Winvic finishes 3.1km Waterbeach haul road ahead of station build start

Winvic Construction Ltd has completed the 3.1km haul road that will carry construction traffic from the A10 to the site of the new Waterbeach railway station in Cambridgeshire, the contractor said.

The road is the enabling piece for the station itself, which the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) says is due to start on site in autumn 2026 and open by summer 2028. The GCP's project page confirms the temporary haul road from the A10 is now complete.

Winvic said the scheme was funded by Homes England and was its first project delivered through the Eastern Highways Alliance (EHA) Framework, carried out under an NEC4 Option A contract. In its completion release Winvic put the value at £3.5m and said the scheme was awarded by Cambridgeshire County Council. When it announced the appointment, Winvic said it had been appointed by the GCP and described the scheme as £3m, procured through a mini competition under Lot 1 of the framework.

Rob Cook, Managing Director for Civils and Infrastructure at Winvic Construction, said: "Completing the Waterbeach Station haul road is an important milestone for the wider development."

The road

The 3.1km route combines a section built on the former airfield taxiway with a new stretch across farmland, Winvic said. The finished road includes passing bays, drainage and fencing. The GCP said in February 2026 that the road uses part of the former RAF Waterbeach airfield taxiway as a foundation.

Its purpose is to keep construction vehicles out of Waterbeach village. Winvic said the road gives construction traffic direct access to the station site from the A10, helping to minimise disruption to residents during the works.

Thomas Fitzpatrick, Head of Programme at the Greater Cambridge Partnership, said at the time of Winvic's appointment: "The road is designed to minimise disruption to residents during construction of the new station later in the year."

Winvic said the works involved significant earthworks and utility management, with coordination between Cambridgeshire County Council, Network Rail, the Internal Drainage Board, landowners and Urban & Civic. The contractor said an alternative pavement design saved about £15,000 and two days against the original specification.

Programme

Winvic said the project started in November 2025 and, at appointment, was due to finish in summer 2026. The contractor has now confirmed the road is complete.

The GCP's project page says station construction is set to start in autumn 2026, with the station planned to be open by summer 2028. Winvic's release also gives summer 2028 as the expected opening.

The station

Spencer Rail Engineering is designing and building the new station at Waterbeach New Town, which is jointly funded by the GCP and Homes England, according to the GCP. The GCP said the station will have wider platforms, an accessible footbridge with lifts, 100 cycle spaces and electric vehicle charging points.

Building the station unlocks planning permission for 4,500 new homes, the GCP said, which it described as almost half of the 11,000 homes planned for the area. The Department for Transport will lead the consultation on the future of the existing Waterbeach station, according to the GCP.

The framework

Winvic secured its place on the EHA framework, known as EHF4, which it said is valued at up to £800m and managed by Central Bedfordshire Council. Lot 1 covers schemes up to £5m each, awarded by direct award or further competition.

Employment and skills

Winvic said 20% of the haul road workforce was recruited from within 30 miles of the site and four apprentice engineers gained industry experience on the project. The contractor said it also ran careers events at Cambridge Regional College and a site safety presentation at King's Hedges Primary School, and contributed more than 20 volunteering hours and £1,400 in in-kind donations across its community activities.

Station construction is set to start in autumn 2026, according to the GCP.