Tag: rail

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Mayor Dr Nik Johnson’s letter to Transport Minister, Mark Harper, to push for further details on Ely Junction, A10 and A1139

Dear Secretary of State,  I am writing to follow up on the Prime Ministers Network North announcements regarding A10 and A1139 improvements and Ely Area Capacity Enhancements at Conservative Party Conference.   Such news has been met warmly by residents in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and I am keen to understand the wider details around these welcome […]

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Mayor joins accessibility campaigners on Ely station

‘See differently’ urges the UK’s major campaigning charity for blind and partially sighted people and that’s what Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mayor Dr Nik Johnson did when he joined Royal National Institute for Blind People at Ely Railway Station to glimpse something of the challenge they face. In the latest move by the Combined Authority to […]

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Ticket office closure consultation

Following calls from Mayors across the Country, the consultation into the plan to close hundreds of ticket offices in England has been extended until 1 September. Reacting to this announcement, Mayor Dr Nik Johnson said: “I welcome the decision from the Rail Delivery Group to extend the consultation period by almost six weeks. However, I […]

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Rail summit hits Treasury with strong message from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Sending a clear message to the Treasury, business and transport leaders have urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to agree improvements to the Ely Junction bottleneck which notoriously holds back trade and the wide prosperity it should bring. The case that the ‘Ely Solution’ holds what is perhaps the most vital key to growth across Great Britain […]

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‘Ely Solution’ gains momentum with Cambridge rail summit

A simple answer to getting foreign trade and growth moving through Britain will gain fresh impetus when key players gather for a rail summit at one of the East of England’s newer stations, Cambridge North. Convened by the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, and co-chaired by the Rt Hon Norman Baker,  Campaign […]

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Cambridge South a concrete reality as Minister announces full funding

Years of campaigning by the Combined Authority and others for a new station at Cambridge South paid off today when the rail minister, Huw Merriman, visited the site to announce £211 million from the Government to get the station into service by 2025. Work is already well under way on the Cambridge South Infrastructure Enhancements […]

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Mayor Dr Nik Johnson’s statement regarding East-West Rail announcement

The news that the government has given the green light to the next stage of the East-West Rail project, which will connect Cambridge, and the whole of Cambridgeshire, with Oxford is most welcome. We’ve been waiting a long while for this announcement. I whole heartedly agree, we do need better east-west rail links for the region. It […]

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£48 million in funding to transform Peterborough’s Station Quarter approved by Government

A total of £48million is on its way to Peterborough, following a successful Levelling Up Fund bid for the first phase of regeneration of the area around Peterborough Train Station – known as Station Quarter.   Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority received the official confirmation from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing […]

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Fenland cyclists and walkers see fresh regeneration at Whittlesea Station

In the latest benefit from regeneration of the Fenland stations, a new wayfinding pillar has been installed to help people move around Whittlesea station and get to and from Whittlesey town centre more easily.  A map of the station, directions, and a plan promoting the various walking and cycling routes around the historic market town […]

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Mayor opens redeveloped March railway station

Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson has officially opened the newly developed March Railway Station and its upgraded bike and car park at a ceremony in the refurbished Platform 1 Building.  Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Colonel Mark Knight MBE, Cllr Chris Seaton, Fenland District Council’s  transport lead and Chairman of the Fenland Stations […]

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Brass Band and great community turnout as Mayor opens Soham’s new station

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mayor Dr Nik Johnson officially opened Soham’s new railway station today to the delight of the community as the first trains rolled into the new platform, five months ahead of the original timetable. The Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire, the Hon Frances Stanley, Network Rail’s Chairman Sir Peter Hendy, and a great turnout […]

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Aerial footage captures initial stages of railway station development work

A bird’s eye view of two exciting railway developments in the Fens has been captured on video thanks to new drone footage at March and Manea stations.  Aerial Cam has filmed the early stages of works being carried out as part of a multi-million pound regeneration of Fenland’s railway stations which is pushing forward with major improvements on the Hereward Line between Ely and Peterborough.   To view the footage, […]

