Cambridge South railway station will be far too small, warn campaigners
The new Cambridge South railway station will be too small, with no scope for future expansion, and will be poorly integrated with bus services under current plans, say transport campaigners.
Smarter Cambridge Transport (SCT) said it “strongly” objected to the proposals put forward by Network Rail for the new station within Cambridge Biomedical Campus, arguing they need to be redesigned to take account of the area’s rapid growth.
Meanwhile, South Cambridgeshire District Council has raised concerns about the lack of detail on measures to improve biodiversity and called for mitigation to reduce the impact of noise on residents during the construction work.
Network Rail submitted a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) to the transport secretary in June, seeking permission to build a new two-storey, four-platform station on the West Anglia main line, along with facilities such as a ticket office, toilets and 1,000 cycle parking spaces. It also sought permission to remodel the track layout and southern approach to Cambridge station, update the Shepreth branch junction and close two level crossings, providing alternative access.
But Smarter Cambridge Transport’s response to the application highlights four problems with the station design. The group says it:
- Lacks sufficient capacity for a realistic level of usage;
- Provides no room for future expansion;
- Has highly conflicted access arrangements; and
- Is poorly integrated with bus services.
Edward Leigh, of SCT, told the Cambridge Independent: “Perhaps the most obvious flaw in the application is the assumption that usage of the station will grow by just 1.3 per cent a year from 2030. Given everything we know about the Biomedical Campus and the local context, that has to be wrong.
“Combined with a too-low initial estimate of patronage, the outcome is a station design and access arrangements that will very quickly prove to be seriously inadequate.”
SCT is calling on local authority and Biomedical Campus leaders to prepare evidence on future demand, given the growth due on the site.
“This is crucially important if we are to achieve the right outcome for the region, and quickly,” said Edward.
AstraZeneca staff will soon be moving into its new R&D centre on site, a new children’s hospital and cancer research hospital are to be built, and there are plans to expand the campus, with more research institutes and private companies expected to call it home in future.
SCT’s response points out that the “constrained location also makes any future expansion difficult, costly and disruptive”, meaning it is important to get it right from the outset.
“Although a redesign of the station could delay its delivery, it should still be possible to open the station by 2026, as assumed in the application,” said Edward. “The alternative is a high risk of disruptive alterations to the station after it opens, when people are depending on it.
“We argued in both of our consultation responses in March and November 2020 that the design capacity they were working to was far too low – probably by a factor of five.
“They have chosen to dismiss our evidence on the grounds that ‘these do not comply with the Green Book methodology guidance issued by HM Treasury’. The operative word here is guidance, which of course differs from rules.”
SCT’s response points out the bus stops on Francis Crick Avenue will be 200m from the station entrance.
“For someone alighting from the rearmost carriage of a northbound train, the walk to a bus stop would be 450 metres, taking seven minutes,” they say.
Meanwhile, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s official response to the application supports the principle of the station but calls on Network Rail to aspire to a 20 per cent biodiversity net gain, rather than 10 per cent, and minimise the loss of trees along the line.
The council adds: “We are concerned that the applicant has provided limited information about how the biodiversity net gain target will be achieved.”
Network Rail has indicated it would purchase additional land for new habits and “purchase biodiversity units” from third parties. The council warned there was “insufficient information” to “demonstrate... that these options are deliverable”.
Construction work will be carried out during day and night, with “moderate to major” noise on the Shepreth branch junction area, particularly Abberley Wood.
The council calls for “site specific mitigation and attenuation measures” where such noise would “adversely impact residential areas of Great Shelford”.
Planning documents show the council anticipates an impact on households in Granham’s Road, Davey Crescent and Abberley Wood areas.
The council also called for minimal impact during the work on the NCN 11 cycle routes, along with air quality monitoring and a report on what artificial lighting may be required before work starts.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: ”As part of the Transport and Works Act Order application, all objections, representations and letters of support for the Cambridge South station proposals received during the period of objection (which closed on August 2) are now being considered. We will be formally responding to those who submitted representations in the coming weeks where appropriate.
“The secretary of state has informed Network Rail that a public inquiry will be held for this project where objectors can present their case. A date has been set in November 2021 and Network Rail will advertise the date, time and venue of the public inquiry in local newspapers in due course.”
Read more
Network Rail seeks permission to build Cambridge South railway station
As Cambridge South consultation begins, are the plans for the station ambitious enough?
First look at Cambridge South railway station as Network Rail confirms second consultation
How should we reduce traffic in Cambridge? Here are the options
The 30-year vision for Cambridge Biomedical Campus
AstraZeneca R&D Centre’s open courtyard takes shape on Cambridge Biomedical Campus as trees planted
Government commits £120m funding for new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital
Three new hospitals on Cambridge Biomedical Campus coming ‘in the next decade’
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