Cambridge South new station construction progress.

[neill]

I looked at this a while back and visited the site to see. It looked to me as if it would be feasible and maybe was originally built with that in mind. It was discussed last June, see #655 et seq https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...ion-construction-progress.141520/post-6257429

Thanks! I spent ages looking for that yesterday without success. I did find an image suggesting that the metal work was original to the bridge: https://capturingcambridge.org/queen-ediths/long-road/railway-gate-house/

This showing the 1922 layout is also informative:http://disused-stations.org.uk/t/trumpington/index2.shtml

 

[sharpener]

Thanks! I spent ages looking for that yesterday without success. I did find an image suggesting that the metal work was original to the bridge: https://capturingcambridge.org/queen-ediths/long-road/railway-gate-house/

This showing the 1922 layout is also informative:http://disused-stations.org.uk/t/trumpington/index2.shtml

Looks like you have found the pic alluded to by @stuving in post #664! If "The LMS line to the west already had a bridge" there must have been quite a steep gradient to it (cf Lord's Bridge of old). Was it reconstructed in 1936 and the embankment continued on between the two at the same time? I am going to Addenbrookes tmrw so will try and compare them.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Nov 2024 ==

I am going to Addenbrookes tmrw so will try and compare them.

Here we are. It looks to me as though the bridges might well be contemporaneous, compare the pix below with @mr_moo's one over the main line in #655 https://www.railforums.co.uk/attachments/1686142983268-png.136807/. Bus ad is quite striking, wasn't expecting that!

The former Bedford line bridge is constructed of 17 (approx) steel beams between brick(-faced) abutments. The parapet differs in having some banding in blue engineering brick but no triangular concrete coping, I assume that was added when the main line was electrified.

The bridge under Trumpington Road used by the P&R buses looks to be similar but I didn't get a good pic, will try again sometime. AIR the other bridges on this line were simple arch bridges though the one at Old North Road has I think been reconstructed at some point also.

 

[windjabbers]

Passed through yesterday. I noted that both the points at the north and south end on the down lines seems to be in place. BW DC

 

[neill]

Some drone photos from this morning. Lots of progress on the forecourt, and some solar panels have appeared on the island canopy. Good views of the new points mentioned above as well.

 

[WesternBiker]

Some drone photos from this morning. Lots of progress on the forecourt, and some solar panels have appeared on the island canopy. Good views of the new points mentioned above as well.

Brilliant shots - thank you. And good to see continuing progress.

 

[neill]

Here are a few photos from this morning. Progress this week on the access path, station walls and cycle store. Work this weekend during the possession seems to be focussed on the p3/p4 track area.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Nov 2024 ==

Update: looks like a signal gantry has been erected.

 

[WesternBiker]

Here are a few photos from this morning. Progress this week on the access path, station walls and cycle store. Work this weekend during the possession seems to be focussed on the p3/p4 track area.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Nov 2024 ==

Update: looks like a signal gantry has been erected.

Thanks for the photos: I went through the station today and noticed quite a lot of glazing panels up on the station building.

The signal gantry column looks enormous - is that standard?

 

[neill]

I am unlikely to get any photos this weekend, but I hear locally that work is ongoing on the track to the south of the station today.

 

[Jimcam]

Yes, seen from the bus this morning, the orange army is out in force, with three engineering trains on site. Also a cluster at Shepreth Branch Junction. Incidentally the queues for replacement buses at Cambridge station are horrendous, and it's not the best weather to be out in the open waiting for a bus.

 

[WesternBiker]

I went through twice yesterday. A sizeable orange work group was clustered around Shepreth Branch Junction, as well as the station. (Sorry I was not able to take photos.)

 

[neill]

Some photos taken today. Looks like some of the scaffolding has come down, wires have gone up through P2 and there is platform edging in place on some of the platforms. I'm sure lots more changes I didn't spot.

 

[Jimcam]

What is planned at Shepreth Branch Junction for the extended shutdown this Christmas / New Year? Will we get the final track layout?

