Soham Station reopening

[stivesnick]

The new station at Soham, Cambridgeshire reopened on the 13th December 2021 on the same site of the original station. 

 

The station is on the Ely- Bury St Edmunds route and is initially served by the the existing 2 hourly Ipswich to Peterborough service. The aim is to increase the frequency to hourly but this depends on completing the work at Ely North Junction and perhaps other infrastructure improvements. 

 

The single platform is 99m long and suitable for a 4 coach Stadler Class 755 unit. The station is unstaffed, and has two ticket machines, some basic shelters, a 50 space car park, cycle parking and a drop off point. A NR engineering space is provided beyond the car park. A new footbridge has been provided (a great place to take photos from) to allow a track crossing to be closed but also to allow for a future second platform if (when?) the line is doubled. Lifts will be added to the footbridge at that time. 

 

Some photos enclosed to show what is now required for a modern new station, including an emergency exit at the far end of the platform and a walkway behind the brick wall, to allow people to escape if there is a train on fire. I counted 26 CCTV cameras and there is a large amount of palisade fencing at the station. The street lights on the approach road have been fitted with emergency lighting but there is none on the platform itself. Not sure why. Photos also show the colour contrast tactile paving that links the disabled parking, ticket machines and platform. Train boarding is nice an easy. The station is certainly disabled passenger friendly. Pictures taken on Sat 18 December 2021.

 

Regards 

 

Nick 

 

 

[Chris Turnbull]

Here's a few more photos I took on opening day, 13th December.

 

First tranche:

 

Looking towards Ely

 

 

Looking towards Bury St Edmunds.  This shot can be compared to this:-

 

 

The site of the Soham train explosion on 2nd June 1944.  This photo was taken from the top of the platform starter signal which was just behind where I was standing in the second photo.  Note that the hedges have grown a bit since 1944! 

 

66134 on 402Q

 

Chris Turnbull

[Chris Turnbull]

Here's a few more:-

 

 

Looking towards Ely

 

 

Looking towards Bury.  The bridge is very popular with photographers

 

 

For all lovers of palisade fencing.

 

Chris Turnbull

 

 

[33C]

Palisade fencing is all very well, but says "no welcome here!", but, painted green, as it is, lineside at Upney Jct., it suggests a park, and blends in very well with surrounding countryside and is less offensive on the eye!

[LNERGE]

Soham signalbox and....

 

 

 

 

[doilum]

I read somewhere that following the explosion the line was reopened to passenger traffic in 17 hrs.........

[DIW]

And of course, Geoff Marshall was there too...

[Chris Turnbull]

I'd never heard of Geoff Marshall but I have now!  What a superbly produced video.

 

I should point out that the footbridge gives access to Footpath 124 which runs along one bank of Soham Lode as an extension to FP12  from where you can walk to the bank of the River Ouse and thence to Ely (or Cambridge) should you so wish.  FP 124 was claimed as a Public Right of Way over 20 years ago but Railtrack (as it was then) refused to allow it to cross the line on a flat crossing and it remained as a dead end until now.  Access to the river bank used to be via Spencer Drove (FP12) via another flat crossing a bit further towards Ely and this is now closed (see photo).  The bank of Soham Lode may be a bit muddy but many footpaths through the countryside are at this time of year.  If you want to go rambling a stout pair of walking boots are recommended.

 

 

Chris Turnbull

[jonhall]

have they left room for a re-doubling?

 

Jon

[Chris Turnbull]

1 hour ago, jonhall said:

have they left room for a re-doubling?

 

It never has been double track from Soham to Ely.  The LNER doubled the line from Chippenham Junction to Soham in stages in the 1930s arriving at Soham just before the Second World War.  Nothing more was done and the track remained, and still is, single.  The lack of room to lay another track was one of the reasons that Network Rail gave for not progressing the doubling scheme in CP5 (IIRC).

 

This is the line at Barway, midway between Soham and Ely.  If the photo looks familiar it is because it has appeared in Modern Railways.

 

 

Barway Siding was just to the left beyond the trees which hide the crossing-keeper's cottage.

 

 

 

Chris Turnbull

[Reorte]

14 hours ago, 33C said:

Palisade fencing is all very well, but says "no welcome here!", but, painted green, as it is, lineside at Upney Jct., it suggests a park, and blends in very well with surrounding countryside and is less offensive on the eye!

"Blends in very well" is a bit of an exaggeration IMO - "marginally less unpleasant" is how I'd go. At any rate the sight of it anywhere, in any colour, always makes me a bit depressed. Sure, I know why it's been put there but it doesn't stop the sight of the stuff being depressing.

[Zomboid]

59 minutes ago, Chris Turnbull said:

 

It never has been double track from Soham to Ely.  The LNER doubled the line from Chippenham Junction to Soham in stages in the 1930s arriving at Soham just before the Second World War.  Nothing more was done and the track remained, and still is, single.  The lack of room to lay another track was one of the reasons that Network Rail gave for not progressing the doubling scheme in CP5 (IIRC).

 

This is the line at Barway, midway between Soham and Ely.  If the photo looks familiar it is because it has appeared in Modern Railways.

 

 

Barway Siding was just to the left beyond the trees which hide the crossing-keeper's cottage.

 

 

 

Chris Turnbull

On the other hand they have left space under the footbridge to allow the line to be doubled in future without demolishing it. (And the river bridge at the Ely end which had to be replaced a few years back is double width). It'll probably be electrifiable without rebuilding, too, if that ever happens.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Zomboid

[Chris Turnbull]

3 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

Ok the other hand they have left space under the footbridge to allow the line to be doubled in future without demolishing it. (And the river bridge at the Ely end which had to be replaced a few years back is double width). It'll probably be electrifiable without rebuilding, too, if that ever happens.

 

Yes and yes are the answers.  The original river bridge at Ely had enough room for a second track although it only ever carried one.  The new bridge also has room for a second track.

 

Chris Turnbull 

[LNERGE]

All that’s needed now is another station at Fordham and reinstatement of the Snailwell Junction - Warren Hill chord with an Ely - Cambridge shuttle and it might be useful.