Network Rail has entered a planning application for Soham Rail Station and if the application is successful, work would start later this year.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority funded and commissioned Network Rail to deliver a variety of options for the station and have committed £18.6m to fund the infrastructure project.
The plans include a 102 metre platform to accommodate four car train services, a new footbridge across the railway, a drop-off point and car park for 50 cars and a cycle park.
Train Operator Greater Anglia will serve Soham station using its Ipswich to Peterborough service to call at Soham initially. Ostensibly Soham could be back within the national rail network as early as 2022.
The campaign to reinstate the Soham railway link, which was closed to passengers in 1965, has significant local support.
Cheffins Director of Planning, Jon Jennings, comments:
“The announcement of the proposed Soham Station is welcomed and will unquestionably make Soham a more attractive location for commuters to Cambridge who wish to avoid using the A142 and the A14 to access Cambridge. It will also provide a more frequent service than that afforded by the Ipswich-Cambridge line and could potentially reduce pressure on Ely station, especially from commuters who access this station from further afield.
“Soham is identified as a location for 2290 new homes in the East Cambridgeshire Local Plan and the provision of a station will undoubtedly make the town more attractive to both developers and future residents. It will also make Soham mores sustainable and appropriate for increased levels of development when the existing Local Plan is reviewed. It will also ensure that there is a more appropriate mix of development between the north and south of the District.
“It’s important that sufficient parking is provided on site to commuters coming from further afield. There’s also a need to ensure that local footpaths and cycleways are upgraded to allow access to the station from residents.
We have experience in promoting sites through the planning system and working with developers and would be happy have a preliminary conversation with anyone that is considering the new development opportunities that the new station in Soham will create.”
To speak to our Planning Team about promoting sites please contact Jon Jennings on 01223 271985.