 39, (week commencing 16 Dec 2023).
• Commissioning Phase 4, an 8-day blockade over Christmas 2024.

The station opening is due in March 2025 with 'an ambition to bring this forward to Dec 2024'.
There will be four platforms:

P1: Up Cambridge Loop Line​

P2: Up Cambridge Main Line​

P3: Down Cambridge Main Line​

P4: Down Cambridge Loop Line​

The speed limit will increase at Shepreth Branch Junction from 30mph to 50mph. The Websters and Duke's No2 level crossings near Shepreth Branch Junction will
be 'closed, stopped up and eliminated'.

 

[dk1]

This is such good news on a very sad day.

 

[Strat-tastic]

How will they go about increasing the speed limit through the junction?

 

[mr_jrt]

Realignment and closing the crossing, I believe:

 

[zwk500]

Is there 4 tracking from Shepreth Branch Jn go Cambrige as part of Cambridge South or will the station just be loops?

 

[dk1]

Is there 4 tracking from Shepreth Branch Jn go Cambrige as part of Cambridge South or will the station just be loops?

I thought 4-tracking had been ruled out as there isn’t enough space.

 

[mr_jrt]

AIUI, 4 tracking is to be done for EWR but isn't needed for the station, so it's just loops for now.

 

[zwk500]

I thought 4-tracking had been ruled out as there isn’t enough space.

AIUI, 4 tracking is to be done for EWR but isn't needed for the station, so it's just loops for now.

Thanks both, that explains my conflation.

 

[cle]

Will there be any service increases associated with this?

What is anticipated to call?
2tph Liverpool St
2tph Thameslink
2tph Kings X (slow)
1tph Stansted-Norwich (which would give 7tph to Cambridge and 3tph to North?)

XC to Birmingham and the Fast to Kings Cross? The former misses North too. The latter, unsure - will South be useful for flighting?

 

[dk1]

Will there be any service increases associated with this?

What is anticipated to call?
2tph Liverpool St
2tph Thameslink
2tph Kings X (slow)
1tph Stansted-Norwich (which would give 7tph to Cambridge and 3tph to North?)

XC to Birmingham and the Fast to Kings Cross? The former misses North too. The latter, unsure - will South be useful for flighting?

Possibly Kings X fast too. I think the third hourly Liverpool St (fast) that was proposed when has been dropped now. East/West if it actually extends this far east was also had provision to call here.

 

[ac6000cw]

Realignment and closing the crossing, I believe

From the diagram, it looks like the up line junction is moving a bit closer to Cambridge (it's basically under the footbridge at present), presumably combined with using 50 mph turnouts. Maybe moving the junction will also allow a higher cant of the curve away towards Shepreth?

 

[cle]

Possibly Kings X fast too. I think the third hourly Liverpool St (fast) that was proposed when has been dropped now. East/West if it actually extends this far east was also had provision to call here.

Ah yes that third fast I was quite excited about, but it does seem to have been dropped. Will the various works around Tottenham Hale, Meridian Water, Ponders End - enable this frequency increase? Everything I've seen increase has been out of Stratford.

E/W I am not holding my breath!

 

[dk1]

Ah yes that third fast I was quite excited about, but it does seem to have been dropped. Will the various works around Tottenham Hale, Meridian Water, Ponders End - enable this frequency increase? Everything I've seen increase has been out of Stratford.

E/W I am not holding my breath!

Hopefully but I'm no expert on that part of WA.

 

[Bald Rick]

Ah yes that third fast I was quite excited about, but it does seem to have been dropped. Will the various works around Tottenham Hale, Meridian Water, Ponders End - enable this frequency increase? Everything I've seen increase has been out of Stratford.

E/W I am not holding my breath!

The work at Ponders End is not about increasing capacity, but enables more trains to call at Meridian Water (albeit with compromises to some other services)

The third Cambridge is very unlikely due to a whole host of reasons, but primarily because the timetable won’t work.

 

[adamedwards]

Very good news. The station will be well used.

 

[Class 170101]

Will there be any service increases associated with this?

What is anticipated to call?
2tph Liverpool St
2tph Thameslink
2tph Kings X (slow)
1tph Stansted-Norwich (which would give 7tph to Cambridge and 3tph to North?)

XC to Birmingham and the Fast to Kings Cross? The former misses North too. The latter, unsure - will South be useful for flighting?

