News & Media > Rail Services

28:01:2010

Transforming London's Victoria Station

May Gurney is approaching the halfway stage of a major project to transform Victoria Station in London, on behalf of Network Rail.

The £24m roof renewal project will prolong the life of the 146-year-old Grade II listed structure by another 75 years.

In addition to re-cladding and re-glazing the roof, May Gurney is repairing and re-painting the roof steelwork, improving the underground drainage system and providing new M&E (mechanical & electrical) services to create a brighter and safer environment for the 350,000 people who use the station on a daily basis.

A major milestone was achieved in December 2009 when the scaffold protection deck was completed.

John Wilkinson, managing director of May Gurney Rail and Project Services, said: “This massive structure allows us to work over the live tracks without disrupting the station activities below.

“Blasting and painting works to the main roof barrels have commenced in earnest and the M&E renewal works are progressing well.”

While the works are now progressing rapidly on all fronts, the majority of the construction works during the initial phase of the project were restricted to Network Rail possession periods, usually only 3-4 hours each night. Maximum productivity required meticulous planning and detailed coordination with Network Rail operational staff.

Ewan Barr, May Gurney operations manager, said: “We overcame this, in part, by assembling sections of the scaffold protection deck on a purpose built gantry during the dayshift and then rolling them into position during the night time possessions.

“This was a major engineering challenge but the effort has been rewarded when you see the end product.”

While safety is very much the number one priority on the scheme, it is absolutely critical that works do not adversely affect the smooth running of the station. To this end, May Gurney is working very closely with Network Rail to ensure that works are coordinated and agreed on a daily basis.

May Gurney is aiming to complete the majority of the works in 2010, but significant challenges still have to be overcome.

The protection deck can only support a very light loading and every operation with the construction sequence – scaffolding, demolition, encapsulation, painting, steelwork, cladding and glazing - must be planned so that the load is not exceeded.

Working in the centre of London, adjacent to hotels and residential housing, imposes severe noise limits on the project. While a Section 61 Agreement with Westminster City Council is in place, it is a testament to the whole team that several thousand tonnes of scaffolding have been installed with no major disruption or complaints from neighbours.

The condition of the existing roof steelwork is not known and only after removing the existing coats of lead based paint can it be fully inspected, assessed and repaired. Working closely with design partner WSP, May Gurney has seconded an engineer into the project team to minimise the time impact associated with any structural repair.

Click here to read more about May Gurney's work in partnership with Network Rail.