‘The trains now arriving at Waterbeach’s new railway station will be… one year late’
The new Waterbeach railway station is now not expected to be completed until 2026.
It had been hoped that the station, replacing the village’s existing station, would open in 2025.
The move is required to enable thousands of new homes to be built at Waterbeach New Town.
Last month, the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) said the work to complete the full business case for the project had been delayed after the rail industry asked for additional survey work to be undertaken.
At the time, the GCP was hopeful that the project would still be completed in 2025 despite the delay.
However, a report presented to the GCP joint assembly meeting on Thursday (February 15) had a new forecast.
It said the GCP is aiming to submit a full design package to Network Rail for review by the end of this month.
The GCP agreed to take on responsibility for the project in June 2022 and at the time expected the scheme to cost £37million, but it accepted there was a risk these costs could increase.
Building the new railway station was a condition of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s approval of plans to build 4,500 new homes at Waterbeach New Town.
The relocation project was due to be led and funded by developers but the GCP was told in 2022 that this was no longer considered to be viable.
The GCP took charge to “unlock” the housing, with developer RLW Estates due to contribute £17million towards the cost of relocating the station.
Timeline of the Waterbeach Station relocation project:
January, 2021 – South Cambridgeshire District Council approves outline permission for 4,500 homes as part of the Waterbeach New Town. One of the conditions of the approval is the requirement for a new railway station to be built.
June 9, 2022 – GCP announces plans to take on the relocation project, but concerns are raised over the financial risk.
June 30, 2022 – GCP executive board agrees to take on the project.
August 2022 – Some people in Waterbeach raise concerns about the station being moved further away from them.
February 2023 – ‘Work begins’ on the new station as 83 markers are placed in the ground to start work ahead of the planning permission expiring.
January 2024 – GCP announces delays to planning work for the new station, but still forecasts 2025 completion.
February 2024 – GCP pushes back the forecast completion of the new railway station to 2026.
