A major study has been commissioned to bring Soham Railway Station a step closer.

Ely Standard: Councillor James PalmerCouncillor James Palmer (Image: Archant)

James Palmer, East Cambridgeshire District Council leader, said: “Soham is a growing town and a very popular place to live.

“It is only right that we, as local councils, press extremely hard for the infrastructure needed to coincide with housing growth.

“It is imperative that Soham has a railway station, and the GRIP 3 study is part of the ongoing process to bring this greatly needed asset back to the town.”

Cambridgeshire county councillor Ian Bates, chairman of the Environment Transport and Economy Committee, said: “By commissioning the GRIP 3 study, we are edging ever closer to delivering the much talked about and much needed railway station for Soham.

“With East Cambridgeshire District Council, we have long campaigned that reconnecting the town with the rail network is vital if we are to grow as a county and a region.

“Jobs, investment and the vibrancy of Soham rest on the outcome of Network Rail’s report and we look forward to receiving it.”

Cambridgeshire County Council in conjunction with East Cambridgeshire District Council has formally commissioned Network Rail to undertake the GRIP (Governance for Rail Infrastructure Projects) three options and feasibility study.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We are working with our partners at Cambridgeshire County Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council to look into the design and feasibility of a new station at Soham that could potentially bring significant benefits to the area.”

Work, due to be completed by early 2017, will assess what is required to deliver the railway station in the town which the two authorities have long campaigned for.

The study will look at what is needed to make sure the station is economically viable and meets requirements of the councils.

The Soham Railway Station Joint Project Group, consisting of six elected members and representatives from Soham Town Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership, will help the study to build a strong case to show how any service stopping in Soham would be used and how many people would use it.