Chesterton railway station
Encyclopedia
Chesterton railway station is a proposed railway station that would be located in the Cambridge
suburb of Chesterton. The official proposal from Cambridgeshire County Council, which has the backing of the rail industry, is to locate the station at Chesterton Sidings on the Fen Line
, which runs from Cambridge
to King's Lynn
. The new station would complement the existing Cambridge station in Hills Road to the south of the city by serving locations to the north east of Cambridge, being within walking distance of Cambridge Science Park
. The station would provide an interchange with Park & Ride and local Stagecoach
bus services. Construction costs have been estimated at £21–£24 million, and a preliminary business case indicates a benefit-cost ratio
of 9.6 to 1.
The station is likely to be connected to the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
providing access from Huntingdon
, St Ives
(including the park and ride
site) and the proposed new town, Northstowe
and nearby park and ride site.
More than £20 million of the cost would have been provided from the Regional Funding Allocation. However, in March 2010 the government announced that it was abolishing the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF), and according to officers of the county council the station is now "at risk". Politicians went further, with Conservative
election literature in April 2010 saying that the station would not happen. Cambridge MP Julian Huppert
has given his support to the project as has the leader of Cambridge City Council Sian Reid. Cambridgeshire County Council is hoping that infrastructure owner Network Rail
will fund at least part of the station's construction.. In September 2011, Theresa Villiers
, the Minister of State for Transport
visited Cambridge, and discussed the proposed station with county council members, saying that the government was interested in further development of the council's proposal.
and directly opposite the Science Park, meaning a much shorter walk than a station at Chesterton Sidings.
The group claimed that such a station would be much cheaper, perhaps as little as £3 million if it could be constructed at the same time as the island platforms at Cambridge station in 2011, as this would avoid any additional possessions, and economies of scale could be achieved as the electrification could be done at the same time, for example. CAST.IRON included its proposal as part of its submission to the DfT's Greater Anglia rail franchise consultation.
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
suburb of Chesterton. The official proposal from Cambridgeshire County Council, which has the backing of the rail industry, is to locate the station at Chesterton Sidings on the Fen Line
Fen Line
The Fen Line is a railway in the United Kingdom that runs between the cities of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire and King's Lynn, Norfolk; the line is so called because it runs through The Fens. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5 and comprises SRS 05.06 and part of 05.05...
, which runs from Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
to King's Lynn
King's Lynn railway station
King's Lynn railway station serves the town of King's Lynn in Norfolk. The station is the terminus of the Fen Line from Cambridge, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
. The new station would complement the existing Cambridge station in Hills Road to the south of the city by serving locations to the north east of Cambridge, being within walking distance of Cambridge Science Park
Cambridge Science Park
The Cambridge Science Park, founded by Trinity College in 1970, is the oldest science park in the United Kingdom. It is a concentration of science and technology related businesses, and has strong links with the nearby University of Cambridge....
. The station would provide an interchange with Park & Ride and local Stagecoach
Stagecoach in Cambridge
Stagecoach in Cambridge is a bus company, which runs services throughout Cambridgeshire and the surrounding areas. It is part of Stagecoach East....
bus services. Construction costs have been estimated at £21–£24 million, and a preliminary business case indicates a benefit-cost ratio
Benefit-cost ratio
A benefit-cost ratio is an indicator, used in the formal discipline of cost-benefit analysis, that attempts to summarize the overall value for money of a project or proposal. A BCR is the ratio of the benefits of a project or proposal, expressed in monetary terms, relative to its costs, also...
of 9.6 to 1.
The station is likely to be connected to the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway , branded the busway , is a public transport scheme connecting the population centres of Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives in the English county of Cambridgeshire...
providing access from Huntingdon
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It is the traditional county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council. It is known as the birthplace in 1599 of Oliver Cromwell.-History:Huntingdon...
, St Ives
St Ives, Cambridgeshire
St Ives is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England, around north-west of the city of Cambridge and north of London. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Huntingdonshire.-History:...
(including the park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
site) and the proposed new town, Northstowe
Northstowe
Northstowe is a proposed new town of 9,500 houses in Cambridgeshire, UK. It is expected to be "an exemplar of sustainability in the use of renewable energy resources and reducing carbon emissions"...
and nearby park and ride site.
More than £20 million of the cost would have been provided from the Regional Funding Allocation. However, in March 2010 the government announced that it was abolishing the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF), and according to officers of the county council the station is now "at risk". Politicians went further, with Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
election literature in April 2010 saying that the station would not happen. Cambridge MP Julian Huppert
Julian Huppert
Julian Leon Huppert is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom and Member of Parliament for Cambridge since 2010...
has given his support to the project as has the leader of Cambridge City Council Sian Reid. Cambridgeshire County Council is hoping that infrastructure owner Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
will fund at least part of the station's construction.. In September 2011, Theresa Villiers
Theresa Villiers
Theresa Anne Villiers is a British Conservative Party politician. She is the Member of Parliament for Chipping Barnet and the Minister of State for Transport.She was appointed as a Privy Counsellor on 9 June 2010.-Early life:...
, the Minister of State for Transport
Minister of State for Transport
The Minister of State for Transport is a junior ministerial position in the Department for Transport of the Government of the United Kingdom. The current Minister of State for Transport is Theresa Villiers MP.-Ministers of State for Transport:-References:...
visited Cambridge, and discussed the proposed station with county council members, saying that the government was interested in further development of the council's proposal.
CAST.IRON
As a result of this, in April 2010, CAST.IRON revisited its suggestion from some years earlier to locate a one-platform railway at Milton Road, close to the former level crossing. It would be right next to the Business ParkCambridge Business Park
Cambridge Business Park is a large business complex in Cambridge, England. It is home to many companies, mostly IT-related, such as CSR, Autonomy, MathWorks and Red Gate Software, but also intellectual property firms such as Mewburn Ellis, Venner Shipley and Mathys and Squire....
and directly opposite the Science Park, meaning a much shorter walk than a station at Chesterton Sidings.
The group claimed that such a station would be much cheaper, perhaps as little as £3 million if it could be constructed at the same time as the island platforms at Cambridge station in 2011, as this would avoid any additional possessions, and economies of scale could be achieved as the electrification could be done at the same time, for example. CAST.IRON included its proposal as part of its submission to the DfT's Greater Anglia rail franchise consultation.