Cambridge South : no parking (and local CCTV is dissuade anyone from stopping near by...)

Failed Unit said:

Or even walk or use the bus. I understand the area has a very good bus service.

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The area in general is well served by buses but not many routes go particularly close to Cambridge South. A lot served the hospital but the main hospital bus stops are on the other side of the site, a good 15-20 minute walk from the station.

Taunton said:

I can't quite reconcile these two statements. It's a bit like those who say the M25 motorway is unusable because it's full of traffic ...

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Quite compatible. Much of the traffic is buses, delivery vehicles, etc. Even with no cars at all it could be congested. (Compare the "red wall" of nose to tail London buses on car-free Oxford Street

bramling said:

I might be missing something here, but say you live on the south side of Cambridge, would it not be preferable to drive to Cambridge South rather than having to drive into Cambridge to reach the main station?

In terms of other options going south, no other nearby stations offer all-day non-stop services to London, and in any case it’s a fair drive to the likes of Royston or Whittlesford.

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In the 1990s I lived in Cottenham 6 miles to the north and commuted to London, it was much easier and quicker to drive down the (old) A14 to Royston than make my way through central Cambridge to the station. Even if South had existed then, with parking, it would not have made a difference. I would probably do the same now, except there isn't an 0808 departure from Royston non-stop to KGX arriving at 0848 like there was then.

I remember a couple of times, staying in a bed and breakfast in Cambridge. Usually near the railway station or close to the centre. I had a car, because of where I was visiting. Many a memory of slow traffic or following bikes. Central Cambridge certainly didn't seem the place for cars, back then.

jfowkes said:

The area in general is well served by buses but not many routes go particularly close to Cambridge South. A lot served the hospital but the main hospital bus stops are on the other side of the site, a good 15-20 minute walk from the station.

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Not sure about that. There several bus routes that stop within a couple of minutes walk of the station, and the Addenbrookes bus station is a shade over 1 km away, around 10 mins walk for most people (less for the infirm and ill, obviously).

bramling said:

I might be missing something here, but say you live on the south side of Cambridge, would it not be preferable to drive to Cambridge South rather than having to drive into Cambridge to reach the main station?

In terms of other options going south, no other nearby stations offer all-day non-stop services to London, and in any case it’s a fair drive to the likes of Royston or Whittlesford.

It does seem outwardly a little odd that the station hasn’t been designed as a railhead to relieve the main Cambridge station, in the way that Cambridge North presumably does.

Or are we saying that it really is the case that everyone cycles?

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They can drive to Trumpington, Wittlesford or Royston.

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bramling said:

I’d probably be a bit hacked off having a new station on the doorstep with fast services to London (especially off-peak), yet have to drive to Royston or Whittlesford, both of which I would regard as significant mileage, and also some risk of getting stuck in traffic in their own right.

However if we are saying that the local roads around Cambridge South (I don’t know them) are so congested then I guess this makes sense.

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They must have worked out that the active and public transport access market is sufficient to make the station wash its face and parking provision at the station would encourage undesirable behaviour and outcomes, and that those who feel 'hacked off' can like it or lump it. Personally I'm supportive of public sector bodies having this kind of robust attitudes.

It does seem the preferable option for the OP would be that the station never existed at all, despite having never been there or had any cause to use it. Like others here I think the station is a good idea and it doesn't need a car park. And I drive a big evil car.

sharpener said:

Of which maybe half are at Anglia Ruskin (formerly CCAT) where I don't think there are any rules about motor vehicles.



It's when autumn approaches that I wonder why the police do not have a one-week blitz on infringements by cyclists to co-incide with the start of each new academic year. This would swiftly sort out both new and returning students and lead to much better behaviour for the rest of the year.

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The same could be wondered of motorists everywhere, any month of the year. Only I don’t imagine it would lead to any better driving.

Plenty of stations, including new ones, do not have any parking. I dont see why another one would be newsworthy for that reason at all!

Bald Rick said:

Not sure about that. There several bus routes that stop within a couple of minutes walk of the station, and the Addenbrookes bus station is a shade over 1 km away, around 10 mins walk for most people (less for the infirm and ill, obviously).

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I agree, My wife had a lengthy course of dibilitating treatment at Addenbrookes and most times I managed to get a spot in the car park adjacent to the bus station. I was captivated as to how busy it was. Middle, Late afternoon almost every bus on all routes into and out of town left the Bus Station full or very full and especially the Trumpington (No4) Park and Ride, as soon as one left the queue was building for the next departure. Employees and Visitors to Addenbrookes create an almost satellite 'town' within Cambridge, its little wonder Cambridge South is instantly busy with all the industries plus the hospital.

