London Bridge concourse includes Stannah lifts.
A significant milestone was reached with the opening of an impressive portion of the London Bridge project in August 2016. Phase 2A of the project saw two thirds of the concourse; platforms 4, 5, 6, and 7 plus the extended terminus platform open to the public.
Six Stannah lifts have now been installed in this hugely challenging environment, with the Major Projects team moving mountains to ensure the deadlines were met.
Work began on-site in early 2015 after an additional two years of design and planning.
Installations so far are two 5000kg/66 person goods lifts, two 2500kg/33 person partially-glazed scenic passenger lifts, one part-glazed staff lift providing travel over 3 stops and one smaller part-glazed 1200kg/16 person passenger lift. Every one of these lifts is crucial to the smooth movement of people within the station.
The £1bn redevelopment of London Bridge Station is part of Network Rail’s railway upgrade plan and the government-sponsored Thameslink programme which will transform north-south travel through London by 2018. The programme includes new track and modern trains to provide more reliable journeys for passengers. Network Rail is also untangling the track on the approaches to London Bridge station to reduce the time trains wait for platforms to clear and cut delays. This non-stop hub is estimated to have 56 million passengers passing through in just one year.
Surveying the newly opened section of the concourse, Mark Carne, Network Rail’s chief executive said:
“This is a big step towards the bigger, better railway passengers deserve. The opening of two-thirds of the concourse marks a major milestone in the redevelopment of London Bridge and, while there is plenty still to do, I am pleased passengers can now see the benefits beginning to come through.
“We are essentially rebuilding Britain’s fourth busiest station – the tracks, the platforms and the infrastructure which enables trains to run – while keeping the station open and doing our best to keep passengers moving.”
The clients, Costain and Network Rail offered congratulations to the whole team with communication from the project manager saying:
“I hope the public will be wowed by the scale and finish of the station, but it is unlikely they will appreciate the tremendous effort that you have all put in to get the project to this point. The amount of work achieved every shift on this complex project has been truly staggering. The level of co-ordination and interface management has been extreme at times. These last few months have been particularly tough but you have been resolute and have delivered a fantastic result. In addition, performances by some of our team over the weekend were truly inspirational and ensured we opened in good order.
Whether you have been here from the beginning or are new to the project, a massive thank you for your hard work and dedication in our biggest triumph to date.”
Stannah has a further three partially-glazed scenic lifts to install in Phase 3 of the project during 2017. These will provide access in the Northern Concourse. The final overall project handover is due in 2018. Once complete, the redevelopment will provide passengers with a bigger, better railway, with improved connections from a concourse the size of the pitch at Wembley. This will include over 80 retail units for a spot of en-route shopping.
Ken Price, Major Projects Department Manager comments:
“This project to date has been extremely demanding. The station has been operational so many unsociable hours of working in difficult conditions have got us to this significant point. We are very pleased with the result so far and grateful to our client for the recognition received. The new part of this unique station is very impressive and will certainly make a huge difference to travellers through this constantly busy hub. After a celebration of our progress to date the team are ready for the challenge of the next phase.”
Stannah resume work on London Bridge Phase 3 later in this, their 150th anniversary year. Joseph Stannah began the company making cranes, hoists and then lifts on London’s dockside in 1867 and it is still a family owned and run Brtish business.
To place this in history:
1836: London Bridge station opened measuring 60ft wide x 400ft long
1843: The Thames Tunnel which was constructed in 1843 by Sir Marc Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
1863: London opened the world’s first underground railway – the Metropolitan Railway
1869: the first steam train travelled through Brunel’s Thames Tunnel