 

[neill]

What is planned at Shepreth Branch Junction for the extended shutdown this Christmas / New Year? Will we get the final track layout?

That was the plan that others have shared earlier in the thread, although that was some months ago now. I believe we are expecting the final layout for the junction, Cambridge station, and the new station.

 

[Jimcam]

That was the plan that others have shared earlier in the thread, although that was some months ago now. I believe we are expecting the final layout for the junction, Cambridge station, and the new station.

Thanks. I was aware that had been the plan, but put the question because the whole timetable seems to have slipped, with opening now not until January 2026, as I understand it.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Thanks. I was aware that had been the plan, but put the question because the whole timetable seems to have slipped, with opening now not until January 2026, as I understand it.

Is that drive by ECML timetable recast or late running works? The stn certainly looks like May 25 would have been possible.

 

[Magdalia]

Is that drive by ECML timetable recast or late running works? The stn certainly looks like May 25 would have been possible.

The ECML timetable and the new station are not the only major projects affecting the Cambridge area. There is also the Cambridge re-signalling.

Cambridge re-signalling - Network Rail

We're investing £194m to renew the signalling system for the Cambridge area to improve efficiency and reliability for passengers and freight users.

www.networkrail.co.uk

We’re investing £194 million to renew the signalling system for the Cambridge area and improve efficiency and reliability for passengers and freight users

The Cambridge re-signalling, re-lock and re-control project (C3R) aims to deliver state-of-the-art signalling technology for the railway which means better reliability and reduced maintenance, while providing a platform ready for digital technologies such as the European Train Control System (ETCS).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Dec 2024 ==

What is planned at Shepreth Branch Junction for the extended shutdown this Christmas / New Year? Will we get the final track layout?

Network Rail say this:

Upgrading the railway in Cambridge this Christmas - Network Rail

We’re working hard to upgrade the signalling in Cambridge this Christmas and New Year period. Find out more!

www.networkrail.co.uk

Our teams will be upgrading the track, electrifying the overhead lines and renewing the switches and crossings – or the moveable track sections – at the nearby Shepreth Branch Junction. This work will also help make your journeys run more efficiently through here.

Engineers will also connect the last two lines running through the new station to the railway.

This holiday period, we’ll replace a part of the 40-year-old signalling panel at the Cambridge power signal box with a new digital workstation. Our teams will also install signalling equipment between Cambridge and Ely. This will help our signallers run the signalling system more efficiently here – giving you better journeys.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

The ECML timetable and the new station are not the only major projects affecting the Cambridge area. There is also the Cambridge re-signalling.

Arghh forgot about that and new layout will be predicated on the SSI being commissioned for this area - is that happening this Xmas then not clear from press release?

 

[Bald Rick]

Is that drive by ECML timetable recast or late running works? The stn certainly looks like May 25 would have been possible.

Plenty to do still

Arghh forgot about that and new layout will be predicated on the SSI being commissioned for this area - is that happening this Xmas then not clear from press release?

No.

 

[St. Paddy]

Driver’s briefing shows Shepreth Jn and Cambridge South track layout completed over Xmas although the track through platforms 1 & 4 will remain out of use

 

[neill]

Some info, including an illustration, on the public art for the new station:
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/ne...ns-public-art-installation-cambridge-30553663

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Courtesy of ECML 2025 Timetable thread it has a link to the draft ECML timetable that shows the GN/TL services calling at Cambridge South

https://ecmltimetable.info/assets/t...2025 Great Northern and Thameslink all SX.pdf

 

[bspahh]

Courtesy of ECML 2025 Timetable thread it has a link to the draft ECML timetable that shows the GN/TL services calling at Cambridge South

https://ecmltimetable.info/assets/timetable-extracts/20. 2025 Great Northern and Thameslink all SX.pdf

The last train from Kings Cross to Ely in that timetable leaves at 23.18 instead of 23.09. I hope that stays

 

[Class 170101]

The last train from Kings Cross to Ely in that timetable leaves at 23.18 instead of 23.09. I hope that stays

Sort of just moved back to when it was 23:15 Kings Cross to Kings Lynn

 

[higthomas]

The last train from Kings Cross to Ely in that timetable leaves at 23.18 instead of 23.09. I hope that stays

Sadly the last train to Cambridge doesn't get later. I'd love it if they extended either of the ones to Royston just after 1 just one stop further to terminate at the primary traffic objective on the line.


