Waterbeach Railway Station has been open since 1845. For many years it has taken growing numbers of people from Waterbeach and surrounding areas to Cambridge and stations to London, as well as to Ely and up to Kings Lynn. Recently, with its platform extension and upgrade the numbers of trips have surged to over 370,000 per year. It is a popular and very convenient place to travel from for commuters, workers, shoppers, tourists, students and people of all ages. Without it, car journeys, congestion and pollution will increase and safety will decrease as more traffic goes onto roads.

The Department for Transport and Network Rail are consulting on its potential closure. A new station is planned for Waterbeach New Town, which will be about 1.5 miles north where the new town is located. It is not a good idea to close a station in an area where the population is due to double in the next 20 years. There is no reason why two stations cannot be located here, with services stopping at either station or both. Many people in Waterbeach and surrounding villages rely on it, and we will need both stations to meet the needs of the growing numbers of new town and village residents. 

It is perfectly possible for two stations to remain open that are 1.5 miles apart. Foxton and Shepreth are a similar distance, as are dozens of stations around the UK, some of which are less than a mile apart. Closing the existing station will also be a huge waste of resources - costing millions of pounds in addition to the money spent recently in upgrading it.

Keeping two stations in Waterbeach is supported by the Fenline Users' Association, as well as Railfuture East Anglia - two organisations who can see that train demand is increasing. It is also supported by District and County Councillors, but it is the DfT and Network Rail who will have the final decision on its future.

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