Soham could move a step closer to becoming a rail station town if plans to launch a railway task force group is given the go ahead.

Ely Standard: Soham rail stationSoham rail station (Image: Archant)

Two councils are set to officially join forces to make sure Network Rail and other relevant groups are kept up to speed with key issues in getting the station re- opened.

Work on putting Soham on the train track map began five years ago when Cambridgeshire County Council and East Cambridgeshire District Council worked closely with Network Rail to build a case for it.

The station is a key element of a Soham master plan to support the town’s growing population, attract new jobs to the area and provide a direct rail link to Ely and Cambridge.

Today (Thursday 28) a formal Soham Railway Station Joint Project Group is set to be given the seal of approval so that local and county councillors and officers team up to build a strong case for the station, which closed in 1965.

If given the green light the project group will be made up of six elected members and a representative from the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Members who have been put forward for the group are Councillor Hamish Ross, Cllr Carol Sennitt, Cllr Ian Bovingdon, Cllr James Palmer, Cllr Joshua Schumann, Cllr Mike Rouse and Adrian Cannard from the LEP

The aim is to for them to create a business case to show how any service stopping in Soham would be used and how many people would use it.

The plan would include hopes for the rail network including the proposed Cambridge Science Park Station as well as improvements to the rail network that would increase the speed and frequency of services to London and Norwich.

The working group will not incur costs other than officer time, said Emma Grima, director of commercial and corporate services at East Cambs District Council.