East Cambridgeshire District Council has given the go-ahead for the proposed new station at Soham to be built.
Network Rail can now proceed with starting the early enabling works this autumn. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, led by Mayor James Palmer, is providing the necessary funding to build the station.
Reconnecting Soham to the rail network will be the realisation of a long campaign by the community to rebuild the station which was closed in the 1960s. A new station will provide residents and local businesses with better connections and support more investment as part of the Council’s vision for the wider area.
The new station at Soham will include:
- Construction of a single 99 metre platform to accommodate four car train services including waiting shelters, lighting, information screens and a public address system;
- Installation of a stepped footbridge across the railway to connect to an existing public right of way, designed for any future installation of lifts for a potential second platform for any scheme;
- Construction of a drop off point and a car park to accommodate 50 vehicles and five spaces for blue badge holders, as well as lighting masts;
- Cycle parking and ticket vending machines on the station forecourt.
The main construction phase is planned to start in 2021 with completion date expected in spring 2022. Greater Anglia services will start to call at the new station shortly afterward.
Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: “With the consent now confirmed, this will mark an important new chapter for Soham providing more choice for people to travel and offering better connectivity to regional destinations.
“I am thrilled that, working in partnership with the Combined Authority and Mayor James Palmer, we can now reconnect Soham to the rail network which will deliver significant benefits for the local community when complete.”