Building better connections at Cambridge North railway station as footbridge is installed
Timelapse footage has captured the VolkerFitzpatrick team installing a footbridge that connects the ticket office with the platforms at the new Cambridge North railway station, due to open in May 2017 as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan.
The footbridge was installed in two sections and links all three platforms to the new ticket office, lift shafts and stairwells. Each section was built on site and lifted into position last weekend.
Cladding has also been installed on the lift shafts at the site of the new £50m station, which is anticipated to handle 3,000 passenger journeys a day. The new station will alleviate the pressure on the existing Cambridge station, where people currently leave the train in order to travel by other means to the science and business parks .
Helen Warnock, Network Rail’s area director for west Anglia, said: “It’s been all hands to the pump on site over the last few months to build the lift shafts and station buildings, and this bridge links all of those together so you can really see the station taking shape. All of our work here is gearing up to provide that vital link to the north of the city when the station opens next year, and to support the growth of the local economy as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.”
Warren Devereux, project director at VolkerFitzpatrick, said: “We are excited to be working with Network Rail on this project, as part of the Anglia Route Collaboration. The VolkerFitzpatrick team worked safely and efficiently, within a 52 hour closure, to install the two bridge link spans, platform canopies and rail systems. We are delighted to have successfully delivered this key milestone for the project.”
Councillor Ian Bates, Chairman of the Economy and Environment Committee, said: “The County Council recognised the great need for a station in the North of Cambridge linked to the busway to boost business and help provide an essential public transport link for Fenland, East Cambridgeshire and through to Huntingdonshire. That is why the Council started the work on bringing this vital scheme to fruition and we welcome that this has now moved from plans on paper to rail, bricks and mortar being built on the ground.”
Work has taken place to build the track, points, structures to carry the overhead line and power supply. Once completed, the station will have three platforms, parking for 450 vehicles and 1,000 cycles, and solar panels will provide up to 10% of the station’s power.
The station is due to open in May next year and will serve Cambridge Science Park and the suburb of Chesterton. Funded by the Department for Transport and developed by Network Rail in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge North station will provide an alternative connection point for commuters in the north east of the city and provide improved access and journey times for passengers.
It is expected that the station will encourage new businesses to the area as well as aid the expansion of existing businesses, and encourage additional employment opportunities. In the meantime, the station will serve staff already working at the Science Park and St John’s Innovation Centre.
