The UK is set to welcome a sprawling new train station, situated on the site of a former military base with a nuclear bunker.

As part of a major development in Cambridgeshire, there are plans to build a new train station that could offer a vital link to London, but it's not in a city or town. Instead, the proposed train station will arrive in the small and new settlement of Alconbury Weald, just 10 minutes from the commuter town of Huntingdon.

The community has only been around since 2020, when its first batch of residents moved in, and now boasts 6,000 new homes, with plans to expand the housing development in Huntingdonshire. Not only are there plans for a brand new train station, but Alconbury Weald is also set to welcome 1,000 new homes, shops, a secondary school, and a health and community centre.

But what makes this phrase of the development so striking is its positioning on the former RAF Alconbury base. The already 6,000 homes in Alconbury Weald surround the military base, which houses an enormous nuclear bunker built in 1988.

Made out of steel and reinforced concrete with blast-proof guillotine doors, the bunker was "designed to withstand a direct nuclear attack". It was reported to have cost a whopping £50 million to build, and inside has eerie corridors leading off to an underground power plant and communications headquarters.

Its hidden facilities allowed the military to examine data gathered by surveillance aircraft during the Cold War, and it even survived attacks from the Luftwaffe during World War Two. Steeped in history, the RAF base was in use from 1938 to around 1995, but today, it has a completely different purpose.

Now, there are plans to expand this area even further into a thriving community and a central hub. Property developer Urban&Civic has plans for the fourth phase of Alconbury Weald, including its train station, as it works with Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Huntingdonshire authorities.

Mike Jenner, development manager from Urban&Civic, said: "Phase 4 has an important role to play in the delivery of Alconbury Weald, connecting green spaces and key infrastructure. The design of Phase 4 ensures walking, cycling, and public transport links connect to the wider site seamlessly, and supports the aspirations of our local transport partners to progress a rail station, which will benefit many."

The arrival of the new train station is a key part of the plans for the area, and the developers said it could play a "transformative role to unlock economic growth". To get it underway, they are working alongside Network Rail to hopefully introduce the new station as part of the East Coast mainline, which connects London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley across 393 miles.

In the area, there will also be lots of green space for residents and visitors to enjoy, with a "landscaped setting alongside a waterbody". With plans in the mix, it's unclear when they could be approved and when construction could start in the area.

Yet, if it all goes ahead, the train station in Huntingdonshire could provide a crucial, faster train link from the small settlement to London, or up to Edinburgh.

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