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Renewed calls for second entrance to Cambridge railway station




There are renewed calls for a new entrance for Cambridge's main railway station to help reduce overcrowding and poor air quality in the area.

Cambridge’s main railway station in Station Road currently only has one entrance for passengers on the west side next to the station square.

Cambridge train station (6148691)
Cambridge train station (6148691)

Campaigners are now calling for a second major entrance on the other side of the tracks from the east, allowing people to enter the station without having to go around, and allowing the number of cars, buses, bikes, and taxis which take people to and from the station to be dispersed more evenly.

Railfuture East Anglia, a campaign group pushing for better rail connectivity, says the station is currently handling around 35,000 rail users a day, about 12,000,000 a year. They say this is a 30 per cent increase since 2012. The group says a second entrance to the station would help alleviate some of the problems that come with the increased footfall.

A spokesman for Railfuture East Anglia said: “Railfuture argues for urgently drawing up a master plan for the area to the eastern side of Cambridge railway station to secure a second entrance to the station.

“It recognises the traffic congestion and air pollution problems arising from the total reliance on the Western entrance, which despite recent steps to improve passenger facilities and flows, is becoming overwhelmed by the continuing growth in passenger numbers.”

According to Railfuture East Anglia, access from eastern parts of the city is “channelled across just two bridges over the railway”. A report published this month says access to the station from the east of the city is still “poor”.

“A later addition is the pedestrian and cycle Carter Bridge,” the report reads. “Useful as this is, it does nothing to help those wishing to access the station by taxi and is a little too far north to be useful to those pedestrians and cyclists whose best route is currently via Hills Road Bridge.

“Overall, access to the railway station from east and southeast Cambridge is poor.”

Railfuture say providing a proper eastern entrance to the railway station would help alleviate overcrowding in the ticket hall and on station’s current platforms, and would reduce congestion on the roads. They also say air quality would be improved for local residents, as well as noise pollution in certain areas.

Lewis Herbert, leader of Cambridge City Council said he supported the scheme, but noted access would need to be properly designed to avoid causing problems east of the station.

Cllr Herbert said: “Having an east entrance to Cambridge Station would be a great addition, provided the access is designed right, and for most people arriving by foot or bicycle.”

Cllr Herbert said access land for the project had been reserved for it in the nearby Rustat Avenue development.

A spokeswoman for Abellio Greater Anglia, which manages Cambridge railway station, said: “We are working with our partners to develop the railway and make Cambridge fit for the future. Cambridge is the busiest station on our network with 11.5m people entering and exiting the station last year.

“Cambridge is a growing city and we are always looking at how we can develop the station in line with future expansion.

“Our stakeholder team regularly engage with Railfuture and we will continue to work together to discuss the future of Cambridge station with them.”



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