The new Cambridge South station will serve a development area expected to see more than 3500 jobs created over the next four years and 4000 homes built over the coming decade. Four platforms are proposed, with trains serving London, Brighton and Maidstone to the south and Birmingham and King’s Lynn to the north.

Submission of a Transport & Works Act Order to the Transport Secretary could come within two years, with works starting in 2023 and the station opening in 2025. Three years ago, the city saw Cambridge North station open to provide improved access to a science park.

Network Rail’s route director for the Anglia region Ellie Burrows said: “This is a significant step forward for the development of a new station serving Cambridge’s important biomedical campus and the southern fringe of the city. Selecting a preferred location will allow the development work to continue in more detail as we move towards a second round of public consultation later this year.”

Greater Cambridge Partnership’s chair Aidan Van de Weyer added: “Cambridge South will help unlock the full potential of the Greater Cambridge economy, linking up with existing public transport and other planned schemes so thousands of people heading to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus will have a quick and sustainable alternative to the car that cuts road congestion and improves air quality.”

In other rail news the Government has confirmed a £350M investment in digital signalling on the East Coast Mainline, replacing track side signals with in cab technology, to allow trains to communicate with the infrastructure.

The new technology – to be introduced between London King’s Cross and Lincolnshire – will allow signallers to know exactly where each train is at every minute of every journey.

To read more about the technology and its introduction to the East Coast Mainline, see Transportation Professional’s innovation special published in January.
(Photograph: Samson Ng . D201@EAL and licenced for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)