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Cambridge Growth Company launches Mass Rapid Transit Study to support sustainable growth across Greater Cambridge

A Strategic Outline Business Case will assess Mass Rapid Transit options for Greater Cambridge and help to set out the case for future transport investment.
The Cambridge Growth Company (CGC) and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) have launched the preparation of a Project level Strategic Outline Business Case for a potential Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system for Greater Cambridge. This marks an important step forward in developing long term, sustainable transport solutions that can support one of the UK’s most economically significant regions.

CGC is bringing dedicated capacity and cross-government coordination to accelerate infrastructure delivery in Greater Cambridge and has been commissioned by the Department for Transport, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and HM Treasury to develop a study into transport needs and options. The work will assess MRT solutions to support growth in the area, as well as contributing towards the government’s wider ambitions and commitments to an infrastructure-first approach to development and growth to unlock the area’s full economic potential.

CGC has appointed WSP to undertake the work.

The new commission will:
  • Define the strategic context and transport case for change, based on a robust evidence base.
  • Identify and appraise a longlist of transport options, from lower scale interventions to full MRT modal possibilities, including tram, light rail, bus rapid transit, and automated systems.
  • Develop a transparent shortlist of viable options, assessed for their ability to support the long term growth of the city, feasibility, deliverability, value for money, and environmental impact.
  • Produce a HM Treasury Green Book–compliant SOBC, to be shared with HMT, DfT and MHCLG, setting out high-level costs, benefits and outcomes, funding strategies, and a clear preferred way forward.
Philip Harker, Technical Director at Cambridge Growth Company, said “congestion in Cambridge is already holding back our communities and our economy. Employers are telling us that investment decisions are being delayed until credible solutions are found. That is why the Cambridge Growth Company was established, to bring focus and capacity to complex infrastructure challenges like this. Working with government departments and the CPCA, we’re moving at pace to explore Mass Rapid Transit as a viable means of easing pressure across the whole transport system.

“This Strategic Outline Business Case is a crucial first step in making the case for the investment needed to help people move efficiently and sustainably into and across the city.”

Judith Barker, Executive Director, at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority said, “Greater Cambridge is one of the UK’s economic engines, and it needs transport that matches that ambition. This study helps us understand what it will take to deliver the Mayor’s vision for a Mass Rapid Transit system that supports long‑term growth and improves how people move around the area.” 

Overseen by CGC and CPCA, WSP will work collaboratively with local authorities, transport operators, business and community representatives and key regional partners, ensuring the process remains transparent and grounded in local priorities.

This early phase MRT study will be factored into preparations for the Greater Cambridge Transport Strategy, led by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which is due for approval in November 2026.