UK Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has officially opened the Cambridge North station after nearly two months of operations.
The station will serve up to 3,000 passengers every day and is expected to reduce traffic congestion into the city centre, while also enabling quicker journeys to the Cambridge Science Park.
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Network Rail delivered the station as part of its wider Railway Upgrade Plan and the site was opened in May.
Grayling also met with key stakeholders of the East West Rail (EWR) project following the inauguration.
Grayling said: “The opening of Cambridge North marks the start of our plans to transform journeys for passengers in Cambridgeshire and maximise growth for the wider region.
“We are committed to making journeys across this region quicker and easier, as soon as possible. The new station is already contributing to that.
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By GlobalData“East West Rail is at the heart of that transformation and can be a critical part of our plans to make this region the UK’s own Silicon Valley, a world renowned centre for science and innovation.”
The EWR project is currently in the planning stage of development, and will create a direct connection between Cambridge and Oxford.
The project is also expected to facilitate various other initiatives such housing, science and innovation.
Additionally, it will involve the construction of a new direct rail link between East Anglia, the south midlands and the south-west, providing easy connectivity between the country’s most economically significant towns and cities.
The new east-west line will feature interchange stations with five main railway lines generating from London, but is expected to run under or over each of them in order to minimise the chances of delay.
The western section of the line between Oxford and Bedford is expected to be completed by 2022, while the line from Aylesbury to Milton Keynes is scheduled to be completed in 2024.
Image: Secretary of State arrives at Cambridge North station. Photo: courtesy of Network Rail.
