New station for Waterbeach

Background

A planning application for up to 4,500 homes as part of the Waterbeach New Town development was approved by South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Part of the planning permission means that houses cannot be built until a new railway station is opened on the Cambridge to Ely railway line close to the new town.

To deliver this, we will be relocating the current railway station at Waterbeach. This will involve building a new railway station near to the new town and closing the existing station.

Our executive board formally agreed at its meeting on 7 November 2024 the outline business case for the new station. You can watch a recording of the meeting on YouTube.

Development

A project team consisting of the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), Sable Leigh Consultancy (SLC) and design consultant WSP, have commenced the development of the design for the new station.

Targeted stakeholder engagement meetings and workshops have been held with Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway, the Department for Transport (DfT), and other interfacing projects to ensure that the new railway station design is fully integrated with the wider development at Waterbeach. Further stakeholder engagement meetings are planned as the project progresses.

A set of technical requirements and specification has been produced that will inform the design for the new station.

The station closure process has commenced for the existing station and discussions with Network Rail and DfT are ongoing to ensure that the necessary processes are followed to obtain station closure confirmation from DfT. The existing Waterbeach station will not close until the new station is operational.

A survey strategy has been produced and various surveys, including topographical and ground investigation, have been carried out to provide data to inform the design.

Designs are currently being produced for a new transport hub building that will serve the new station in a future phase of the Waterbeach development. 

Waterbeach is more than doubling in size, and the existing station will no longer meet the needs of the growing community.  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 the end of 2027. 

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 will not 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.