AlterEgo said:

It does seem the preferable option for the OP would be that the station never existed at all, despite having never been there or had any cause to use it. Like others here I think the station is a good idea and it doesn't need a car park. And I drive a big evil car.

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I guess you could argue there’d been a missed (or net yet utilised) opportunity;

Create parking for Cambridge South, perhaps underground so it doesn’t waste useful office space/green space

Connect it directly out to the M11 (note the tunnel required, or arguably just crash it through Shelford, works for the A14 in Huntingdon)



The benefit of this vast spending is genuine I think … you create a nice car-rail link as the OP requested, allows car access to the campus, induces no traffic in Cambridge

That would allow the decommissioning of the Cambridge Station car park in favour of better land uses & to reduce wasted road capacity on cars in the city centre

Bit pricey though

WelshBluebird said:

Plenty of stations, including new ones, do not have any parking. I dont see why another one would be newsworthy for that reason at all!

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Probably because a lot of new stations are very unpleasant to walk or cycle to and from because of the need to cross their expansive car parks, and a lack of direct footways to and from the local areas of housing etc.

I'm thinking of places like Apperley Bridge, Balgray or Darlaston.

Starmill said:

Probably because a lot of new stations are very unpleasant to walk or cycle to and from because of the need to cross their expansive car parks, and a lack of direct footways to and from the local areas of housing etc.

I'm thinking of places like Apperley Bridge, Balgray or Darlaston.

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Isn’t this just a bit of a fact of life, though?

I’d be only too pleased for my local station to have no road access. To arrive on foot, as I normally do, requires crossing the car park access road, and an awkward crossing of the drop off area (which is artificially busy as it’s heavily misused by people parking for an adjacent Tesco Metro), a taxi rank and a bus access road.

Four opportunities to get knocked down, and no matter what time one arrives you can just guarantee that a polluting bus will come tearing in at just the right moment driven by a belligerent driver who ensures you get a comprehensive lung-full of diesel fumes.

Starmill said:

Probably because a lot of new stations are very unpleasant to walk or cycle to and from because of the need to cross their expansive car parks, and a lack of direct footways to and from the local areas of housing etc.

I'm thinking of places like Apperley Bridge, Balgray or Darlaston.

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For Apperley Bridge and Darlaston, the location of the station is largely determined by where the railway goes and where there is road access for construction traffic. When there is little housing close to the railway and so you are de facto serving passengers who live further away, it is unsurprising that car parks are significant features. But importantly, the presence of the car park doesn't mean residents have to walk any further than they would if there was no car park there – the station is located where it is regardless, we're not talking about a supermarket that could have been built right up to the road but has instead been put behind a hundred acre car park giving pedestrians a longer walk to get to it.

Where stations are being built right in the middle of a built-up area and they could reasonably expect most people to walk to them, access is a lot more direct – I'm thinking there of stations like Bedlington, Willenhall and Kings Heath. Sure, in some cases more could be done to provide better walking/cycling routes direct to nearby residential areas, but a lot of the time that is difficult because of how those existing neighbourhoods have been laid out. Where stations are being fitted in around existing infrastructure, you can't always get the ideal design (or at least, not at a viable price).

stevieinselby said:

For Apperley Bridge and Darlaston, the location of the station is largely determined by where the railway goes and where there is road access for construction traffic. When there is little housing close to the railway and so you are de facto serving passengers who live further away, it is unsurprising that car parks are significant features. But importantly, the presence of the car park doesn't mean residents have to walk any further than they would if there was no car park there – the station is located where it is regardless, we're not talking about a supermarket that could have been built right up to the road but has instead been put behind a hundred acre car park giving pedestrians a longer walk to get to it.

Where stations are being built right in the middle of a built-up area and they could reasonably expect most people to walk to them, access is a lot more direct – I'm thinking there of stations like Bedlington, Willenhall and Kings Heath. Sure, in some cases more could be done to provide better walking/cycling routes direct to nearby residential areas, but a lot of the time that is difficult because of how those existing neighbourhoods have been laid out. Where stations are being fitted in around existing infrastructure, you can't always get the ideal design (or at least, not at a viable price).

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Not really. Lots of stations have segregated walking and cycling accesses.

Starmill said:

Not really. Lots of stations have segregated walking and cycling accesses.