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March plans can move forward thanks to unanimous vote by Combined Authority transport group

Showing their wholehearted approval of the collaborative work under way to make life better for people in the Fenland market town of March, the Combined Authority’s transport group this week recommended the drawdown of £1.51 million to push plans on to detailed design. In the unanimous vote, members of the Transport & Infrastructure Committee noted […]

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Combined Authority throws its weight behind Cambridge South

The Board of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority today threw its weight behind the development of Cambridge South rail station with a unanimous vote to allow Network Rail to hang on to savings made on planning to put toward future work. Development of the Cambridge South station remains on time and on budget, with a […]

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Contractors uncover ‘hidden treasure’ during Combined Authority’s revamp of March rail station

Contractors carrying out improvements at March rail station have unearthed an ancient ticket ledger from when the station first opened over 130 years ago.  The ledger, dated April 1885, contains carefully hand-written entries of all the passenger luggage and parcels sent from the station, providing a unique record of daily life in the area in […]

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Revamped Local Transport Plan to consider improvement to digital infrastructure

A bold plan to bring together Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s transport and digital infrastructure, to provide for better connectivity in a clean and green refresh of the Local Transport Plan, has been approved. Making explicit the Combined Authority’s commitment to deliver truly integrated connectivity to all communities with a drive towards a net zero carbon future, […]

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So far, Soham good for station opening in December

Network Rail has successfully completed a key milestone in the development of the new railway station for Soham which will pave the way for trains to start to call at the station from December 2021.   Over the August bank holiday weekend, the developing station at Soham was connected to the wider signalling network. This is […]

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Peterborough and March receive money from Combined Authority

Members of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Board backed the recommendation by Mayor Dr Nik Johnson that a £350,000 drawdown is given to further develop transformational plans for the Peterborough Railway Station Quarter. The drawdown, from the Transport Response Fund, is for the development of a Strategic Outline Business Case. Members were also asked […]

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East West Rail challenged on environment, economy, electrification and community impact in consultation reply

Electrification of the line from day one, more evidence on the preferred approach into Cambridge, more ambition on the environment, and minimising impacts on communities have formed part of the Combined Authority’s East West Rail (EWR) consultation response. The Combined Authority Board approved the response at its meeting on Wednesday (June 30). As part of […]

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Cambridge South station takes a step towards reality

Network Rail has submitted a Transport and Works Act order (TWAO) application to seek deemed planning permission to build the new station and associated infrastructure which will serve the southern fringe of Cambridge and the biomedical campus.  Following two rounds of consultation in 2020 to select the location of the station and seek views on […]

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Transport committee hail Network Rail partnership for Wisbech-Cambridge

Transport committee members hail Network Rail partnership to bring Wisbech-Cambridge rail nearer    James Palmer, Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, has secured a powerful new partnership with Network Rail which can push Wisbech rail plans forward on the back of work to free up the Ely rail bottleneck. Steve Barclay, Member of Parliament for North […]

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Mayor joins new 8-car Fen Line train that doubles seats for Cambridge, Ely, Littleport and Waterbeach passengers

Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, James Palmer, today joined passengers between Cambridge and King’s Lynn at the launch of the new double-length service that will boost seats on Fen Line trains from this Sunday 13 December. The first all-stations eight-carriage train did a run from Cambridge to King’s Lynn and back to the delight of […]

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Mayor seeks ‘people-centred’ and integrated Cambridge South hub as Network Rail launches consultation 2nd round

As the new Cambridge South station comes closer with today’s launch of the second round of public consultation, Mayor James Palmer has welcomed Network Rail’s stepped-up delivery date while issuing strong warnings on service provision. Mayor Palmer, who leads Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, a major funder of the new station, has always insisted that […]

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Mayor says Covid must not be used as an excuse to cut Fenland ‘lifeline’ services

The train operator Cross Country has decided to stop its services halting at Whittlesea, March and Manea, blaming a resource issue. Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority officers have engaged with Network Rail and Department for Transport officials over the past week over the Cross Country cuts and will continue to engage with these teams to find solutions to ensure long-term […]

