Hello readers!

This month, I’m sharing my exciting trainspotting adventure in Cambridge on March 14th. It was a long but rewarding day, so strap yourselves in for the first of many long-distance trainspotting trips!

Journey to Cambridge

A few friends invited me on a day trip from Sheffield to Cambridge, and I’m grateful for their generosity—it made the trip possible. We drove to Waterbeach, a charming village in Cambridgeshire, to catch a train to Cambridge. Parking in Waterbeach is more convenient and affordable than in the city. The village, home to over 5,100 people, is served by Great Northern’s Class 387 electric multiple units on the London Kings Cross – Kings Lynn route. This route is known as the Fen Line.

While waiting for our train, I explored Waterbeach station, which has a unique staggered platform layout around an Automatic Half Barrier (AHB) level crossing. These crossings are becoming less common due to safety concerns, as they only have barriers on one side of the road. There are plans to relocate Waterbeach station in the future to connect with a new housing estate. While waiting, I recorded various trains passing the crossing—most closures lasted around 30 seconds, unless multiple trains arrived simultaneously.

Arriving at Cambridge

Our short train ride took us two stops down to Cambridge station, the northern terminus of the West Anglia Main Line. This busy station sees around 15 trains per hour and is served by four Train Operating Companies (TOCs):

  • Cross Country (Class 170)
  • Great Northern (Class 387)
  • Greater Anglia (Class 720 & 755)
  • Thameslink (Class 700)

Cambridge connects to major destinations like London, Brighton, Birmingham, Norwich, and Ipswich, as well as Stansted Airport. This was my first visit, and I was thrilled to spot and record multiple train classes—many for the first time!

Highlights of the Day

I captured footage of various trains in action, including:

  • Class 170 “Turbostar” – Diesel Multiple Units built by Adtranz and Bombardier, seen on the Stansted Airport – Birmingham New Street service.
  • Class 387 “Electrostar” – Electric Multiple Units built by Bombardier, seen on London Kings Cross – Kings Lynn and London Kings Cross – Cambridge services. We spotted two members of this class that had recently transferred from Great Western Railway to Great Northern, which still carried their green GWR liveries.
  • Class 700 “Desiro City” – Electric Multiple Units built by Siemens Mobility, running on Cambridge – Brighton services.
  • Class 720 “Aventra” – Electric Multiple Units built by Bombardier and Alstom, operating between Cambridge North and London Liverpool Street.
  • Class 755 “Flirt” – Bi-mode multiple units by Stadler Rail, capable of running with and without overhead wires, seen on Cambridge – Ipswich and Stansted Airport – Norwich services.

Final Thoughts

After an eventful day of trainspotting, we took a train back to Waterbeach and drove home. All four of us collected the numbers we needed, but for me, nearly everything I spotted was new—except for two Class 170s. It was an excellent trip and a fantastic addition to my records in the Cambridge area.

Trainspotting Tip: Consider traveling beyond your local area—some train classes are exclusive to specific regions, making long-distance trips worthwhile!

 

See you all next month in April!
Matthew 😊