Elmstead Woods Station Refurbishments

About the project

Elmstead Woods Station was one of several stations scheduled for minor refurbishment works to upgrade the passenger experience. The works involved a number of safety enhancements, including the addition of tactile paving on the platforms and platform resurfacing. These works were contracted to Enable Infrastructure (formerly BCM Construction) under the CAPEX framework for Network Rail (South East).

Enable Design (formerly known as Equate Design) were engaged to provide survey and design services for the works at the station.

At Elmstead Woods Station, additional issues were raised with regard to the existing dished drainage channel on Platform 1. This presented a tripping hazard to persons accessing the platform from the footbridge; furthermore, it was reported that during heavy rain, ponding of water was observed.

An additional dished channel to the rear of the platform at the London End was also scheduled for replacement.

The challenge

The initial scope called for the dished platform drainage channels to be replaced with covered ACO channels which were to utilise the existing below-ground drainage outlet points. Following a topographical survey and on-site investigations of the existing drainage, it was determined that a section of the channel by the footbridge fell away from the outlet, and the channel at the London End discharged down the platform ramp into the cess. This therefore required a more detailed hydraulic design than initially envisaged, but to the same tight deadline.

The solution

Multiple options were considered and designed, including for soakaways, which were discounted due to spatial constraints including existing buried HV cables. In the end, further intrusive investigations of the wider existing drainage network were undertaken, and suitable connection points identified that the new drainage could be connected to.

The Team

• Project Manager
• Engineering Manager
• Civil Engineer
• Survey Engineer

The deliverables

• Topographical Survey – prior to any design works, the existing site was surveyed to determine the extent of the existing drainage channel, manhole locations and existing falls.
• Visual and intrusive investigation of the existing drainage network.
• Buried service identification and tracing.
• Coordination with the client regarding allowable surface water discharges.
• Hydraulic design of surface water ACO channels and new surface water drainage runs, future-proofed by considering enhanced storm intensities.

Coordinated design, including resurfacing and new tactiles along platform edge.

Outputs & Benefits

Public safety: Removal of a significant tripping hazard in an area subject to high pedestrian flow should reduce the number of safety incidents at the station.

Flood prevention: Incidence of ponding of water at this location should alleviate crowding issues (caused by people avoiding standing water) and improve customer satisfaction at the station.