Going back to Cambridge South, I'm not particularly happy about the extra stop on the fast, especially at peak times when that means 3 stops on a peak time train!

 

[Trainbike46]

The idea was always for everything to stop at Cambridge South, and I think that makes sense, so good to see that appears to be represented in the timetable.

Going back to Cambridge South, I'm not particularly happy about the extra stop on the fast, especially at peak times when that means 3 stops on a peak time train!

3 stops between where and where? If memory serves, the fast from King's Lynn to KGX was always all stops to Cambridge, then non-stop to London.

 

[700720]

3 stops between where and where? If memory serves, the fast from King's Lynn to KGX was always all stops to Cambridge, then non-stop to London.

At peak times, the fast stops at Royston and Letchworth. So that's 3 stops between Cambridge Central and KGX at peak.

 

[Magdalia]

At peak times, the fast stops at Royston and Letchworth.

Up morning and down evening trains have done this for a long time, going back at least to the start of First Capital Connect. In those days some also stopped at Baldock and Ashwell.

What is new is down morning and up evening trains doing the same, reflecting the increase in commuter traffic to/from Cambridge, including London-Cambridge commuters.

The idea was always for everything to stop at Cambridge South

I'm not sure about that, but, the rapid growth of Cambridge, and, in particular, the biomedical campus, has made it essential.

Discussion about the timetable probably belongs here:

December 2025 East Coast Timetable

Rather than Lumo extending their services to Glasgow, as has been suggested it would be better to extend these TPE services to Glasgow creating a regular Glasgow to Newcastle schedule. XC could then drop their remaining Glasgow trains. That’s would then require more units to operate the...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[William3000]

I’m slightly surprised the long-distance Cross Country services are scheduled to stop there but I suspect not having fast non-stopping services interspersed with stopping trains increases reliability and the capacity of the station, which will have 20 trains per hour in the peaks and between 16-18 off peak plus some freight trains.

I would anticipate Cambridge South becoming one of the busiest in East Anglia (Cambs, Norfolk, Suffolk), probably only behind Cambridge, Norwich, Peterborough, Ipswich within a couple of years of opening.

Cambridge South with essentially have metro type frequencies to Cambridge (Central) 8-10 an hour (so approx every 6-8 minutes), with 5 an hour (approx every 12 minutes) to Cambridge North on and off peak. It will be interesting to see how well used it is for cross-city use but given the congestion and very competitive time compared to buses, I suspect quite high.

 

[TheDavibob]

Cambridge South with essentially have metro type frequencies to Cambridge (Central) 8-10 an hour (so approx every 6-8 minutes), with 5 an hour (approx every 12 minutes) to Cambridge North on and off peak. It will be interesting to see how well used it is for cross-city use but given the congestion and very competitive time compared to buses, I suspect quite high.

Probably quite high, but it is a bit limited by Cambridge station being poorly located for town and getting to Cambridge South being a bit of a faff by public transport - by the time you've got a bus to South you're on a bus to Cambridge central station anyway (probably via the busway) which will go onto town, so train is a little redundant.

It will swallow up traffic from Cambridge North and Waterbeach to South, though, though it has a much more limited frequency on this route.

 

[neill]

As a local I'm looking forward to convenient travel from Trumpington (Cambridge South) to the Science Park area around Cambridge North. It's not my current commute but having driven it in the past a rail option would be far superior. I expect there are many that work around the Biomedical campus who will commute from the Cambridge North area by rail.