Lancaster Train Station

The Project

Health and safety is a top priority for Nationwide Platforms and on behalf of Network Rail, we worked alongside AmcoGiffen, a trusted partner of choice for the design and delivery of engineering, construction and maintenance services. Together, the partners embarked on a large-scale maintenance project.

The project was set up to review 175 different train stations to ensure their outbuildings and infrastructure, are maintained and meet health and safety standards, as well as helping to conserve and protect a number of stations which contain buildings of historical significance.

Lancaster Train Station was one of the latest buildings to undergo a survey.


 

The Challenge

Many railway stations have been around for hundreds of years, and over time these buildings experience natural wear and tear due to environmental and human impact. To maintain the structural integrity of these buildings and ensure they continue to be the safest possible thoroughfares for public use, they require regular comprehensive inspections.

As each location has its own unique layout and building structure, finding the correct machine to provide the safest method to inspect each train station was of paramount importance.

The Solution

Nationwide Platforms and AmcoGiffen put together a team that worked tirelessly to ensure the project was delivered smoothly. Specialist vehicles were all hand selected from our wide range by Ciaran Doyle, SV Surveyor North West to ensure the right lift or truck was suitable for the task at hand. Nationwide’s Serena Hawkes and Calleigh Turner were on hand to ensure our Fleet and Operations Teams kept our trucks and tracked booms on multiple sites throughout the project.

The selection process of the correct specialist powered access platform was meticulous, ensuring all hazards and concerns were addressed and accommodated. Nationwide’s Business Development Manager, for Energy and Infrastructure Daniel Cardwell, met with AmcoGiffen’s Site Manager Graham Ridgway, working on behalf of Network Rail, to oversee the machine working in its capacity to keep the inspector and machine operator safe while they completed the inspection of the station roof.

The recent inspection of Lancaster Train Station saw the Bronto T50JB truck mounted platform being used to aid the safe surveyance of the station’s roof, gable ends and chimneys. The T50JB Bronto provides a working height of up to 50m and a safe working load of up to 600KG. Whilst the maximum height of the Bronto was not required for this particular station, it was the perfect machine to allow multiple operators/surveyors in the basket to ensure the works could be completed efficiently and safely. Due to the location, gradient and intricate movements required to inspect and survey this station, a Network Rail Surveyor, Colin Sangster, was also on site. Colin was present in the basket with Nationwide’s operator to ensure all the chimneys, gable ends and parapets were inspected to the required standard.

The Benefits

The project is set to complete at the end of August 2022, but has put in place a new standard for the surveyance and upkeep of train station infrastructure for future health and safety maintenance.

Graham Ridgway, AmcoGiffen Site Manager explained: “The service has been excellent from Nationwide Platforms. The amount of work completed in the background from co-ordinating the project, to obtaining permissions from Network Rail, to scheduling the works which regularly changed, Nationwide have supported AmcoGiffen in making this a very successful project.

“As a result of the success of this project, I’m happy to confirm we will look to continue our strong working relationship and I’m confident this is the first of many projects in which AmcoGiffen and Nationwide Platforms will be working together.”

Daniel Cardwell, Business Development Manager - Energy and Infrastructure, said: “Managing major projects is something we specialise in. The key to this project was our collaboration both internally and with our customer AmcoGiffen and Network Rail. Our great working relationship enabled us to communicate effectively and efficiently.

“With our great level of understanding and expertise on rail projects, it’s been a pleasure working alongside Graham, and the team at AmcoGiffen and Network Rail. It was fantastic to see our specialist mounted Bronto truck at Lancaster Station recently.”