Waterbeach Rail Action needs volunteers.
We are an independent, resident-led campaign working to prevent the closure of the existing Waterbeach railway station.
The statutory closure decision has not yet been made. There is still time for residents to make their voices heard.
We urgently need more people to help.
Whether you can spare an hour occasionally or would like to take on a more active role, your contribution would be welcome.
We particularly need help with:
Delivering leaflets and distributing information around Waterbeach and neighbouring communities.
Speaking to residents and station users.
Helping organise public meetings and campaign events.
Researching planning, transport and funding documents.
Contacting journalists and sharing our findings.
Preparing for the statutory consultation.
To volunteer, email waterbeachrail@gmail.com. Tell us how you might be able to help.
The decision to close the existing station is separate from the decision to build the new one.
Write to your MP, the Department for Transport, the mayor, the South Cambridge District Council, and the Greater Cambridge Partnership asking for a proper examination of the case for closure, including whether both stations could remain open.
We have prepared suggested letters below. Please adapt them to reflect your own experiences.
The published business case does not provide a fully costed comparison of retaining both stations against closing the existing one.
Our survey of more than 1,200 respondents found that respondents expect approximately 50% fewer rail journeys and 23% more car journeys following closure.
The report also contains 798 written testimonies describing how closure would affect people's lives.
Share the report, tell your neighbours, write to local newspapers and help ensure that the consequences for existing station users are understood.
Closing the existing station requires a separate process under the Railways Act 2005.
When the statutory consultation opens, we will publish details of how to respond.
Your own experience matters. Explain how you use the station, whether you can walk or cycle to it, what alternatives would be available, and how closure would affect your journeys.
Residents can attend Waterbeach Parish Council meetings, where station developments are regularly discussed.
Waterbeach Rail Action will also endeavour to organise regular public meetings in the run-up to the statutory consultation.
Meeting announcements and campaign updates will appear on this website.
7. Complete our station survey
We are collecting evidence about how people use Waterbeach railway station and how the proposed closure would affect their journeys.
If you haven't already completed the survey, please take a few minutes to tell us about your experiences. Responses help us understand the consequences for residents and station users.
Complete the Waterbeach Station Survey
A petition has also been organised calling for the existing Waterbeach railway station to remain open.
You can read the petition, add your signature and share it with others.
Sign the petition: Keep Waterbeach Railway Station Open
charlotte.cane.mp@parliament.uk
Subject: Proposed closure of Waterbeach railway station
Dear Ms Cane,
I am writing as a resident concerned about the proposed closure of the existing Waterbeach railway station.
The original plans date from 2018, but circumstances have changed substantially. The new station has been delayed, the existing station has been upgraded to accommodate longer trains, and public funding has taken on a much greater role in delivering the new station.
I am particularly concerned that the case for retaining both stations has not been properly examined.
A recent survey of more than 1,200 respondents found that those surveyed expect to make approximately 50% fewer rail journeys and 23% more car journeys if the existing station closes. The consequences for people who cannot drive, including older residents, young people and those with disabilities, are particularly concerning.
I would be grateful if you could ask the Department for Transport to ensure that the statutory closure process includes a full assessment of retaining both stations, the effects on existing passengers, and the changed circumstances since 2018.
I would also welcome your support in ensuring that residents have a proper opportunity to be heard before any decision is made.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address and postcode]
Subject: Proposed closure of Waterbeach railway station — request for full statutory scrutiny
Dear Secretary of State,
I am writing regarding the proposed closure of the existing Waterbeach railway station.
Although this proposal has frequently been described as a relocation, it would involve permanently closing an existing passenger station and opening another approximately 2.4 km away. The closure must therefore be considered through the applicable statutory process under the Railways Act 2005.
I ask the Department to ensure that any closure proposal is assessed against the current circumstances, rather than relying on assumptions made when the original plans were approved in 2018.
In particular, I ask that the assessment addresses:
The feasibility and costs of retaining both the existing and proposed stations.
The expected loss of rail journeys among existing passengers and the increase in car use.
The effects on people who currently walk or cycle to the station, including those without access to a car.
The changes in development timetables, public funding and transport infrastructure since 2018.
The evidence supporting any claim that operating two stations is technically or operationally impracticable.
The November 2026 Waterbeach evidence report presents survey findings and written testimonies documenting these concerns.
I ask that the Department consider this evidence, ensure that the alternatives receive proper scrutiny, and provide a meaningful opportunity for public representations before any closure decision.
Yours faithfully,
[Your name]
[Your address and postcode]
Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Email: mayorsoffice@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk
Dear Mayor Bristow,
I am writing about the proposed closure of the existing Waterbeach railway station and its implications for transport across the Cambridge area.
