Cambridge’s second railway station “will be built”

[allticketspls]

From: Cambridge First

A RAILWAY station in the north of Cambridge providing a direct link to London, Birmingham and Norwich “will be built” and named the Cambridge Science Park Station.

Plans to reactivate the disused railway line at Chesterton Sidings will serve as a link to technology and innovation centres as well as providing easy train travel to commuters and rail users living in the north of the city.

Currently they are having to battle their way across the city to Cambridge Station - a journey which can equal the 48-minute travel time from Cambridge to London King’s Cross.

The scheme – which has been in the pipeline for almost two decades – has never been closer to fruition with Cambridgeshire County Council development bosses now working on the basis Chesterton station will happen and could be ready in four years.

It is thought to dramatically reduce congestion on Cambridge’s roads with some 80 per cent of the traffic which uses the main station coming from the north to the south east of the city.

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There is a lot more in the linked article, which is worth a read. Having worked and lived in Cambridge for a little while I can wholeheartedly agree that proposed station will have a profound effect. On Friday evenings it used to take up to 1.5 hours to get to Cambridge station.

 

[WatcherZero]

Articles misrepresenting his words slighty, he says from a standing start they could get planning approval and build it within four years, not that he expects it to exist in four years time. Their only just making their plug to Villiers after a grant application of £10m was turned down last year and they need to raise £25m of private funds under their current business plan.

 

[stut]

Finally!

Could make a good P&R too, if done right.

 

[cle]

Why does it need to cost so much? I assume it would just be a plain two platform station - admittedly it'd need lifts and 12 car platforms I guess.

How much are the new platforms costing at Cambridge itself? Could some sort of eastern entrance/access project bring the same benefits once that's up and running?

 

[jopsuk]

It'll need a car park and a link to the A14- I would hope that those are included in the budget. Not sure if the junction between Cowley Road and Milton Road would be able to cope as-is (it's also the access to the Science park).

What I'd like to see, if this is built, is car parking reduced at Cambridge station- in favour of bike parking. Encourage those that can to cycle to the station, and make life easier for those that can't. An eastern access would not provide that benefit, abnd would mean worse street- parking in the Coleride area- this is actually one of the reasons there is no entance going in there, the residents objected. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

 

[eastdyke]

'How much are the new platforms costing at Cambridge itself? Could some sort of eastern entrance/access project bring the same benefits once that's up and running?'

Not sure about the costs, but the construction project is now quite well advanced.

Sadly access from the east is beset by all the infrastructure constraints of a heavily built up area plus some conservation aspects.

Back to the proposal, a new station in itself is not sufficient without other transport infrastructure/interchange investment.

The A14 is close, as is the sewage works, as is the River Cam.

 

[stut]

What I'd like to see, if this is built, is car parking reduced at Cambridge station- in favour of bike parking. Encourage those that can to cycle to the station, and make life easier for those that can't.

I agree, but it's not just about more spaces, it's how it's done! Rows of double-decker stands would be preferable to another mass of Sheffield stands in the mud. And then sort out a proper cycle route into town. Hills Road is awful to cycle along, and the signed route around the back of the car park, weaving inelegantly along to the side of Parker's Piece and across into the worst part of Regent St is pretty dire.

(Personally, I tend to cycle in via Tennis Ct Road, and would love to see a couple of junctions - and the one-way at Panton St - jigged about to make this easier. Seems a wasted opportunity to me!)

 

[philjo]

Could also do with a station alongside Addenbroke's considering how close it is to the line & also the number of staff & patients travelling there from the surrounding area.
Would also act as a P&R linked in with the guided bus from Trumpington.

 

[ANDYS]

Excellent news if this was to happen.

I have not lived in Cambridge for the last 15 years, so forgive me if my geography is a bit rusty, but it does seem a pity that the 'guided bus' could not have been left as a railway and then the line could have run through to St Ives to relieve the A14.

By the way, is the bus up and running??

Andy S

 

[eastdyke]

But it does seem a pity that the 'guided bus' could not have been left as a railway

We have moved on!

By the way, is the bus up and running??

Yes Andy it is. Travelled from Cambridge (station) to Huntingdon (station) during first week of operation. Journey time was 1hour 28mins including a 4 minute bus change at St. Ives (P&R).

Fine from Science Park to St Ives (P&R) - timed at 21 mins. Except that the related footway/cycleway is far too narrow and adjacent/unprotected from Busway just north of Histon & Impington (IMO a bad safety issue). From St Ives to Huntingdon is a very convoluted and slow (normal road) route -timed at 43mins.

When(?) the new station has been built the Busway could be routed Huntingdon to the new station. And some (only some!) of the buses using the road route through Cambridge discontinued.

 

[dk1]

I seem to remember reading an article in a local Cambridge newspaper that said as congestion charging in the city had been thrown out there was now no money available to build a station at Chesterton.

In a perfect world we would have one here & another near Shepreth Branch Jcn possibly named 'Cambridge South parkway for Addenbrooks hospital'.

 

[jopsuk]

There's about three miles from Cambridge to Shelford station- Shelford is about half a mile on from the junction. Perhaps between the new access road and the Busway bridge? Would have good access from the motorway (the new road), about to be surrounded by houses and more bio-medical buildings and connected to the P&R at Trumpington. But with no-one official porposing it, probably won't be too long before all the land adjacent to the potential site is built upon and opportunity will be lost.