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More seats, more carriages, and longer trains for Fen Line passengers

Over the August Bank Holiday, Network Rail completed the final section of infrastructure works on the £29 million upgrade of the rail line between Cambridge and King’s Lynn.   Over the last 11 months, works championed by Mayor James Palmer and funded by the Department for Transport have delivered a new siding outside King’s Lynn station, and lengthened platforms at Littleport […]

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‘Capital of the Fens’ back on track? Mayor’s plan for Wisbech rail gets green flag

In a historic vote, the business case for re-opening the Wisbech rail link was this week approved by the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority. The Transport and Infrastructure Committee was asked to accept the conclusions of the Full Business Case – the FBC –  that restoring a heavy rail link between Wisbech and Cambridge would […]

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Boost for rail commuters as station car park plans forge ahead

Plans to create new car parks at Manea and Whittlesea railway stations have moved ahead with the appointment of a specialist contractor to develop the schemes. The new car parks are among the raft of improvements for Fenland stations being delivered through Fenland District Council’s Railway Station Masterplans scheme, funded by £9.5 million from the […]

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Mayor meets Minister to discuss restoring Wisbech rail link

Ahead of the next week’s meeting of the Combined Authority’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee, Mayor James Palmer met the rail minister, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, to discuss the case for reconnecting Wisbech to the rail network. “It was a very positive meeting. The Minister is fully cognisant of both the needs and opportunities of our rail […]

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Green light for Soham station

Proposals to build a new station for Soham were confirmed by East Cambridgeshire District Council on Friday 26 June 2020, giving the go-ahead for the new station to be built. Working in partnership with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, led by Mayor James Palmer, which has provided the necessary funding to build the station, […]

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Mayor welcomes government funding and halved delivery time for Cambridge South train station after tireless campaign

The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough James Palmer has welcomed the announcement by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rushi Sunak, today on funding for a new station at Cambridge South to be delivered by 2025, five years ahead of the original schedule. Mayor James Palmer said: “The announcement in today’s budget for a train station for […]

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Transforming Wisbech Rail

On Friday 6th March a report to the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Transport Committee will outline the next steps for transforming the Wisbech Rail project which seeks to offer a direct passenger transport service between Wisbech and Cambridge by re opening the line to March for the first time since the service was axed […]

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What next for public transport between Cambourne and Cambridge?

On Friday 6th March a report to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Transport Committee will outline the next steps of the proposals for public transport between Cambourne and Cambridge. It will seek to make two recommendations.  Firstly, to get an agreement to set out a vision for the Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro as a whole, […]

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Mayor frustrated at the lack of ambitious plans for passengers on CrossCountry trains

Mayor frustrated at the lack of ambitious plans for passengers on CrossCountry trains Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer says he is deeply disappointed by the lack of ambition in the plans announced today for longer trains and more seats for CrossCountry passengers across the Midlands. Mayor James Palmer said: “This talk of levelling […]

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Combined Authority seals deal for Network Rail to build Soham station

A new station to reconnect Soham with the rail network will improve economic growth, jobs and investment in the area, and give Soham people freedom of travel from their doorstep for the first time since the old station was axed in 1965. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority this week contracted Network Rail to build […]

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Mayor urges new Transport team to revoke Ely North ‘mistake’

Transport ministers have been warned by Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough James Palmer to rethink the decision to let improving North Ely junction slip down the Government’s priorities – or risk setting back work on several major infrastructure projects in the region. Writing to Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris, Mayor Palmer expressed ‘grave concern’ that the […]

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‘Soham Station will be a platform for better local rail services’

Mayor James Palmer has said the delivery of Soham railway station will act as a platform for better, more regular rail services for the area it will serve. The Combined Authority today granted the funding and approvals necessary to bring the station to completion, with building work starting in September 2020. The Mayor said the […]

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Mayor’s bid to fast-track Soham rail station goes for green light