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The point is the station is in one place and the houses are in another. Where you put the access isn't going to change the distance between them. Does it really matter if you walk 100m through a car park, or if you walk 100m further along the road but don't go through the car park?

stevieinselby said:

The point is the station is in one place and the houses are in another. Where you put the access isn't going to change the distance between them. Does it really matter if you walk 100m through a car park, or if you walk 100m further along the road but don't go through the car park?

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Absolutely yes. It makes a huge difference. It's also likely to be far shorter.

andy33gmail said:

I guess you could argue there’d been a missed (or net yet utilised) opportunity;

Create parking for Cambridge South, perhaps underground so it doesn’t waste useful office space/green space

Connect it directly out to the M11 (note the tunnel required, or arguably just crash it through Shelford, works for the A14 in Huntingdon)



The benefit of this vast spending is genuine I think

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Vast spending and zero benefit. The M11 already has good access to stations, without any need for new infrastructure. Whittlesford Parkway is closer to J10 than Cambridge South is to J11, and J10 also has good access to Royston. Trumpington Park and Ride is almost next to J11 with a dedicated busway to Cambridge South and the Biomedical Campus, no need to duplicate that with underground roads and car parks.

The whole purpose of Cambridge South is for people to visit the Biomedical Campus by train not by car.

Cambridge has had more than its fair share of barmy transport ideas but this one is completely bonkers!

Just to add to this, the bus stop on Francis Crick Avenue, right next to the Addenbrookes exit of the station is well served by Whippet's Universal and X3 services (running all day every day), and about a further minute's walk is the stop at Royal Papworth for Stagecoach's A bus (the same). A campus shuttle bus links all parts of the immediate hospital vicinity. This provides links from many parts of Cambridge and beyond - but equally you might just get off at the original Cambridge station! However, this station is considerably busier already than Cambridge North was at the beginning and will only continue to grow - anything that avoids you having to drive in the Biomedical Campus is welcomed. And as an aside, one of the public multi storeys is down a number of spaces following a significant fire - this can only help!

I dislike the new station because the walk from Cambridge South to Addenbrookes Hospital bus station is very poorly signposted.

Even though it only takes about ten minutes to complete. Apart from that it is a just another bland modern station. Not much else to say really.

RacsoMoquette said:

I dislike the new station because the walk from Cambridge South to Addenbrookes Hospital bus station is very poorly signposted.

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The station’s next to the Guided Busway bridge, right? It seems there’s a map/direction totem sign outside the station. So isn’t it just a slight jink to the left with a pedestrian crossing across Francis Crick Avenue, up the path next to the Busway between AstraZeneca’s head-quarters, the rounded-triangular-shaped Discovery Centre (DISC), on the left and the pair-of-lungs-and-heart-shaped Heart & Lung Research Institute (I moved into working there from the main Addenbrooke’s Hospital building shortly after it opened for a short while, so maybe I’m just more familiar with the area) and the oval-shaped Royal Papworth Hospital on the right, after which I think there’s another map/direction totem sign for the squared-off Addenbrooke’s side of Papworth, cross Robinson Road, another slight jink to the left (though I think the zebra crossing is on the right), and then straight up the slight slope of Keith Day Road to the back of the main Hospital building? That’s basically just a straight line walk.

Straight into the back of the hospital/side of the food court I think is a staff pass locked hinged door, but there’s another public entrance with sliding doors to the back/side of the hospital/front/side of the food court just to the right of that next to an enclosed staff bike shed, with that entrance being only staff pass locked at night I think, which leads to a corridor where there used to be a branch of Barclays and I think may still have an ATM, to the food court, or, if you want A&E and want to go there round the outside of the hospital rather than through the hospital building itself, you follow Keith Day Road around the left past the out-side seating for the food court to Richard Howe Way, walk through the big car park and pedestrian/cycle bridge, with the Wellcome Trust-MRC Keith Peters Building, which houses the Medical Research Council’s Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, as well as the MRC’s Mitochondrial Biology Unit, and then the University of Cambridge’s Clinical School building on the left, then the main entrance of Addenbrooke’s is on the right, or if you go down the main drive to Addenbrooke’s on the left, then A&E is on the right (opposite the side of the Clinical School and the 1960s Clifford Allbutt Building, which used to be the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory for Molecular Biology, before they moved to the new chromosome-shaped building on the other side of the Guided Busway bridge to Cambridge South station in 2013), with Outpatients and then the bus station further down on the right, and the big roundabout to Hills Road and Fendon Road which is the main entrance into the Addenbrooke’s site is in front of you.

