Network Rail has awarded the main works contract to build the new Cambridge South railway station to J Murphy & Sons Ltd (Murphy) for a total of £93.4 million. The new station will be located on the West Anglia Main adjacent to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, which is Europe's largest centre of medical research and health science.
The project will support 300 new construction jobs and forms part of the proposed East-West Rail route, which is expected to unlock £103 billion of economic growth and has been confirmed following the Rail Minister’s announcement that the Government would fund the construction of the station in June.
The new station will be a two-storey, four-platform station with full accessibility features, including ticket vending machines, lifts, accessible toilets and baby change facilities, a waiting area, and space for retail and catering. There will also be access for pedestrians and cyclists from both sides of the railway, with capacity for 1,000 cycle parking spaces.
In addition to the station itself, Murphy will also modify and enhance the rail infrastructure to support the new station. This will include remodelling the existing track layout, installing two additional track loops, and enhancing the Shepreth branch junction.
Katie Frost, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia said: "Awarding the delivery contract is a significant milestone for the Cambridge South project which will allow us to complete this exciting new station for Cambridge.
"I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Murphy, as we move into the main work phase and build on the early enabling work that has already been delivered."
Joe Kennedy, Project Director for Murphy said: “We’re very excited to be continuing our work on Cambridge South Station.
Murphy has made significant progress over recent months completing the enabling works, commenced installation of all four platforms, station building piling and undertaken all groundworks to facilitate the track being realigned during a blockade in December 2023.
"We have forged a strong working relationship with Network Rail and our other delivery partners, SRSA and Alstom on this major infrastructure project and look forward to completing this station for the people of Cambridge.”
The enabling works for the project are already underway, and the main construction work is expected to begin in the coming months. The station is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
The new station is also part of a wider plan to improve rail connectivity in the East of England. The proposed East-West Rail route will link Oxford, Cambridge, and Milton Keynes, and will provide a much-needed alternative to the busy East Coast Main Line.
Photo Credit: Network Rail