Mayor James Palmer has given his full backing to a recommendation to fund and immediately start all the work necessary to build Soham Rail Station ahead of time. The Mayoral Combined Authority Board’s September 25 meeting will be asked to approve a  final funding package and contract that will fast-track the work, significantly bringing forward […]

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New events announced for public to have say on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s transport future

Three new consultation events have been announced for members of the public to have their say on the future of the area’s transport network to 2050.   The new events form part of the ongoing consultation for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s developing Local Transport Plan (LTP) and will take place in September in Buckden […]

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Mayor James Palmer calls for Combined Authority oversight over new rail franchise contracts amid frustration at Fenland services improvement bid

Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough James Palmer is calling on Government to allow the Combined Authority to have sign-off rights in the awarding of any new rail franchises covering the area. The Mayor’s call comes after being continually frustrated in attempts to bring forward a package of improvement to rail services at Fenland stations. Mayor […]

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Public set to have their say on strategy to shape Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s transport future

Members of the public are set to be given the opportunity to help share a strategy to tackle transport challenges and support ambitions for growth in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough over the next 30 years. The Combined Authority’s Local Transport Plan (LTP) will provide the policy foundation and strategic context for key projects like the CAM […]

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Mayor James Palmer says transport infrastructure pressure makes clear case for interim Cambridge South station study

Mayor James Palmer has said growing pressure on existing transport infrastructure around Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC) makes a clear and urgent case for a study exploring the feasibility of an earlier interim railway station at Cambridge South. The full station at Cambridge South, which will serve the CBC, is not expected to be built until […]

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Mayor James Palmer’s delight at DfT approval for scheme to allow eight-car trains on crowded King’s Lynn to Cambridge route

Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough James Palmer has said Government approval for a scheme to allow eight-car trains to operate on the frequently overcrowded route between King’s Lynn and Cambridge will be a welcome boost to rail users. Network Rail said yesterday that the Department for Transport had approved a bid for investment in the […]

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Mayor James Palmer hails signs that Soham station is becoming a reality

With proposals for Soham train station set to be presented to the public this month, a series of clear, budgeted next steps to bring the scheme to delivery have been laid out by the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority. Mayor James Palmer has also hailed the positive signs of progress which show the train station […]

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Mayor James Palmer meets with Rail Minister to make case for eight-car train upgrade on King’s Lynn to Cambridge Route

Mayor James Palmer met with Rail Minister Andrew Jones MP yesterday to urge support for a bid to allow eight-car trains on the line between Cambridge, Ely and King’s Lynn to tackle overcrowding at peak times. Mayor Palmer also raised other rail priorities including service improvements to and from Fenland stations at Whittlesey, March and […]

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Mayor James Palmer backs scheme to support eight-car trains between Cambridge and King’s Lynn

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor James Palmer has vowed to do everything he can to support a bid to allow eight-car trains to run between Cambridge, Ely and King’s Lynn, after Network Rail announced progress with plans to reduce overcrowding on the route at peak periods. The Great Northern service connecting King’s Lynn with London, which […]

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Mayor James Palmer supports funding for study into delivering rail link between Wisbech and March

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor James Palmer has voiced his support for moving forward with a detailed study into delivering a rail link between Wisbech and March. The Mayor said re-establishing a rail link between Wisbech and March would boost the local economy and help deliver the proposed Wisbech Garden Town. At their meeting on November […]

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Kings Dyke Crossing to move to construction phase

Funding for the new Kings Dyke level crossing project has today (October 31) been approved by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and the project can now progress to the construction phase. The authority has agreed to provide funding contribution of up to £16.4m over the original £13.6m allocation to enable the scheme to progress […]

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Solar power lights up Whittlesea railway station

A Fenland railway station has improved its carbon footprint and boosted passenger safety after having new solar-powered lights installed. As the dark nights draw in, passengers at Whittlesea Station are benefitting from new LED ‘cat eyes’ powered entirely by the sun. A footpath between the station entrance on Station Road and Platform 2 used to […]

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