Cambridge South new station opening

[mr_moo]

There would still be plenty of slues involved!
That central island platform is 8m wide so we would instead have had two separate 8m wide platforms with bridges etc. Would probably have taken up more space overall.

The very early options did look at that arrangement as an option, but I wasn't on the project back then so don't know why we ended up with the decision we are building now.

East West Rail is very much in its infancy of course, but their initial thinking is to change usage of the platforms and pair by use, not direction, as they will be 4-tracking all the way from Shepreth Branch Junction to Cambridge.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Jun 2024 ==

On a broad point, the station is clearly coming together as an architectural marvel. It's pleasurable to see new stations with some design thought put into them - clearly there is more money available here than in other recent station (re-)opening projects that have completed recently.

Thank you. It does look impressive! I'm quite proud to be a part of the team building it.

It has it cost challenges of course, just as any other project does, but this one was indeed wanted to be a 'landmark' station by the funders.

 

[William3000]

The key factor is minimising the land take both from the grounds of the buildings in Francis Crick Avenue and from Hobsons Park.

The guided busway opened in 2011 so the bridge was there long before the station was first suggested.

The station was explicitly mentioned in the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Structure Plan of 2003. I recall people talking about it as far back as the early 1990s!

 

[AlbertBeale]

There would still be plenty of slues involved!
That central island platform is 8m wide so we would instead have had two separate 8m wide platforms with bridges etc. Would probably have taken up more space overall.

The very early options did look at that arrangement as an option, but I wasn't on the project back then so don't know why we ended up with the decision we are building now.

East West Rail is very much in its infancy of course, but their initial thinking is to change usage of the platforms and pair by use, not direction, as they will be 4-tracking all the way from Shepreth Branch Junction to Cambridge.

Paired by use is obviously useful operationally (though to balance use of each pair of tracks, presumably there'd be crossovers near the junction to allow at least some trains to switch across at times), but it's also much less useful for passengers, who clearly appreciate cross-platform interchange between services in the same direction.

 

[Magdalia]

it's also much less useful for passengers, who clearly appreciate cross-platform interchange between services in the same direction.

The Cambridge South layout being constructed does not provide for cross platform interchange with lines paired by direction.

Cambridge South is not designed to be an interchange station, it is primarily a destination station for the Biomedical Campus.

 

[zwk500]

Paired by use is obviously useful operationally (though to balance use of each pair of tracks, presumably there'd be crossovers near the junction to allow at least some trains to switch across at times), but it's also much less useful for passengers, who clearly appreciate cross-platform interchange between services in the same direction.

Passengers prefer on-time trains over interchange provision they're unlikely to use. What kind of flows are you envisaging interchanging there? Stevenage to Stanstead is hardly a major flow, competing with Luton Airport.

 

[MarkyT]

Passengers prefer on-time trains over interchange provision they're unlikely to use. What kind of flows are you envisaging interchanging there? Stevenage to Stanstead is hardly a major flow, competing with Luton Airport.

Paired by use between Cambridge and Shepreth Branch Junction will give cross-platform interchange on the centre island for a journey from Stansted to Stevenage. However, passengers will need to cross the footbridge between the outer side platforms for the same trip in the opposite direction. An alternative paired by direction layout with twin directional islands would require a footbridge transfer in both directions for this particular journey. It would give more convenient interchange than Cambridge for some journeys continuing across the city in the same direction however, but the arrangement would introduce additional junction conflicts as Hitchin and Bedford bound trains would always need to cross the down flow from Liverpool Street south of the new station and possibly in the Cambridge throat as well depending on which platforms the trains were using there. Four tracking throughout on the south approach removes these conflicts and favours the paired by use configuration. It gives a consistent platform, every time, heading south for Liverpool Street and Kings Cross/TL. Going north, the next train to Cambridge and beyond might be from one of two platforms, so I expect some people will wait on the foot bridge to see which arrives first. The glazed side looks south so people will be able to see trains approaching from that direction. It shouldn't be a long wait however so crowds shouldn't build up too much. The main argument for the design being built is that the entrances on both sides can be more easily integrated into the side platforms, minimising land take. I favoured a twin island arrangement in the past, but the current design makes more sense with EWR intending to provide two separate pairs throughout from Cambridge station to the junction in the future.

This is a great example of paired by direction not always being superior to paired by use.

 

[Nodding Cat Ch]

Shot this yesterday, it shows new track out new Shepereth Junction, and the new building framework on the Hospital side of the train station.

 

[neill]

Shot this yesterday, it shows new track out new Shepereth Junction, and the new building framework on the Hospital side of the train station.

Very nice! I haven’t been down to the junction for a while, so nice to see progress on the track.

Here is a photo from this morning with yet another interesting Liebherr product. Looks like the stairs might be about to go in on the east side.

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Update (26/6): another beautiful morning in Cambridge and the cranes are in action once again.

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Update 26/6 evening: steady progress today on the stairs.

 

[WesternBiker]

Very nice! I haven’t been down to the junction for a while, so nice to see progress on the track.

Here is a photo from this morning with yet another interesting Liebherr product. Looks like the stairs might be about to go in on the east side.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jun 2024 ==

Update (26/6): another beautiful morning in Cambridge and the cranes are in action once again.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jun 2024 ==

Update 26/6 evening: steady progress today on the stairs.

