A new railway station serving the Cambridge Biomedical Campus will open next month, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced. Trains will begin calling at Cambridge South station, located next to Europe's largest medical research facility, from June 28.
Direct Services and Connectivity
The station will receive up to nine trains per hour from Cambridge, offering direct services to major destinations including London King's Cross, London Liverpool Street, Birmingham New Street, Brighton, Gatwick Airport, and Stansted Airport. Services will be operated by Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink, and CrossCountry.
Housing and Economic Growth
By 2031, new housing developments across the Cambridge Southern Fringe are expected to deliver approximately 4,000 new homes. The station is envisioned as a catalyst for regional growth, supporting jobs and world-class facilities.
Sustainable Design and First GBR Branding
The station features a green roof equipped with solar panels and a rainwater catchment system integrated with a wildflower meadow environment. The DfT confirmed that Cambridge South will be the first new station branded under Great British Railways (GBR).
Rail minister Lord Hendy commented: “Cambridge South will open up access to jobs, homes and world-class facilities for people across the region, boosting the growth of the Biomedical Campus as one of the most important engines of growth in the country. As the first new Great British Railways branded station, the opening is an important milestone for our railways and a sign of the real change public ownership will deliver. Faster connections supporting economic growth, thousands more jobs and homes, and a railway that works for the communities it serves.”
Funding and Passenger Projections
The project, expected to serve 1.8 million passengers annually, was primarily funded by a £250 million government investment. Additional contributions of £5 million came from pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority, and the Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership.
Biomedical Campus Impact
Research at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus addresses global healthcare challenges, including early cancer detection and dementia understanding. The campus currently generates £4.7 billion per year for the UK economy, a figure projected to rise to £18.2 billion by 2050 alongside a doubling of its 20,000 employees.
Network Rail chief executive Jeremy Westlake stated: “Cambridge South station will significantly improve travel and connectivity for campus staff, visitors and the wider community for many years to come. Thousands of people have worked tirelessly on this fantastic project to build a modern, accessible and sustainable station that reflects the excellence of the work that is being undertaken in Europe’s largest biomedical facility.”
