Cambidge station progress thread

[jopsuk]

splitting off from the thread on "Cambridge North"

Quick summary of what's being done:
The entire area outside the station is being redeveloped with hotels, offices, flats and a massive new multistory cycle park (that won't be big enough). The retail space in the new developments will allow what's currently M&S in the station building to be turned into a much bigger ticket hall and entrance- with many more ticket windows and TVMs. This is desperately needed as at busy times (especially Saturday mornings) the 4 machines, 6 windows and usually two or three people with portable machines can't sell tickets fast enough (and people collecting tickets get stuck in the queues for the TVMs)

So far:
The works to the south have almost been completed, with just the remaining block of the flour mill to be finished. The buses are all using their assigned stops.
To the north, all of the demolition has been completed- the BTP have moved to a building at the signalling centre. The Police station, Laundry, hotel, crew accommodation and the Station Cycles building are all no-more. Cycle parking has been moved to a temporary location and car parking has been reconfigured. The access to the car park and cycle park is currently terrible.
Digging the foundations of the cycle park/hotel building has started.

 

[edwin_m]

For the avoidance of doubt, I take it this post and thread refers to the existing Cambridge station not the new one to the north.

 

[dk1]

So much going on here & not before time. For a station used by close to 10 million passengers a year, the facilities are extremely poor. No pub on or outside, no restaurants within a 10min walk & only a small & very busy M&S Food. Few outlets on the platform & that's it.

 

[jopsuk]

Yup. Access will be changing hugely as well- the taxi and car park access will be on a new road off of Tenison Road, to the north of the new Microsoft building. Work has started on removing the roundabout immediately outside the entrance, this will become a bend with buses going from Station Road into the bus station and otherwise only bikes in all three directions. Unrelated, but plans to improve access for cycling from the Carter bridge (the big red and blue one) into the station are advancing.

 

[TheEdge]

No pub on or outside

Quite, arrive xx:55, depart xx:12. Plenty of time for a pint, assuming its near 5 & 6!

 

[Chris Wallis]

This is desperately needed as at busy times (especially Saturday mornings) the 4 machines, 6 windows and usually two or three people with portable machines can't sell tickets fast enough (and people collecting tickets get stuck in the queues for the TVMs)

I was there mid afternoon last Friday (13/03) and the queues were awful......out the door and across the road.

As for the pub, wasn't there a plan to open a Real Ale pub in part of the station building?

There are a number of decent Ale Boozers near by, but not quite near enough to use while waiting for a train.

[Edit - Just did a search of the Information Super Highway - The pub was going to be the 'Cambridge Tap'.

 

[Class 170101]

Edit - Just did a search of the Information Super Highway - The pub was going to be the 'Cambridge Tap'.

Now there's a novel idea

 

[David Goddard]

The retail space in the new developments will allow what's currently M&S in the station building to be turned into a much bigger ticket hall and entrance- with many more ticket windows and TVMs. This is desperately needed as at busy times (especially Saturday mornings) the 4 machines, 6 windows and usually two or three people with portable machines can't sell tickets fast enough (and people collecting tickets get stuck in the queues for the TVMs)

There used to be a lot of space in that ticket hall, before they installed a huge coffee kiosk and the stupid ticket gates.


Years ago there was a pub at the North end of the main building (joined to the old buffet where M&S is)

 

[ac6000cw]

There used to be a lot of space in that ticket hall, before they installed a huge coffee kiosk and the stupid ticket gates.


Years ago there was a pub at the North end of the main building (joined to the old buffet where M&S is)

The coffee kiosk was removed when the ticket gates were installed.

Years ago there was also a pub (The Station Hotel, I think) opposite the station entrance - where the low-rise brick faced office block now stands (on the corner).

 

[HowardGWR]

splitting off from the thread on "Cambridge North"

Thread title needs attention IIMSS.

 

[317 forever]

As so much had been going on at "Cambridge Central" I am not expecting work to be completed much before Cambridge North opens. I have yet to ride the Cambridge Busway, and doubt I will until at least next Spring now.

 

[WestCountry]

The roundabout outside has now been completely removed and filled in with tarmac to form part of the road surface. Buses driving across the middle.

Also, yellow hatched lines have been added around the outside - not that this has any noticeable effect on the taxis/vans/individuals parking all round it to pick up and drop off... :roll:

 

[jopsuk]

taxis in this city have never knowingly taken a road marking to mean they can't stop somewhere