Thanks, as ever, for the update.

It's all a good advert for Liebherr vehicles! It looks as though all the platform faces are also now in, as well.

 

[swt_passenger]

Very nice! I haven’t been down to the junction for a while, so nice to see progress on the track.

Here is a photo from this morning with yet another interesting Liebherr product. Looks like the stairs might be about to go in on the east side.
[…]
Update 26/6 evening: steady progress today on the stairs.

I’d been wondering what those curved sections of precast concrete were for, (you can see them lying on the ground in picture 3 in post #985), looks as if it avoids having a corner on the stairs.

 

[neill]

Bah!, beaten to reply #1000!

Looks like the last of the stairs is in. I am curious what the t-shape steel next to the lift shaft is for….

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Update from Sunday afternoon: roof is going on to rest of building.

 

[mr_moo]

I’d been wondering what those curved sections of precast concrete were for, (you can see them lying on the ground in picture 3 in post #985), looks as if it avoids having a corner on the stairs.

Yep, all stairs are straight, with curved landings between them.

 

[neill]

This week has seen the near completion of the roof, more work on glazing and relocation of the crane away from the new trackbed to the eastern forecourt area.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jul 2024 ==

Update: I found myself on the train this afternoon. Here are some video stills of the station.

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Update: And some Sunday afternoon drone photos. Interesting pattern on the windows...

 

[Northerngirl]

Starting to look very nice, certainly an improvement from the usual bus stop shelter

 

[J-2739]

Starting to look very nice, certainly an improvement from the usual bus stop shelter

This one was never projected to be a bus stop shelter, given the number of passengers projected per annum.

 

[Trainbike46]

Looks like good progress!

I'm hoping that mr_moo will be able to return to sharing updates as well now purdah is over

 

[WesternBiker]

This one was never projected to be a bus stop shelter, given the number of passengers projected per annum.

Indeed, but it is also a step up from some other recentish large stations - Newport (Gwent) comes to mind as somewhere that deserved better than the carbuncle it got.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

This week has seen the near completion of the roof, more work on glazing and relocation of the crane away from the new trackbed to the eastern forecourt area.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jul 2024 ==

Update: I found myself on the train this afternoon. Here are some video stills of the station.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Jul 2024 ==

Update: And some Sunday afternoon drone photos. Interesting pattern on the windows...

This team are setting the gold standard for construction speed and shows what can be achieved.

 

[WesternBiker]

Some nice official pictures from Network Rail East Anglia on X (formerly Twitter) posted on Wednesday here.

 

[neill]

Not my video, but the first few minutes of this give a cab view that looks fairly recent - the footbridge is in.

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It’s been a pretty quiet week. Here are some photos of the station building from yesterday (20th July). Not much visible change from last week.

 

[phil123]

Loving your guys insights and photos. Any thoughts as to when we might see timetabling info?

 

[Bald Rick]

Loving your guys insights and photos. Any thoughts as to when we might see timetabling info?

a long time yet.

 

[Teds]

a long time yet.

Apparently, it is dependent on the East Coast timetable revision. The proposed GN timings in that include provision for Cambridge South - but that timetable has yet to be finalised.

 

[neill]

Construction has certainly slowed for the summer. Only notable change I can see this week is that the concrete for the first floor on the west side station building was poured.

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Update: here are some photos from the last few days. Geotextile and ballast have been going in for P1/2.

 

[TiddlyPom]

Construction has certainly slowed for the summer. Only notable change I can see this week is that the concrete for the first floor on the west side station building was poured.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jul 2024 ==

Update: here are some photos from the last few days. Geotextile and ballast have been going in for P1/2.

Thanks for the update.

A slightly naive question, but what do the changes to Shepreth Junction achieve? My guess is the speed over the junction is improved, but is there anything else?

 

[neill]

I think it is all detailed further up the thread by people with better knowledge than I, but from memory yes improved speed in both directions and a longer lead in so that the junction is effectively moved north a hundred meters or so. I think the intent is to create enough of a time saving that most existing trains can stop at the new station without a complete timetable rewrite.

 

[Magdalia]

what do the changes to Shepreth Junction achieve? My guess is the speed over the junction is improved,

Yes. This is particularly significant for trains going to and from the Kings Cross line where the speed over the junction is currently only 30mph.

The existing layout dates from a time when the fast Cambridge trains were to and from Liverpool Street, and the only passenger trains going the other way were 2 car DMU shuttles to Royston.

 

[Class 170101]

You would be able to terminate on all platforms at Cambridge South from the London direction and head back.

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Thanks for the update.

A slightly naive question, but what do the changes to Shepreth Junction achieve? My guess is the speed over the junction is improved, but is there anything else?

It improves the speed up to 50mph and removes approach control

 

[William3000]

Yes. This is particularly significant for trains going to and from the Kings Cross line where the speed over the junction is currently only 30mph.

The existing layout dates from a time when the fast Cambridge trains were to and from Liverpool Street, and the only passenger trains going the other way were 2 car DMU shuttles to Royston.

Trains still travel fast through Shepreth Junction to and from London Liverpool Street at up to 90mph!