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The Guardian World1 min read
Delayed Great British Railways’ first station to open at Cambridge South in June
TL;DR
Cambridge South station will open in late June, becoming the first fully branded Great British Railways station. It will provide direct train services to London, Brighton, and Stansted airport, with an expected 1.8 million annual passengers.
Key points
- Cambridge South station will open in late June
- It will be the first station with Great British Railways branding
- Direct trains will connect to London, Brighton, and Stansted airport
- 1.8 million passengers are expected annually
- The adjacent Biomedical Campus will boost the local economy
Mentioned in this story
Cambridge SouthLondonBrightonStansted airportCambridgeGreat British RailwaysDepartment for TransportBiomedical Campus
The delayed Cambridge South station will finally open in late June – and become the first station to be given full Great British Railways branding, the government has announced.
The station sits beside the city’s Biomedical Campus, Europe’s largest medical research centre, and will connect it with direct trains to London, Brighton and Stansted airport, as well as up to nine trains an hour to the centre of Cambridge itself.
Services will begin calling at Cambridge South on Sunday 28 June, the Department for Transport said, with 1.8 million passengers expected annually.
The DfT said the adjacent Biomedical Campus was forecast to contribute £18.2bn to the UK economy by 2050, with employees likely to double to 40,000, boosted in part by the new transport links.
The station, the city’s third, was supposed to open in 2025 but was delayed, partly due to the collapse of a contractor responsible for fitting out the electrics.
The Great British Railways livery. Photograph: Department for Transport
The rail minister, Peter Hendy, said Cambridge South, which was built with £250m of government investment and a small private sector contribution, would “open up access to jobs, homes and world-class facilities for people across the region, boosting the growth of the Biomedical Campus as one of the most important engines of growth in the country”.
He added: “As the first new Great British Railways branded station, the opening is an important milestone for our railways and a sign of the real change public ownership will deliver.”
Jeremy Westlake, chief executive for Network Rail, said the station would “significantly improve travel and connectivity for campus staff, visitors, and the wider community for many years to come”.
He added: “Thousands of people have worked tirelessly on this fantastic project to build a modern, accessible and sustainable station that reflects the excellence of the work that is being undertaken in Europe’s largest biomedical facility.”
The station’s permanent signage will be in GBR brand colours – a design drawn up by a small group of ministers and advisers within the DfT to save money, with . The station will also be displaying the more professionally acclaimed .
Q&A
When will Cambridge South station officially open?
Cambridge South station is set to officially open on Sunday, June 28.
What are the key destinations served by Cambridge South station?
Cambridge South station will connect to London, Brighton, and Stansted airport, as well as provide frequent services to central Cambridge.
How many passengers are expected to use Cambridge South station annually?
The station is expected to serve approximately 1.8 million passengers each year.
What economic impact is the Biomedical Campus expected to have by 2050?
The Biomedical Campus is forecasted to contribute £18.2 billion to the UK economy by 2050, with employee numbers potentially doubling to 40,000.
