STATION MODERNISATION & EQUIPMENT
£4maccessibility project for Slough station
Access for All improvements have been completed at Slough station, ahead of the Olympic Games. Kate Ashley reports. B
irse Rail has delivered a £4m project for Network Rail to increase accessibility to
Slough station, which will be a major transport hub for Olympic rowing events this summer. Three lifts and a new footbridge were installed to provide step-free access between the station entrance and all six platforms.
Patrick Hallgate, Network Rail’s route managing director, said: “Thousands of people living and working in Slough rely on the railway every day. The improvements we’re making to the station will make life easier for everyone to use the train, especially those with reduced mobility or with young children, and is part of a wider effort to stimulate the local economy through better transport links.
“We know the 2012 Olympics will be an important time for Slough as spectators will be travelling to Eton Dorney as it is the venue
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Think ahead A
s part of the ‘Railways for All Strategy’, which was launched in 2006, there was
a need identifi ed to give disabled customers access to all platforms where no other safe alternative means of access is available, therefore leading to the provision of new ‘user- friendly’ footbridges, with obstacle-free lift access.
Part of the brief is to include entrance canopies at the lift doors to protect waiting customers during inclement weather. Clovis Canopies have installed canopies at a number of stations around the country for various main contractors.
As a rule Network Rail require where practical that these canopies project 1,500mm and in most cases want the canopies to be
‘cantilevered’ avoiding the need for columns. However, this in turn implies a considerable additional loading onto the lift structure housing: it is important to consider this at the outset of the project design stage, to accommodate the increased imposed loads.
Involving Clovis Canopies at an early stage, we can ensure the provision of suitable fi xings which can be incorporated as part of the main structure, therefore avoiding the potential issues that can arise when cantilever canopies are installed retrospectively.
Although the entrance canopies from Clovis have no major cost implication (starting prices are from £4,000 each fully installed), the potential logistical problems far outweigh the cost when left until the last minute. For
for the Rowing, Paralympic Rowing and Canoe Sprint events. The improvements at Slough are an example of the real legacy and investment that London 2012 is bringing beyond the capital.”
Slough’s deputy council leader, Cllr James Swindlehurst, said: “We want Slough to be an attractive destination for travellers, and arriving here to be pleasant and easy. Given that Slough railway station is a major transport hub for the Olympic rowing events at Eton Dorney, we hope the improvements to the station will offer an enhanced travelling experience to the thousands of spectators and athletes expected to visit the area.”
The accessibility works are part of a larger multi-million pound upgrade to the station, which has seen improvements to the station’s forecourt, a new customer information point, an upgraded ticket hall, waiting rooms and toilets. These works were delivered by Slough Borough Council and First Great Western.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
opinion@railtechnologymagazine.com
when installing lift shaft entrance canopies
Douglas Cox, Senior Contracts Manager at Clovis Canopies, explains the benefi ts of thinking ahead when installing lift shaft entrance canopies as part of the Department for Transport’s ‘Access for All’ programme in the railways sector.
example, on a recent project, Clovis Canopies supplied 2 No ‘Uxbridge’ cantilevered lift shaft entrance canopies that had to be installed retrospectively. This called for additional structural engineers’ involvement, leading not only to additional cost, but more importantly avoidable delays with regards to manufacture and installation.
In summary, if the provision of lifts requires door canopies to be installed, then ‘think ahead’ and involve Clovis Canopies at the design stage. Clovis Canopies will provide you with canopy details and fi xing requirements therefore saving you valuable time and associated cost.
FOR MORE INFORMATION T: 01622 873900
E:
sales@clovis-canopies.com rail technology magazine Jun/Jul 12 | 71
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