Can't see the XC service calling at Cambridge South. They don't call at Cambridge North today.

I think it is likely the fasts to / from Kings Cross would want to call. I thought I read something somewhere that not all the current services could call at Cambridge South even if they wanted to though.

 

[William3000]

AIUI, 4 tracking is to be done for EWR but isn't needed for the station, so it's just loops for now.

Yes just loops although there will be a 3rd track on the down towards Cambridge coming off Shepreth junction for about 600 metres

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Sep 2022 ==

Can't see the XC service calling at Cambridge South. They don't call at Cambridge North today.

I think it is likely the fasts to / from Kings Cross would want to call. I thought I read something somewhere that not all the current services could call at Cambridge South even if they wanted to though.

I always assumed that London KX to Ely/King’s Lynn fasts and Stansted Airport to Birmingham NS cross country services wouldn’t stop and everything else would.

 

[47421]

The works at


The wrk at Ponders End is not about increasing capacity, but enables more trains to call at Meridian Water (albeit with compromises to some other services)

The third Cambridge is very unlikely due to a whole host of reasons, but primarily because the timetable won’t work.

is there any ambition to re-cast/speed-up West Anglia? When the East Coast recast finally takes effect with any consequent changes to KX/TL-Cambridge-Kings Lynn will that trigger WA recast or just tweaks? Now the 317s are history should be some scope for speeding up even if the 2016 Franchise Agreement frequency enhancements will never be delivered

 

[ac6000cw]

Yes just loops although there will be a 3rd track on the down towards Cambridge coming off Shepreth junction for about 600 metres

Is that partly because the new 50 mph junction will have to be spread out over a longer distance to accommodate the faster turnouts (in the current junction layout there are three tracks for about 100m)?

 

[Magdalia]

The latest Branch Line News BLN 1408.2159 has more detail from Network Rail on Cambridge South station. I can't see this information at https://www.networkrail.co.uk/

I'm not able to see the Branch Line Society Source, is that members only?

I can't find anything on Network Rail's website either. The latest position given there is this:

The [Transport and Works Act Order] public inquiry opened on 1 February 2022 and completed early June 2022.

Once the Inspector has completed the report, we anticipate that the Secretary of State could be in a position to make his decision later this year (2022) on the TWAO application.

(Network Rail have not updated pronouns for the new Secretary of State!)

It is planned that enabling work will start in November 2022, with the main works on site starting in December this year. There will be two big possessions along with the Cambridge Resignalling project:

• Commissioning Phase 2, a 96-hour Possession from Week 39, (week commencing 16 Dec 2023).
• Commissioning Phase 4, an 8-day blockade over Christmas 2024.

These are possibly indicative engineering work dates, assuming that the Transport and Works Act Order is made soon.

The trackwork is extensive, especially at Shepreth Branch Junction. An 8 day block for this seems plausible, comparing with the recent work at Hertford East.

The station opening is due in March 2025 with 'an ambition to bring this forward to Dec 2024'.

March 2025 seems ambitious, so close to an 8 day block at Christmas 2024, and December 2024 impossible?

The speed limit will increase at Shepreth Branch Junction from 30mph to 50mph. The Websters and Duke's No2 level crossings near Shepreth Branch Junction will be 'closed, stopped up and eliminated'.

Yes just loops although there will be a 3rd track on the down towards Cambridge coming off Shepreth junction for about 600 metres

Is that partly because the new 50 mph junction will have to be spread out over a longer distance to accommodate the faster turnouts (in the current junction layout there are three tracks for about 100m)?

The TWAO application plans showed the down lines converging somewhere near Duke's No 2 crossing which is at 53m34ch in my (old) Sectional Appendix. Webster's crossing is 53m3ch and the current junction 53m6ch.

 

[Bald Rick]

is there any ambition to re-cast/speed-up West Anglia? When the East Coast recast finally takes effect with any consequent changes to KX/TL-Cambridge-Kings Lynn will that trigger WA recast or just tweaks? Now the 317s are history should be some scope for speeding up even if the 2016 Franchise Agreement frequency enhancements will never be delivered

Recast, yes, supposed to be at same time as ECML. Won’t be that much in terms of speeding up though.

 

[bspahh]

I'm not able to see the Branch Line Society Source, is that members only?

Yes. An online membership with a PDF copy of the Branch Line News every 2 weeks is £12 a year. The report said "NR" which I assumed was "Network Rail" and not "National Rail"