Upgrades have been made to the infrastructure surrounding the site of new railway station Cambridge South.

The project, which totalled £40m, was carried out by the South Rail Systems Alliance (SRSA), which won the contract in September 2023.

Work began on the station in 2023, and was due to be completed this year, but was delayed by the Cambridge re-signalling project.

According to SRSA, the works included the renewal and realignment of tracks between Shepreth and Cambridge to account for the new station, the upgrading of overhead electrical lines, and the installation of eight switches to allow trains to move between tracks.

The SRSA comprises Network Rail, railway infrastructure company Colas Rail UK, and infrastructure consulting firm AECOM.

Keith Sullivan, programme manager for Network Rail, described the completion of the project as a “major milestone” in the development of the station, according to the BBC. “This brand new station [is] for the south of Cambridge, the neighbouring biomedical campus and Trumpington communities,” he said.

The Cambridge South station will be the city’s third railway station, joining Cambridge and Cambridge North in providing national travel links.

The station will be situated on Francis Crick Avenue at the University’s Biomedical Campus, with a view to support the burgeoning science and healthcare industry in the surrounding area. Planners also hope to create better links with Addenbrooke’s Hospital and Royal Papworth Hospital.

Network Rail says the station will “deliver better transport options and connectivity” for 1.8 million people, “grow and level up the economy,” and “reduce environmental impacts”.

The station has previously been billed as encouraging more sustainable forms of travel, providing 1,000 cycle spaces in lieu of a car park. However, some local officials have raised concerned about its impact on the surrounding area. The new station is situated next to a nature reserve, prompting warnings from the planning inspector that the project could have a “significant adverse effect” on the land nearby.

Additionally, Olaf Hauk, a Liberal Democrat city councillor in Trumpington, conceded that there would be “a detrimental impact” to the local environment as a result of the construction of the station, though insisted that the plan remains “as ecologically beneficial as it can be,” according to the BBC.

The completion of this stage of the project will be followed by signalling upgrades later in the year, as well as continued preparation of the station. The station is now expected to be completed by early 2026.