Package 707 consists of three separate ‘Access for All’ schemes at three stations – Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Leighton Buzzard.
Hemel Hempstead
Works have progressed well this month and all the three lift shafts are now excavated. Spencer Rail is currently breaking through the subway walls to connect the new lift shafts to the existing subway.
Work is also ongoing to install reinforced concrete walls to the lift shafts.
Richard Wason, Project Director at Spencer Rail, said: “There was a full station shut down at the end of March so that the power supply could be changed from the existing one to the new supply.
“There remains a number of engineering challenges and we are working closely with our client to get the most beneficial in terms of cost and technical solution.”
Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard station has taken a huge step forward as the structural steel lift shafts to all three platforms have been lifted into place.
This lift, which was cancelled on a number of occasions due to high winds, involved a Saturday night possession of all lines on the North West mainline.
The remaining four crane lifts to erect the remainder of the footbridge are programmed in for May.
Brickwork to all the lift shafts is also advancing as the temporary scaffolding has been designed to allow the bricklayers to work in a safe environment and not impact on the rail infrastructure or passengers.
Berkhamsted Station
Berkhamsted Station has moved forward with good progress on two of the three platforms.
Platform 1 – Spencer Rail’s team experienced some unforeseen ground conditions below the station building and engineered a mini piled solution to overcome this, allowing the piles to be driven within the building on nights. With these now complete the reinforced lift shaft can commence.
Platform 2/3 – excavation works to the lift pit are now down to subway level. This has been a complicated operation which involved supporting adjacent structures and the existing subway as work advanced, while working only a few metres from the fast and slow lines of the North West main line.
Richard said: “As always our focus has been to work safely and we have received excellent feedback from our client on a number of visits.
“Our liaison with the train operating company has been good and passenger interface is another Spencer priority which has been well managed on these schemes.”