 

[dk1]

There's about three miles from Cambridge to Shelford station- Shelford is about half a mile on from the junction. Perhaps between the new access road and the Busway bridge? Would have good access from the motorway (the new road), about to be surrounded by houses and more bio-medical buildings and connected to the P&R at Trumpington. But with no-one official porposing it, probably won't be too long before all the land adjacent to the potential site is built upon and opportunity will be lost.

Perhaps we could propose it!! Not sure what our collective financial position is though. Seriously though a 4 platform (2 island) would be excellent. Traffic to & around Addenbrooks alone would be quite large let alone that from the parkway & new housing.

 

[jopsuk]

if you've got £30 million or so you can rustle up, I'll give you a hand. Can probably chip in a fiver. Might need more for my innovative "big deep hole in the ground" multistory car and bike park.

 

[LE Greys]

'How much are the new platforms costing at Cambridge itself? Could some sort of eastern entrance/access project bring the same benefits once that's up and running?'

Not sure about the costs, but the construction project is now quite well advanced.

Sadly access from the east is beset by all the infrastructure constraints of a heavily built up area plus some conservation aspects.

Back to the proposal, a new station in itself is not sufficient without other transport infrastructure/interchange investment.

The A14 is close, as is the sewage works, as is the River Cam.

Access through the old Cattle Market would possibly work. That now has shops, restaurants, a cinema, etc. on the site, with easy access from the Hills Road/Cherry Hinton Road junction. Back at Chesterton, access might be a bit tricky. I can't really see much traffic forcing its way along Fen Road, and getting to Milton Road might cause some congestion. Building a new bridge over the river to get to Newmarket Road would involve crossing Stourbridge Common, which won't be popular. Going north to the A14 seems a bit pointless if you want to head into town. Overall, it's a good idea, but we need to do something about access.

 

[HST Power]

Questions:

1) Will both the new and the present stations remain in use?
2) Who is most likely to serve the station? (in TOC terms)
3) Where will the station join onto the line? Will the services still head through Shepreth, Royston and the like?
4) If both the new and the current stations are being kept, which will receive more service?

 

[dk1]

Questions:

1) Will both the new and the present stations remain in use?
2) Who is most likely to serve the station? (in TOC terms)
3) Where will the station join onto the line? Will the services still head through Shepreth, Royston and the like?
4) If both the new and the current stations are being kept, which will receive more service?

True. People often think new stations are a great idea but if all they do is attract passengers from nearby stations then whats the point & whats in it for the rail companies? Chelmsford is a good comparison where a station just North at Buleigh Park is proposed. Now not just the lack of building work initially caused much controversy but also the abstraction of passengers from the very busy main station & from nearby Hatfield Peveral. You really need the construction of the station to be done by the house/office building firm & written into the planning agreements.

In the case of Cambridge, i do think the awful congestion in the city & the close proximity of Addenbrooks hospital would be a winner for this station. Some relief will come this December at least with the opening of the new platforms 7 & 8.

 

[OuterDistant]

In a perfect world we would have one here & another near Shepreth Branch Jcn possibly named 'Cambridge South parkway for Addenbrooks hospital'.

Oi! Stop trying to cheat at winning the "longest station name" thread!

 

[NSEFAN]

People often think new stations are a great idea but if all they do is attract passengers from nearby stations then whats the point & whats in it for the rail companies? Chelmsford is a good comparison where a station just North at Buleigh Park is proposed. Now not just the lack of building work initially caused much controversy but also the abstraction of passengers from the very busy main station & from nearby Hatfield Peveral.

Ideally distance shouldn't be an issue (within reason!). If people have to drive less distance to catch the same train, then it makes it more convenient for the passengers and hopefully makes the service more attractive in the long run.

 

[Terrafire]

"Cambridge Science Park" has all the hallmarks of one of those station names destined to become a dated relic in a decade's time when everything closes, in the cyclical way these things tend to go.

 

[LE Greys]

"Cambridge Science Park" has all the hallmarks of one of those station names destined to become a dated relic in a decade's time when everything closes, in the cyclical way these things tend to go.

Durham Tees Valley Airport? Well, maybe not, since it will still be on the bus plateway route. Still, you may well be right.

 

[mawallace]

Seems like the new station could get the go ahead. Even the Dept of Transport is getting enthusiastic about it!

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14845920

 

[mr_jrt]

When I used to commute into Cambridge I always thought that Shepreth Branch Junction would have been a ideal place to build a station to remove the need for Shepreth passengers to double back to Cambridge for frequent trains to London (or indeed, just any of the nearby stations on the branch!). Especially given the loss of Hauxton Station.

...but they decided to build houses in between the rail lines. Quite who would like to live in the middle of a busy rail junction with a serious squealing problem is beyond me...but there you go.

 

[HST Power]

Seems like the new station could get the go ahead. Even the Dept of Transport is getting enthusiastic about it!

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14845920

I must say, this is getting very interesting. But the BBC report said a 'new operator' would take over the franchise in 2013. So are we about to see FCC go out the door? :?

 

[swt_passenger]

I must say, this is getting very interesting. But the BBC report said a 'new operator' would take over the franchise in 2013. So are we about to see FCC go out the door? :?

The FCC franchise renewal (Thameslink and GN) has been brought forward to 2013 as announced a few weeks back - but First have the same chance to renew as usual?