Waterbeach is more than doubling in size. The new station will have wider platforms, an accessible footbridge, and better integration with walking, cycling and bus facilities.
The GCP is providing £20m of the £37m needed for the new station, as it will help unlock thousands of new homes and deliver new, sustainable transport links. The remaining £17m will be funded by the Homes England and the developer will pay back this contribution in the coming years.
The Department of Transport (DfT) will hold a consultation on whether to close the existing station.
We expect construction of the new station to be complete by early 2028.
Once construction of the new station is complete, a period of testing will be undertaken by Network Rail. An accurate timescale will be provided as construction progresses.
The new station will have wider platforms, an accessible footbridge, and better integration with walking, cycling and bus facilities.
You’ve said you would like to see additional public facilities at the new station and we’re exploring this with the planning authority and the design team. We’ll provide further updates on this as our plans progress.
Formal consultation has been carried out through the planning process. We’ll continue to engage with the local community and ensure the new station meets planning requirements.
There have been no major changes to the approved planning application for the new station. Minor amendments to the design may be required for which we will follow the relevant processes.
The new station will be constructed on both sides of the existing track with the aim of minimising unnecessary traffic movements. For construction on the west side of the site, vehicles will use an alternative access road that avoids the village, to reduce disruption to residents. On the east side, it will be necessary to use local roads but vehicle movements will be kept to a minimum.
The existing train service pattern is not expected to change.
The station will be accessible and lifts will enable those who cannot use the steps to cross the platforms.
The construction of the station will be carried out in line with the approved planning application, creating a sustainable design and using construction methods to mitigate the carbon impact. The project is aiming for a biodiversity net gain (BNG) of 10%, which will improve the current local habitat and environment.
Lighting of the new station, the car park and access roads will be necessary for safety, however, the lighting will be targeted with light pollution and intrusion causing a limited impact on local residents.
The Waterbeach to Cambridge Busway and the new travel hub at Waterbeach will be directly linked to the new station via a dedicated bus route through the new town to enable seamless interchange between rail and bus services. We are working with the developers of the new town to develop bus interchange facilities at the station.