Cambridge South new station opening

[swt_passenger]

Wouldn't that just encourage fare evasion? Anyone without a ticket could go this way if there are no barriers.

There’ll be an alarmed emergency exit from the platform, but it’s not going to be wide open to the fields.

 

[Netwrox]

There’ll be an alarmed emergency exit though. It’s not going to be wide open to the fields.

"no gates" and "open and available for use by anyone normally" didn't make it sound like an emergency exit. Although I guess that could mean nothing stopping you going up on the bridge if you want.

 

[Bald Rick]

"no gates" and "open and available for use by anyone normally" didn't make it sound like an emergency exit. Although I guess that could mean nothing stopping you going up on the bridge if you want.

It’s not got an exit to outside the station…

 

[mr_moo]

The bridge is fully unrestricted, but all it does is connect the island platforms with platform 4. Anyone can use it to change between platforms and/or do train spotting etc!

There's then a completely separate emergency exit off platform 4 into Hobsons park. That one does have gates of course. (There's also an emergency exit ramp off platform 1, with gates)

 

[Netwrox]

The bridge is fully unrestricted, but all it does is connect the island platforms with platform 4. Anyone can use it to change between platforms and/or do train spotting etc!

There's then a completely separate emergency exit off platform 4 into Hobsons park. That one does have gates of course. (There's also an emergency exit ramp off platform 1, with gates)

Ahh, yes. Hadn't occurred to me you could use it to go between 2/3 and 4. There would be some useful changing options at the south end there.

 

[saismee]

"no gates" and "open and available for use by anyone normally" didn't make it sound like an emergency exit. Although I guess that could mean nothing stopping you going up on the bridge if you want.

I think they meant the bridge itself isn't barriered off from the platforms by default

 

[neill]

Article from local press with some recent interior photos:

https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/cambridge-south-railway-station-opening-edges-nearer-9460085/

 

[andy33gmail]

I think they meant the bridge itself isn't barriered off from the platforms by default

Got a pretty clear view of the completed bridge yesterday. It's just a straightforward bridge between the two platforms

 

[Magdalia]

The cycleway/footpath over the busway bridge is now open again, though the safety works is not quite complete and access is a bit awkward at both ends.

While the cycleway/footpath has been closed substantial progress has been made on the new station, and the exterior forecourts look almost complete. The campus side already has an "arrows of indecision" sign on Francis Crick Avenue.

 

[samulih]

Guardian writing about the opening of station:
https://www.theguardian.com/busines...outh-station-open-june-great-british-railways

 

[neill]

Here are some photos taken last week from the reopened busway bridge, including the notably not Greater Anglia branded signage.

 

[Magdalia]

The 28 June opening date has now been announced officially see here on BBC News:

Cambridge South station opening date revealed

Nine services an hour will operate to Cambridge and there is a direct link to the Biomedical Campus.

www.bbc.co.uk

Passengers will soon be able to travel to and from a new multi-million pound railway station.

The Department for Transport has revealed that services will begin calling at Cambridge South on Sunday, 28 June,

Here are some photos taken last week from the reopened busway bridge, including the notably not Greater Anglia branded signage.

The report also says this:

it will be the first Great British Railways-branded station in the country.

 

[Snow1964]

Here are some photos taken last week from the reopened busway bridge, including the notably not Greater Anglia branded signage.

It's like 50 shades of grey

Actually I count 7 different greys in those photos, or 9 if you include the stone path and some trackside conduit

 

[neill]

It's like 50 shades of grey

Actually I count 7 different greys in those photos, or 9 if you include the stone path and some trackside conduit

The pictures are doing it a disservice by being from the ‘back’ and elevated. It looks much softer and natural from the park side at ground level.

 

[Bodiam]

Guardian writing about the opening of station:
https://www.theguardian.com/busines...outh-station-open-june-great-british-railways

Slightly optimistic to say it will have 9 services and hour "to the centre of Cambridge".

 

[MikeWM]

It's like 50 shades of grey

Actually I count 7 different greys in those photos, or 9 if you include the stone path and some trackside conduit

It looks rather similar to, but a bit less bland than, Cambridge North - though that's really not difficult!

 

[samulih]

I must say it look much better than some other stations opened in last few years

 

[WesternBiker]

A photo taken a few weeks ago of the approach from the Biomedical Campus.

The station name is oddly hard to see at a distance, against the green background. Snazzy lighting, though.

 

[neill]

A photo taken a few weeks ago of the approach from the Biomedical Campus.

The station name is oddly hard to see at a distance, against the green background. Snazzy lighting, though.

Agreed it seems to be smaller on this side than the one facing the park but maybe that is an illusion.

There is now a totem on the street to make it a bit more obvious where the station is for those coming from the hospital.

I am hoping we will shortly see a run round all the local signage that says ‘station’ with at least an update to the direction arrows.

 

[dk1]

Slightly optimistic to say it will have 9 services and hour "to the centre of Cambridge".

The centre of Cambridge is moving ever closer to Cambridge station. Such a busy area now.

 

[neill]

The centre of Cambridge is moving ever closer to Cambridge station. Such a busy area now.

