CAM-LINK

CAM-LINK has been established by the RLW consortium as a Cambridge-based transport infrastructure delivery vehicle, to focus on how, with the support of the rail industry, Cambridge and the sub-region can benefit from the coming growth opportunities and challenges.

It is looking to promote funded, sustainable and deliverable transport links both within the region and externally with other parts of the wider Anglian area. And it will ensure the new infrastructure is complementary and integrated with current transport systems and planned public transport links, such as the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway Scheme.

CAM-LINK aims to help facilitate the provision of high frequency services with high reliability; and to take a measured approach to ensure improvements are realistic and deliverable.

CAM-LINK transport improvements

CAM-LINK is looking at a combination of transport improvement projects.

Supporting Chesterton Station

CAM-LINK’s promoters wish to see Chesterton Station built to serve the existing business and new development planned for this area. This will support the redevelopment of Cambridge Northern Fringe East, contribute to the opportunities for a daisy chain of development hubs along the line of the railway corridor running through the sub-region, and link with the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway.

Developing Cambridge Station, to deliver better regional and local links

CAM-LINK’s priority is to increase the number of trains calling at Cambridge. This would require new platform capacity to improve Cambridge Station and provide more rail services linking new housing around Cambridge – such as RLW’s Waterbeach scheme – into the city and surrounding areas.

Improvements at Cambridge Station

A new island platform at Cambridge Station (estimated cost = £17.7M) would add two new platforms and could increase station capacity by around 100% to more than 30 trains per hour. The island platform could be inserted in place of two existing goods lines and be built to accommodate Thameslink 12-car trains (as shown on the proposed diagram). More services could then run from Ely in the north towards Cambridge, calling at Chesterton and Waterbeach, so making travelling to Cambridge by rail much easier. The extra capacity (ie more frequent and/or longer trains) could encourage people from Northstowe to get the Guided Bus to Chesterton and then change and get a train to Cambridge Central; residents of Waterbeach would conveniently be able to get a direct train to Cambridge.

Development at Cambridge Station would also bring wider regional benefits. Increased capacity at the station would both provide more commuter trains and enable a variety of regional links and ‘through’ services to Stansted, Norwich, Ipswich and the Midlands to call at the station more often. This is of particular interest to the rail industry, as more long distance trains attract more business. In effect, increased rail capacity will be of significant benefit to the Cambridge sub-region, with the development of new settlements such as that proposed at Waterbeach helping to facilitate and provide the spur to infrastructure improvements.