Cambridge South Station: a big step forward for Trumpington and beyond
After being delayed twice, Cambridge South Station now finally seems on track to open in June this year — welcome news for many residents who have been waiting for this vital piece of infrastructure.
The new station was built to serve the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, one of the most important employment and research sites in the country. It is expected to handle around 1.8 million passengers per year, supporting a campus that already has around 22,000 staff, expected to rise to 27,000 by 2031, and sees 37,000 visitors every day.
A key feature of Cambridge South is that it is designed as a destination station for the biomedical campus and the hospitals, and therefore it does not include a car park. Instead, the focus is on sustainable travel – encouraging people to arrive by train, bus, bike or on foot. This is important, as a large proportion of visitors to the Biomedical Campus currently travel by car.
By providing better public transport links – including direct connections to Stansted Airport, St Pancras International via Thameslink, and Birmingham International Airport – the station will make it much easier to reach Cambridge without driving. All trains to and from Cambridge will stop at Cambridge South, and the station will also help connect different parts of the city, for example linking the Biomedical Campus with the Science Park in the north.
Reducing unnecessary car journeys will not only benefit those who switch to public transport, but also those who still need to drive, as well as buses, by easing congestion on already busy roads.
From speaking to residents, it’s clear how important connectivity is. Many people chose to live in Trumpington because of its excellent transport links – easy access to London via the M11 or the main station, and convenient routes across the city. Cambridge South will build on this, making travel even easier and more sustainable.
Balancing growth and local impact
At the same time, it is important to recognise the local impact of this development.
There has been a lot of discussion about Cambridge’s growth, particularly the expansion of the Biomedical Campus. Cambridge South Station has always been presented as a vital part of that growth. However, many residents feel that while they have experienced the disruption – including several years of construction work and the loss of land from Hobson’s Park – some of the promised local benefits have taken much longer to materialise.
The disruption to Hobson’s Park was kept to a minimum where possible, thanks in part to the efforts of the Trumpington Residents’ Association, who worked hard to represent local concerns throughout the process.
We are monitoring the contractor Murphy’s remedial works to Hobson’s Park now that the building works have finished. They are planning to reseed the area in early spring and assured us that “Hobson’s Park will be getting left how it was taken”.
Looking ahead
As Liberal Democrats, we support sustainable growth and recognise the importance of Cambridge as a centre of excellence. But growth has to work for local residents as well as the wider economy.
Cambridge South Station is a major step forward. It will improve connectivity, support jobs and research, and help reduce congestion and emissions. At the same time, we will closely monitor the impact of the station once it opens – for example on parking in nearby areas such as Clay Farm – and work with residents and officers to address any issues that arise.
More broadly, if Cambridge is expected to play a key role in the national economy, then the necessary infrastructure must be delivered alongside it. Growth needs to be matched with investment – not just in major projects like Cambridge South, but also in local amenities and community facilities.
Trumpington Liberal Democrats 