Keeping Trains Running
Crowborough and East Grinstead Stations are part of the UK Southern Rail Region, and both recently underwent multi-million pound Network Rail upgrades to improve accessibility routes to and between platforms. Works included:
- A new footbridge and lifts, providing customers with step-free access at the stations for the first time.
- Tactile paving close to the platform edges to assist blind and partially-sighted passengers.
- New CCTV cameras installed to maintain safety and security.
Alltask designed and constructed the scaffolding to enable the works to be carried out safely, efficiently, and effectively, while keeping the station running at the same time.
The bridged access scaffolding that was constructed provided the required access and protection for materials from the car park elevation (Platform 2), up and over the existing railway tracks to Platform 1, without causing any interference to the day-to-day running of the live trains.
The rail scaffolding consisted of two free-standing support towers on opposite platforms. Each tower was connected by high-level beams spanning across the existing live tracks. Two HAKI staircases were also required for safe access for site operatives from ground to bridge level and two high-level NIKO beams were installed to facilitate the raising and lowering of materials from the ground to bridge level.
Materials were hoisted using the NIKO support beam, transported along the bridge using pallet trucks and then lowered to Platform 1 using the second NIKO beam and hoist.
The bridge section was clad using 18mm plywood and debris netting to ensure a safe, secured route for materials, with no risk of anything falling onto the platforms or tracks below.
The planning of any rail sector scaffolding solution is key to a successfully delivered project. The Alltask team was pleased to be able to help enable such extensive works to be carried out to the highest level.
What made this rail scaffolding project so unique was that the bridge span was built at ground level and lifted in place using a 50T crane supplied by BAM Nuttall during a 27-hour long abnormal possession. The scaffold was also erected in two separate phases, with a mixture of both normal daytime working and weekend/possession working.
The works had to be completed within the 27-hour abnormal possession and Alltask completed the scaffolding within a 20-hour window, working two back-to-back 10-hour long shifts.
Seeing it all come together was very rewarding and it was pleasing to see that all works were carried out safely and on time. It’s always a pleasure to be able to be part of the success of such a large and worthwhile project such as this - one which will help to improve the lives of people with mobility issues who use the trains.