The Anonymous Widower

Cambridge South Station To Be Developed

To me, this was one of the highlights of the 2020 Budget today.

As I lived near Cambridge for over a dozen years and regularly played real tennis at the University, I know the scientific heartbeat of the City better than most.

I have discussed the problems of running a business in the City, with many, who are associated with some of the City’s most successful businesses. I have also funded several ventures in the area.

The same basic problems keep arising.

• Lack of premises, offices and workshops, of all sizes and qualities.
• Lack of staff to work in the ventures.
• Lack of suitable housing, where staff moving to the City can live.
• Staff are being forced to live further out and the roads, railways and other pubic transport systems don’t have the capacity.
• Inadequate connections to Stansted Airport.

In the last few years, the transport has improved.

• A sophisticated and award-winning Park-and-Ride running to five large car parks ringing the City has been developed.
• The Park-and-Ride also caters for cyclists.
• Cambridge North station has been opened close to the Cambridge Science Park and the A14 Cambridge Northern By-Pass, with a 450-space car-park and space for a thousand bikes.
• The Cambridge Guided Busway has been developed across the City from Huntingdon station to Trumpington via Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge North station, Cambridge City Centre, Cambridge bus station, Cambridge station and Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
• Addwnbrooke’s Hospital is a Major Trauma Centre.
• The forecourts of Cambridge and Cambridge North stations have been developed to create good interchanges and meeting points.
• Great Northern now has two fast and two stopping trains per hour (tph) between London Kings Cross and Cambridge and/or Cambridge North stations, with trains continuing alternatively half-hourly to Ely or Kings Lynn.
• Thameslink has two tph between Brighton and Cambridge.
• Thameslink also has two tph between Cambridge and London Kings Cross, which will be extended to Maidstone East station, within a couple of years.
• Greater Anglia run an hourly service between Norwich and Stansted Airport via Ely, Cambridge North and Cambridge stations.
• Greater Anglia run two tph between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge North stations.
• Greater Anglia run an hourly service between Ipswich and Cambridge via Bury St. Edmunds and Newmarket stations.
• All Greater Anglia trains are being replaced with new and much larger Class 755 or Class 720 trains.
• CrossCountry run an hourly service between Birmingham New Street and Stansted Airport via Peterborough, March, Ely, Cambridge North and Cambridge stations.
• The A14 and A428 roads are being improved between Cambridge and the A1.
• The East West Railway between Reading and Cambridge via Oxford, Milton Keynes and Bedford is being developed and should open before the end of the decade.

But Cambridge still needs better links to the surrounding countryside and further.

• Connections to Peterborough could be doubled to hourly.
• Cnnections to Haverhill and Wisbech are poor.
• East West Railway have ideas about improving connections to both East and West of Cambridge.
• Better connections are needed at Addenbrooke’s to connect the rail system to the hospital and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

Cambridge South station would be the icing on the cake.

• It could be the Southern terminus of a Wisbech service.
• It could be on a service of at least four tph between Ely and Cambridge South stations via Waterbeach, Cambridge North and Cambridge stations.
• It would bring Addenbrooke’s and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus within easy commuting of London.
• It would be well-connected to Bedford, London, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Reading, Stansted Airport and Stevenage.
• There have also been rumours, that the station could be connected to the Cambridge Autonomous Metro, which would be developed from the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway and the Park-and-Ride.

Cambridge South station would be the hub, that ties all the various routes together,

The station could be a fairly simple station to build, by just building platforms and buildings alongside the existing electrified line.

This Google Map shows the hospital. and the West Anglia Main Line running North-South to the West of the hospital.

Note the West Anglia Main Line running North-South to the West of the hospital.

Station Design

This page on the Network Rail web site gives a basic design.

• Four platforms with step-free access via a footbridge and lifts;
• Platforms with seating and shelter for waiting passengers;
• A ticket office and ticket machines, along with automatic ticket gates;
• Taxi and passenger drop off facilities:
• Facilities such as a retail/catering unit, a waiting room and toilets;
• Blue badge parking; and
• Cycle parking.

