Network Rail built the new Cambridge New North railway station in the Chesterton area, north of Cambridge, UK, in collaboration with the Cambridgeshire County Council to create a new transportation hub providing links to routes for cyclists, pedestrians and bus users.
The £50m ($71m) railway station is part of Network Rail’s £40bn ($56.85bn) Railway Upgrade Plan. Construction on the project was commenced in July 2014 while the station was opened to the public in May 2017.
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The project infrastructure and multidisciplinary design are provided by Network Rail and Atkins, while the county council provided the transport links to the station.
Cambridge New North railway station design
The railway station includes a 4,843ft² building, three platforms and a parking area for 1,000 bicycles and 450 cars. It is equipped with solar panels that meet up to 10% of the station’s power needs.
A key design feature of the new station is a perforated pattern in its rain screen cladding, which has been derived from the Conway’s ‘Game of Life’. The main station building has a green roof.
It also includes passenger waiting facilities, toilets, staffed ticket office, shop units, amenity space and rail staff accommodation. It also features covered platform waiting areas with modern communication and security equipment, as well as a dedicated area for taxi pick-up and drops.
The railway station includes two 245m-long mainline platforms for stopping rail services and is capable of accommodating a 12-car train. A bay platform is also constructed for terminating and starting rail services.
The station building is spread across two levels while the third floor provides access to an elevated 43m-long over-line crossing. The height of the station building from the original 6.9m to 10.35m to include the third level.
The exit from the station building leads to a large (50m x 29m) public space and a covered cycle storage area to the south of the station with a 6m-high tooth roofline accommodating solar panels on the transparent roof.
A 49kWp BIPV cycle shelter is built to accommodate up to 1,000 bicycles. The roof of the cycle shelter has nearly 196 high-performing 250Wp panels.
Connectivity of Cambridge New North railway station
Linking Cambridge’s major business areas to London with a journey time of 30 minutes, the new station transforms it into an attractive place for business growth. An estimated 3,000 passenger journeys are expected a day through the new station.
The proposed transport links to the Busway makes the railway station accessible to the passengers living in Huntingdon, St Ives, Swavesey and Histon, as well as helps in avoiding the drive along the congested A14 and A10 routes. The station also connects the Cambridge Science Park, St John’s Innovation Centre and the Cambridge Business Park.
The project establishes a high-quality public square, pedestrian and cycle access routes, Busway link extensions from Milton Road to the station, and vehicle access via Cowley Road.
Financing
The UK Department for Transport granted £6m ($9m) in financing for building new links and improving the existing transport links to the station.
The station construction is funded by a separate grant from the Department of Transport to Network Rail.
Contractors involved
Atkins provided services such as planning, architecture, civil and structural engineering, railway engineering systems, building services, environmental and landscape architecture.
Polysolar installed a new power-generating cycle park at the new railway station.
VolkerRail delivered rail systems work and realignment of the old Chesterton sidings yard.