I asked an AI to model this looking back 30 years and forward 10 and the economic centre is indeed moving in that direction. Maybe by 2100 it might make it to the station. Obviously take this with a massive grain of salt...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 May 2026 ==

(image attached is a map of Cambridge City Centre showing the economic centre plotted on 5 year increments moving slowly south-south-east around Petersfield area of Cambridge. Total movement is on the order of a couple of hundred meters)

 

[dk1]

I asked an AI to model this looking back 30 years and forward 10 and the economic centre is indeed moving in that direction. Maybe by 2100 it might make it to the station. Obviously take this with a massive grain of salt...

If only the university hadn’t been so anti-rail in the 1800s

 

[Magdalia]

The centre of Cambridge is moving ever closer to Cambridge station. Such a busy area now.

Cambridge is a multi-nodal city. The area around the old station is what Americans or Australians would call the Central Business District.

If only the university hadn’t been so anti-rail in the 1800s

It has taken almost 200 years, but now it turns out to be a good thing. It is hard to see how the transformation of the area around the old station in the last 20 years could have happened if it had been close to the colleges.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 May 2026 ==

(image attached is a map of Cambridge City Centre showing the economic centre plotted on 5 year increments moving slowly south-south-east around Petersfield area of Cambridge. Total movement is on the order of a couple of hundred meters)

Does that include the Biomedical Campus?

 

[neill]

Does that include the Biomedical Campus?

Yes.

Chat-GPT reports:

The headline result is that Cambridge’s estimated economic centre has not shifted out to a suburban campus. It remains in the inner city, but it has moved roughly 250–300 metres south/south-east from the mid-1990s position, pulled by the Cambridge Station/CB1 corridor and especially the Biomedical Campus. On the map, this places the centre broadly around the Parker’s Piece / Mill Road / station-facing side of the city, depending on year.

That southward pull is consistent with the evidence that life-science concentrations are mainly south of the city, while other knowledge-intensive concentrations are in the city and northern fringes. Cambridge Ahead also says the Biomedical Campus has grown from about 12,000 to 24,000 total jobs over the last decade and is currently Cambridge’s largest employment site when corporate and non-corporate employment are counted.

For the next 20 years, the central projection shows a modest east/south-east drift rather than a dramatic relocation. The Biomedical Campus is expected to accommodate 27,000 jobs by 2031, while North East Cambridge also pulls the centre north-east as Science Park / Innovation Park / Cambridge North growth continues. The wider Greater Cambridge employment evidence update projects central-scenario employment growth from 227,000 jobs in 2024 to 300,200 by 2045, which I used as a check on the overall growth path.

 

[dk1]

Cambridge is a multi-nodal city. The area around the old station is what Americans or Australians would call the Central Business District.


It has taken almost 200 years, but now it turns out to be a good thing. It is hard to see how the transformation of the area around the old station in the last 20 years could have happened if it had been close to the colleges.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 May 2026 ==


Does that include the Biomedical Campus?

During the pandemic our PNBs were often extended in Cambridge therefore allowing a full 90mins fast walking around the city. That went back to roughly half an hour after. Only decent break was early Sunday mornings after being dropped off in a taxi then walking around waiting for Spoons (Regal) to open for breakfast before working the 08:48 back to Norwich.

The changes around the station area have been nothing short of revolutionary over the past decade or so. There were so few places to eat, drink or shop back then. Add to that the North & now South stations and the success just goes on & on in my opinion.

 

[Hadders]

The changes around the station area have been nothing short of revolutionary over the past decade or so. There were so few places to eat, drink or shop back then. Add to that the North & now South stations and the success just goes on & on in my opinion.

Agreed. Anyone who hasn't been to Cambridge station for 20+ years will be absolutely amazed at the transformation around the station in that time.

 

[Steve Harris]

The changes around the station area have been nothing short of revolutionary over the past decade or so. There were so few places to eat, drink or shop back then. Add to that the North & now South stations and the success just goes on & on in my opinion.

You obviously never walked the short walk to Mill Road then !? It was well known in Cambridge circles for It's wide variety of shops, (including coffee shops), take aways, a couple of cafés, convenience stores etc (and had a couple of cracking indian restaurants to boot) and literally a 5- 10 min walk from the station.

 

[Magdalia]

During the pandemic our PNBs were often extended in Cambridge therefore allowing a full 90mins fast walking around the city. That went back to roughly half an hour after.

You obviously never walked the short walk to Mill Road then !? It was well known in Cambridge circles for It's wide variety of shops, (including coffee shops), take aways, a couple of cafés, convenience stores etc (and had a couple of cracking indian restaurants to boot) and literally a 5- 10 min walk from the station.

For most people Mill Road is at least 10 minutes walk from the station, and more if they want to go beyond the end of Devonshire Road, or if they have to get to or from the island platform.

In half an hour there is time to get to Mill Road and time to get back but no time to do anything when you are there.

To get us back on topic, Cambridge South has the AZ Hub and the Papworth Cafe nearby, plus Stir a bit further away. But the nearest supermarket is probably the Sainsburys the other side of Hobsons Park.

 

[dk1]

You obviously never walked the short walk to Mill Road then !? It was well known in Cambridge circles for It's wide variety of shops, (including coffee shops), take aways, a couple of cafés, convenience stores etc (and had a couple of cracking indian restaurants to boot) and literally a 5- 10 min walk from the station.

Of course I did. More times than you could shake a stick at. Mill Road is not close to Cambridge station unless you know.

 

[hedge nerd]

One thing that concerns me as a local resident is that there does not appear to be any street lights on the path to the Western entrance through Hobson's Park.