Cambridge South new station opening

[mr_moo]

If anyone's interested, there's a talk about the project being given online next Wednesday at 17:45.

Or if you are anywhere near Reading, you can go to it in person too, and you can get the more personal experiance and join the speaker and the section members in the pub afterwards for more discussion.

New station at Cambridge South – Project case study - The PWI

Thames Valley Section hybrid meeting

www.thepwi.org

Thames Valley Section hybrid meeting​

Synopsis: Philip, the lead Network Rail engineer for the new station and associated infrastructure enhancements at Cambridge South, will describe the project to build the new station. It will include discussion of the station building, the complex systems integration, ‘Minimum Viable Product’ and Project SPEED principles being applied, and the wider infrastructure upgrades being implemented in the Cambridge area to facilitate the stations construction. Philip will outline the challenging timescales and pressures that exist, the integration with the Cambridge area re-signalling project, and discuss some of the unusual challenges imposed by external stakeholders


Meeting in-person from 17:00 for refreshments courtesy of the PWI for a 17:45 start for all.


You can also join the meeting virtually through Microsoft Teams.


Join on your computer, mobile app or room device


Click here to join the meeting


Meeting ID: 374 253 412 386
Passcode: UGucBz

 

[neill]

Thanks for the updates @mr_moo. Do you or anyone else here know if the talk recording will be available afterwards for those of us that can’t join live?

In construction related news today saw the first steels being lifted in for the east side station building. I’ve also included a photo of the first floor of the west building which has been going in recently.

 

[mr_moo]

Thanks for the updates @mr_moo. Do you or anyone else here know if the talk recording will be available afterwards for those of us that can’t join live?

Yep, it should be. It will be recorded and should be published on the PWI youtube channel within about 2 weeks: https://www.youtube.com/@thepwi737

 

[neill]

Work continues at pace this morning - a few more steels up since yesterday evening.

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Evening Update: More steel work up during the day and crane still here so I guess more tomorrow. On the west side the fittings for the glass walls have started to be hung.

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Friday update: Further progress on the steelwork. You can now see where the other end of the footbridge will connect. There is also a very large crane being assembled.

 

[mr_moo]

Hi all. I can confirm that the big crane is, fairly obviously, for the big lift! The footbridges should be installed tomorrow.

Main lift of the main bridge span is scheduled for early to mid afternoon tomorrow. Stairs will be going in before that in the morning.

Enjoy.

 

[neill]

I was about with the drone earlier today and by co-incidence the bridge arrived. Here are a couple of photos. Video to follow.

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Update on Saturday midday: half the stairs are in.

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Update 3pm: Looks like the first bridge lift should be in the very near future.

Someone earlier requested a photo of a helicopter and a crane - here you go .

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Update Saturday 5pm: The bridge is in.

 

[RuddA]

Thank you for all the photos @neill.
Nice to see the progress being made.

 

[neill]

Thanks @RuddA.

Here are some drone photos from yesterday early afternoon (before the bridge lift). You can see the access/maintenance walkway being fitted onto the bridge, and also work on the formation for P1/P2 south of the station. For anyone that is curious the crane is about 65m high.

I didn't fly during the bridge lift as the drone batteries were charging.

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Update: Here are some drone photos and photos from the busway bridge from late morning on Sunday. Both bridges are now in place and when I was there small parts for the central junction were being lifted in. That's it from me for the weekend .

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[WesternBiker]

Thanks @RuddA.

Here are some drone photos from yesterday early afternoon (before the bridge lift). You can see the access/maintenance walkway being fitted onto the bridge, and also work on the formation for P1/P2 south of the station. For anyone that is curious the crane is about 65m high.

I didn't fly during the bridge lift as the drone batteries were charging.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jun 2024 ==

Update: Here are some drone photos and photos from the busway bridge from late morning on Sunday. Both bridges are now in place and when I was there small parts for the central junction were being lifted in. That's it from me for the weekend .

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A brilliant series of photographs @neill, and so good to see sustained progress on this. I'm looking forward to using the station once it's opened...!

 

[neill]

Thanks @WesternBiker, likewise although given your location might be more local for me!

I've uploaded a hastily edited highlights reel of the main lift. Apologies for the handheld footage!

I have several weekends of drone footage that I've started to edit and should be published this week. Currently at about 25 minutes run time.

 

[Magdalia]

Hi all. I can confirm that the big crane is, fairly obviously, for the big lift! The footbridges should be installed tomorrow.

I was about with the drone earlier today and by co-incidence the bridge arrived. Here are a couple of photos. Video to follow.

Update on Saturday midday: half the stairs are in.

Update 3pm: Looks like the first bridge lift should be in the very near future.

Someone earlier requested a photo of a helicopter and a crane - here you go .

Update Saturday 5pm: The bridge is in.

Thanks to both, and especially for the picture with the helicopter!

