Infrastructure upgrades on the West Anglia main line that will support future rail services for Cambridge South station have been completed by the South Rail Systems Alliance (SRSA).
SRSA – an alliance of Colas Rail UK, Network Rail and AECOM – was created to deliver a portfolio of works across the southern region of the UK over a 10-year period. Since it was appointed in September 2023, the alliance has delivered a range of major infrastructure upgrades between Shepreth and Cambridge as part of a multidisciplinary programme working alongside station contractor, Murphy and signalling partner, Alstom.
Work completed to date includes:
- Renewal of 5.7km of track between Shepreth and Cambridge and realignment of 1.4km of track to serve the new four-platform station;
- Installation of eight new switches which allow trains to switch from one track to another;
- Upgrades of the overhead line electrification (OLE) consisting of 110 new foundations to support 79 new OLE structures, and almost 10km of new overhead wiring;
- Installation of eight new signals;
- Remodelling of Shepreth branch junction to unlock higher train speeds through the junction;
- Upgrades to ancillary systems such as communications, telecoms and power supplies.
All of this work has been safely delivered by Colas Rail UK staff and its supply chain, with 124,000 site staff hours completed over 10,000 working shifts with no major accidents or incidents.
The key milestones for the project including the 2023 Christmas blockade, when the existing main lines were diverted onto two new alignments to facilitate the construction of the station platforms.
Key weekend dates in May and June 2024 saw SRSA install new switches and crossings, while modifications were made to the overhead lines to maintain power supplies to train services along the new track alignment.
Christmas 2024 saw SRSA undertake a successful remodelling of Shepreth branch junction while the railway was closed for almost two weeks. The modified junction has been extended to make it more efficient for train services to navigate the junction at increased speeds. This will enable train services to travel through the junction at the line speed of 50mph (instead of 30mph) once the signalling upgrades have been completed anticipated by the end of 2025.
The Christmas 2024 work also included the connections of two new tracks onto their final alignments through the station, making Cambridge South a four track/platform station.
Network Rail programme manager Kevin Sullivan said: “The safe and successful completion of the rail systems by SRSA is a major milestone in the journey to deliver this brand-new station for the south of Cambridge, the neighbouring biomedical campus and Trumpington communities.
“Their commitment and drive to complete this work safely is a testament to their dedication and professionalism and this work has highlighted how well we can work together to improve and upgrade the railway for our customers and our passengers.”
SRSA and Colas Rail UK Enhancements project director Richard Flanagan added: “I am delighted with the progress we made at each key stage of the project. Safely delivering our full scope whilst meeting our programme milestones.
“Safety is our number one priority, to support our safety culture as a team we embrace new innovative technology, Geofencing and tagging supplements enhances our safety systems by adding an additional layer of protection. Its simplicity and ease of use has enabled Colas Rail UK and the SRSA to engage with the workforce and roll out seamlessly.”
Station contractor, Murphy will continue to complete the fit out of the new station facility until autumn 2025. Network Rail, working in partnership with Alstom, is continuing to plan the next major stage for the signalling renewal programme which once complete, will unlock the opportunity to open the new station early in 2026.
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