The proposed new station would serve Waterbeach New Town, but closing the existing station would remove a well-used rail connection from the established village.
Our November 2026 survey of more than 1,200 respondents found that respondents expect approximately 50% fewer rail journeys and 23% more car journeys following closure. Among those living within two kilometres of the existing station, expected rail use falls by 52%.
These findings raise serious questions about the compatibility of closure with regional objectives to improve public transport, reduce congestion and support sustainable development.
I ask you to examine the implications for regional transport planning, particularly the increased dependence on cars and the connections between rail, buses, walking and cycling.
I would also welcome your support for a full examination of retaining both stations, including the operational feasibility and costs of doing so.
The development of Waterbeach New Town should improve transport connections across the area, not leave existing communities with fewer accessible options.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address and postcode]
Bridget Smith, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council
Email: Cllr.BridgetSmith@scambs.gov.uk
Dear Councillor Smith,
I am writing regarding the proposed closure of the existing Waterbeach railway station.
South Cambridgeshire District Council has played a central role in the planning decisions and developer agreements associated with Waterbeach New Town. I am concerned that the consequences of closing the existing station for the established village have not received sufficient attention.
Since the original plans were approved, housing delivery has been delayed, public funding has become central to the new station project, and developer funding obligations have been varied.
Our November 2026 survey also provides substantial new evidence of the consequences for existing residents, including an expected reduction of approximately 50% in rail journeys among respondents.
I would be grateful if the Council could explain:
What assessment it has undertaken of the effects of closure on existing Waterbeach residents.
How changes to developer contributions and planning obligations have affected the station's funding arrangements.
Whether it has examined the feasibility of retaining both stations.
How the current transport proposals reflect the changed timetable for housing delivery.
I ask the Council to publish the relevant evidence and ensure that the interests of the existing village are fully considered alongside those of the new development.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address and postcode]
The GCP is delivering the new station. Its chair is Councillor Brian Milnes, and its published position is that the Department for Transport, rather than the GCP, is responsible for the statutory closure process.
Dear Greater Cambridge Partnership,
I am writing regarding the new Waterbeach railway station project and the proposed closure of the existing station.
I recognise the importance of providing rail infrastructure for Waterbeach New Town. However, I am concerned that the business case has not adequately demonstrated why this requires the closure of the existing station.
The published appraisal does not provide a transparent, fully costed comparison of operating both stations against closing the existing one.
Furthermore, circumstances have changed substantially since 2018. The existing station has been upgraded, housing delivery has been delayed, and the funding arrangements have changed.
Our November 2026 survey of more than 1,200 respondents found that respondents expect approximately 50% fewer rail journeys and 23% more car journeys following closure.
I ask the GCP to publish or commission:
A fully costed assessment of retaining both stations.
The technical evidence concerning the signalling and operational feasibility of two stations.
An assessment of the loss of rail journeys and increase in car use among existing passengers.
Updated assumptions concerning housing delivery, developer contributions and road access.
A transparent account of the costs directly attributable to closing the existing station.
Although the Department for Transport is responsible for the statutory closure process, the GCP's business case and supporting evidence will be important to that decision.
I would welcome a substantive response addressing these questions.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address and postcode]
Network Rail's role is particularly important because of the unresolved question of whether the existing and proposed stations could operate together. The letter should concentrate on the technical evidence, signalling, timetabling and infrastructure costs.
Recipient: Network Rail, Anglia Route
How to send: Network Rail contact form
Subject: Waterbeach railway station — request for technical assessment of retaining both stations
Dear Network Rail,
I am writing regarding the proposed closure of the existing Waterbeach railway station and the construction of a new station approximately 2.4 km to the north.
I am concerned that the technical case for closing the existing station has never been adequately explained.
The original planning documents asserted that retaining both stations was not possible because of signalling constraints. However, the supporting technical assessment has not been made publicly available.
Since those plans were approved in 2018, the existing station has been upgraded to accommodate eight-carriage trains, while the timetable for Waterbeach New Town has changed substantially.
I would be grateful if Network Rail could clarify:
Whether operating both the existing and proposed Waterbeach stations is technically feasible.
What signalling, track or other infrastructure changes would be necessary.
Whether stopping trains at both stations would be compatible with existing and planned timetables, and what the operational consequences would be.
Whether a formal assessment of the two-station option has been undertaken and, if so, whether it can be published.
What costs would be associated with retaining the existing station, compared with closing and decommissioning it.
Our November 2026 survey provides substantial evidence of the consequences of closure for existing passengers, including an expected reduction of approximately 50% in rail journeys among respondents.
Before the existing station is permanently closed, I believe the public deserves a clear, evidence-based explanation of why retaining both stations is not being pursued.
I would welcome a substantive response, including references to any relevant technical assessments.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address and postcode]