Waterloo Automatic Ticket Gates Enabling Works

Description of Works

The contract involved carrying out all enabling works for the installation of automatic ticket barriers at Waterloo station.

The scope of the works consisted of the following:

• Carry out detailed design works
• Temporarily re-locate public information services
• Demolish and remove retail units and existing ticket barriers
• Divert services
• Install new steelwork, brickwork and superstructure works
• Establish new service routes and cable ducting.
• Install new public address system, fire alarms, barrier utilities, enhanced lighting, and mechanical equipment.
• Install modern finishes to platform, retail units, ticket barriers, staircases, columns
• Install 80 CCTV cameras for enhanced security and congestion management
• Install 135 automated barriers
• Formation of a new gate line control room within the WICC
• Integrate with other asset renewal works
• Test and commission

Waterloo Station is a major London Terminal. 1,700 train services depart each day. There are 100 million ticket usages per annum (300,000 per day).

Murphy was the principal contractor and carried out all design and install co-ordination, which included liaison with the following:

• Network Rail (Client)
• South West Trains (Operator)
• Department of Transport
• London Underground
• Principal Barrier Contractor
• Station Supervisor
• Murphy’s Subcontractors (17nr)
• Murphy’s Design Consultant

There were a substantial number of contractors covering the whole spectrum of civils and building works, which Murphy was tasked with managing and co-ordinating. The key to success was having experienced and enthusiastic staff to manage the process and effectively communicate at all levels.

A number of problems were encountered on site, including:

• The discovery of unrecorded asbestos fire proofing above the concourse gate line resulted in a five month delay in order to deal with the contamination.
• Unidentified services were found during the work, some of which required diversions and re-routing
• Conceptual design changes

Murphy was able to mitigate all of the above by working additional hours and/or making design changes, so that we were able to meet our clients’ overriding objective to complete by Christmas 2008. To achieve this Murphy completed the programme in four months instead of nine months.

Murphy instigated changes to the cladding, from vitreous enamel to powder coated steelwork, thereby achieving a lighter structure and producing a product without the use of ‘heavy metals’, thus providing a more environmentally friendly cladding system.

The base of the columns traditionally had a circular stainless steel bar at kicker level to act as a bump rail to prevent impact damage from station equipment. However this was a potential hazard to the travelling public as a tripping hazard. Murphy developed a design of cladding to columns that had the impact zone included and therefore with no protrusions from the face of the cladding. This reduced the risk of tripping whilst still providing impact protection to the columns.

Upon completion the ticket barrier is over 200m long providing the longest gate line in Europe.

The station remained fully operational throughout the work and there were no disruptions to train services.

It was generally acknowledged that teamwork and commitment from all parties concerned played a key role in the delivery of this project with minimal disruption to all stakeholders including the station and general public

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