RacsoMoquette said:

I dislike the new station because the walk from Cambridge South to Addenbrookes Hospital bus station is very poorly signposted.

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If they put up some nice clear signage would you then like it?

RacsoMoquette said:

Even though it only takes about ten minutes to complete. Apart from that it is a just another bland modern station. Not much else to say really.

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What!!!

RacsoMoquette said:

I dislike the new station because the walk from Cambridge South to Addenbrookes Hospital bus station is very poorly signposted.

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There was a lot of effort to increase the amount of signage in the lead up to the opening of the new station.

RUK said:

The station’s next to the Guided Busway bridge, right?

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This description makes it sound much more complicated than it is. Walk through the green between Papworth and the AZ disc, then it is a straight line, keeping the treatment centre, the main ward block, A+E and outpatients on your right.

There are proposals to make it more simple as part of the draft local plan:

Providing enhanced access to Cambridge South Station through a new east-west ‘high street’ for active travel and buses and a mobility hub adjacent to the station. Interim solutions that can be delivered to improve pedestrian and cycle connectivity should be explored;

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I can’t understand why the is virtually no onward travel information at Addenbrookes bus station. I also wonder if Stagecoach are going to divert the Babraham P&R to serve Cambridge South or the 1 route.

Magdalia said:

There was a lot of effort to increase the amount of signage in the lead up to the opening of the new station.

This description makes it sound much more complicated than it is. Walk through the green between Papworth and the AZ disc, then it is a straight line, keeping the treatment centre, the main ward block, A+E and outpatients on your right.

There are proposals to make it more simple as part of the draft local plan:

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RacsoMoquette said:

I can’t understand why the is virtually no onward travel information at Addenbrookes bus station. I also wonder if Stagecoach are going to divert the Babraham P&R to serve Cambridge South or trunk routes such as the 1, 7 or 13. Which all serve Addenbrookes bus station.

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RacsoMoquette said:

I also wonder if Stagecoach are going to divert the Babraham P&R to serve Cambridge South or the 1 route.

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This won't happen. It would add significantly to journey time on routes that are already very slow because of traffic congestion in Hills Road. This would require either more vehicles/drivers or a another frequency reduction.

Magdalia said:

This won't happen. It would add significantly to journey time on routes that are already very slow because of traffic congestion in Hills Road. This would require either more vehicles/drivers or a another frequency reduction.

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I do think that is poor though, if Stagecoach really cared for their customers they would implement a regular proper bus service that would link Cambridge South with Addenbrookes, Central Cambridge and destinations south of Cambridge. It really is a let down for the elderly and mobility/visually impaired and quite frankly I think the station is a disappointment in that regard.

I now purposefully avoid the new station and have to travel on the bus from Addenbrookes to Cambridge station. But I prefer to travel to Audley End on the WAML anyway.

RacsoMoquette said:

if Stagecoach really cared for their customers they would implement a regular proper bus service that would link Cambridge South with Addenbrookes, Central Cambridge and destinations south of Cambridge.

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Stagecoach are caught in a pincer movement of traffic congestion and driver recruitment/retention. Basically they don't have the resources to do what you suggest. We have to hope that the new station shifts journeys onto rail, easing the traffic congestion on Hills Road.

And this is a clear example of under-utilisation of the busway, though this is hamstrung by the southern end only being for single deckers.

Magdalia said:

Stagecoach are caught in a pincer movement of traffic congestion and driver recruitment/retention. Basically they don't have the resources to do what you suggest. We have to hope that the new station shifts journeys onto rail, easing the traffic congestion on Hills Road.

And this is a clear example of under-utilisation of the busway, though this is hamstrung by the southern end only being for single deckers.

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Does the Busway service from Cambridge South even serve Addenbrookes?

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I generally just think the quality of Stagecoach East has just got worse. I remember Stagecoach Gold days! On the 13/13A trunk routes.

RacsoMoquette said:

Does the Busway service from Cambridge South even serve Addenbrookes?

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Yes. Stagecoach route A comes from Trumpington Park and Ride, does a loop around the Biomedical Campus (including stopping outside Papworth, the Rosie and outpatients), which takes about 10 minutes, before going back onto the busway to get to the main Cambridge station. Going towards Trumpington is the same though both go round the campus anti-clockwise.

Whippet's Universal service also serves both, though it is a bit more complicated, because an inbound U1 (via the busway) usually forms an outbound U2 (via Hills Road), and vice versa.

This means that anyone coming in on the train to attend outpatients can get an A, going in either direction, from the Papworth stop. If they have an ENTCS card then that's at no cost.