The page then gives various location options.

Services

These are my take on the initial services, based on the current ones and those proposed by the East West Railway.

• 1 tph – CrossCountry – Birmingham New Street and Stansted Airport, via Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Stamford, Peterborough, March, Ely, Cambridge North, Cambridge, Cambridge South and Audley End.
• 1 tph – Greater Anglia – Norwich and Stansted Airport, via Wymondham, Attleborough, Thetford, Brandon, Lakenheath, Ely, Cambridge North, Cambridge, Cambridge South, Whittlesford Parkway and Audley End.
• 1 tph – Greater Anglia – Ipswich and Cambridge South via Needham Market, Stowmarket, Bury St. Edmunds, A14 Parkway, Newmarket and Cambridge.
• 2 tph – Greater Anglia – Cambridge North and London Liverpool Street via Cambridge, Cambridge South, Audley End, Bishops Stortford, Harlow, Broxbourne and Cheshunt.
• 1 tph – Greater Anglia – Wisbech and Cambridge South via March, Ely, Cambridge North and Cambridge.
• 2 tph – Thameslink – Cambridge and Brighton via Stevenage, London St. Pancras, East Croydon and Gatwick Airport.
• 2 tph – Thameslink – Cambridge and Maidstone East via Stevenage, London St. Pancras and Blackfriars
• 2 tph – Great Northern – Ely/Kings Lynn and London Kings Cross via Stevenage.
• 1 tph – East West Railway – Norwich and Reading or Oxford, via Ely, Cambridge North, Cambridge, Cambridge South, Bedford and Milton Keynes.
• 1 tph – East West Railway – Manningtree and Reading or Oxford, via Ipswich, Needham Market, Stowmarket, Bury St. Edmunds, A14 Parkway, Newmarket, Cambridge, Cambridge South, Bedford and Milton Keynes

Note.

1. I have left out a few less important stations.
2. I have extended the current Ipswich and Cambridge service to Cambridge South.
3. I have added East West Rail’s proposed A14 Parkway station.
4. I have added a Wisbech and Cambridge South service.

This simple service gives the following frequencies.

• 6 tph – Ely and Cambridge North
• 8 tph – Cambridge North and Cambridge
• 10 tph – Cambridge and Cambridge South
• 2 tph – Cambridge/Cambridge South and Stansted Airport
• 1 tph – Cambridge North/Cambridge/Cambridge South and Kings Lynn
• 8 tph – Cambridge/Cambridge South and London
• 2 tph – Cambridge/Cambridge South and Ipswich.
• 2 tph – Cambridge North/Cambridge/Cambridge South and Norwich.
• 1 tph – Cambridge North/Cambridge/Cambridge South and Peterborough.
• 6 tph – Cambridge/Cambridge South and Stevenage.

I feel strongly about the following.

• If six tph is thought to be ideal between Cambridge/Cambridge South and Stevenage, then surely more services are needed between Cambridge and Ipswich, Kings Lynn, Norwich. Peterborough and Stansted Airport. Perhaps as many as four tph are needed to give a Turn-Up-And-Go service.
• The frequency through Ely, Cambridge North, Cambridge and Cambridge should be as high as possible. With digital signalling ten tph must be possible.

At least Greater Anglia have plenty of Class 755 trains.

Conclusion

Rishi Sunak is right to build Cambridge South station.

You might even be able to argue, that the work done on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus could be key in fighting diseases like the coronavirus.

March 11, 2020 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Addenbrooke's, Budget 2020, Cambridge Autonomous Metro, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge Busway, Cambridge North Station, Cambridge South Station, Cambridge Station, East West Railway, Greater Anglia, Ipswich Station, New Stations, Norwich Station, Peterborough, Virus, West Anglia Main Line