 

[neill]

It has been a quiet couple of days, however looks like the roof beams for the east building arrived yesterday. Oh and the bridge is held up by a tensioned strap?!

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Update from last night: looks like work might have started on the pedestrian and cycle access path through the park.

 

[Netwrox]

Yep, it should be. It will be recorded and should be published on the PWI youtube channel within about 2 weeks: https://www.youtube.com/@thepwi737

 

[neill]

Thanks @Netwrox. Great presentation.

There is another possession this weekend. Here are some photos. First of the new crossover going in near Hills Road, just south of the existing station. This is to allow parallel moves in/out of platform 7&8.

There is also work underway lifting more of the Cambridge South roof into place.

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[jammmmmsssssss]

There is another possession this weekend. Here are some photos. First of the new crossover going in near Hills Road, just south of the existing station. This is to allow parallel moves in/out of platform 7&8.

Do you know when this'll be in use? This'll be great as it'll stop late running Thameslinks delaying the kings cross fasts or vice versa

 

[neill]

Do you know when this'll be in use? This'll be great as it'll stop late running Thameslinks delaying the kings cross fasts or vice versa

No, other than it’s been mentioned in the video just above (and possibly this thread?) that for now it will be locked out of use initially. If I recall I think there is a dependency on the Cambridge resignalling to bring it into use.

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

No, other than it’s been mentioned in the video just above (and possibly this thread?) that for now it will be locked out of use initially. If I recall I think there is a dependency on the Cambridge resignalling to bring it into use.

Thanks, I thought that might be the case

 

[mr_moo]

Yep, the Hils road new crossover can only be brought into use when the new signalling system is switched on, so it's locked out of use for a while yet. Indeed, we have placed a temporary buffer stop back in the same place as the old one, so operationally nothing has changed, even though there's a nice new crossover sitting behind the buffer just waiting to be used!

 

[neill]

I can’t believe how fast things are moving. The the roof is on over the bridge.

 

[mr_moo]

You'll also notice if you look closely that some of the glazing has gone up too now!
East side of the building. Bit hard to see from the bridge but I'll share some photos when able.

 

[neill]

Here is an update video shot on the 24th of May.

I have a couple more that need editing…

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I can’t believe how fast things are moving. The the roof is on over the bridge.

Indeed they are setting the gold standard in building this facility others need to take note

 

[neill]

You'll also notice if you look closely that some of the glazing has gone up too now!
East side of the building. Bit hard to see from the bridge but I'll share some photos when able.

Here is the best I can do on the glazing. Look directly under the right side of the bridge if you are having seeing it.

The other photo from today shows continuing rapid progress on the steel structure for the other building.

 

[mr_moo]

Here is an update video shot on the 24th of May.

I have a couple more that need editing…

Brilliant video as always neill.

Sorry I can't share more at the momment but I will soon.

Cranes are fun - a lot of steel is going up rapidly at present, although there's very little happening on site today due to a separate event.

 

[neill]

Brilliant video as always neill.

Thanks.

Next video has been uploaded and will go live at 6pm (BST) tonight. It's from 2024-06-07 just prior to the weekend possession for the bridges to be lifted in. By chance I happened to catch the arrival by road of the two bridge sections which was a nice surprise.

Cranes are fun - a lot of steel is going up rapidly at present, although there's very little happening on site today due to a separate event.

Question is whether the separate event is at the site or not?

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Update: I managed to get out with the drone this evening. Here are some photos. Looks like more progress on the bridge roof and steelwork.

 

[mr_moo]

Great pics as always. Thanks neill. I'm itching to share some of mine too!

Separate event was a regular safety stand down / review - we do them every so often to ensure we keep going in a safe manner, make sure everyone is up to date, has a chance to discuss safety things openly etc etc, share experiance, sometimes get in the cab of a digger for example to see what the driver can (or more accurately, can't!) see and thus better understand the dangers when working near them. That sort of thing. Really useful and reallty good practice.

 

[Tobberz]

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.

 

[mr_jrt]

Given that budget I still feel it's a shame it couldn't have been built as a pair of directional island platforms. Wouldn't have needed the slues at all had that been the case.

I suspect this was mainly due to the MGB bridge opening, but I seem to recall reading it was about reducing the land take as well?

 

[Magdalia]

Given that budget I still feel it's a shame it couldn't have been built as a pair of directional island platforms. Wouldn't have needed the slues at all had that been the case.

I suspect this was mainly due to the MGB bridge opening, but I seem to recall reading it was about reducing the land take as well?

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.

 

[zwk500]

Given that budget I still feel it's a shame it couldn't have been built as a pair of directional island platforms. Wouldn't have needed the slues at all had that been the case.

I suspect you'd have needed the Slues either way as there'd need to be a clear zone for constructing the inside platforms.

Not sure if the proposals for the long-term 4-tracking would revert to paired by use as well, so islands wouldn't be directional under that situation.