Media centre

Tuesday 3 Jan 2017

Christmas sees Cambridge North station 80% complete

Region & Route:

| Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

| Southern

Major progress was made over Christmas at the site of the new Cambridge North station, which is now 80% complete, to get it ready for its opening in May this year as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan.

Work took place over the festive period to build platforms, install tracks for a new bay platform and to fit overhead wires.

The footbridge, lift shafts, stairwells and main station building were all built over the course of last year at the site of the new station, which is anticipated to handle 3,000 passenger journeys a day. The new station will alleviate the pressure on the existing Cambridge station, where people currently leave the train in order to travel by other means to the science and business parks.

Helen Warnock, Network Rail’s area director for west Anglia, said: “We used the Christmas period to link the new tracks and signalling equipment to the existing infrastructure, which could only take place while the railway was closed. With only a few more months to go until opening, work is well under way to build a station that will provide an extra link to the north of the city and support the growth of the local economy as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.”

Once completed, the station will have three platforms, parking for 450 vehicles and 1,000 cycles, and solar panels will provide up to 10% of the station’s power.

The station is due to open in May this year and will serve Cambridge Science Park and the suburb of Chesterton. Funded by the Department for Transport and developed by Network Rail in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge North station will provide an alternative connection point for commuters in the north east of the city and provide improved access and journey times for passengers.

It is expected that the station will encourage new businesses to the area as well as aid the expansion of existing businesses, and encourage additional employment opportunities. In the meantime, the station will serve staff already working at the Science Park and St John’s Innovation Centre.

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