Spencer Group has welcomed members of a local community group to Wemyss Bay Station in Scotland to explore the works it is undertaking.
Six members from Friends of Wemyss Bay Station were invited on a three-hour tour of the historic station where Spencer is undertaking a series of delicate refurbishment works including the refurbishment of platform canopies, refurbishment of the concourse roof and installation of a new access system to canopies.
Spencer Project Manager David Field dubbed the visit a success after his team was praised by the community group.
“We were delighted to welcome Friends of Wemyss Bay to the station and we had some very positive feedback from all involved. We have worked closely with the group and its members from day one of the project to keep them regularly updated with how the works are progressing,” he said.
“The tour started with our colleague James Allison showing the Spencer induction video followed by a visitor’s induction. Rob Ring then gave all visitors a daily briefing describing the activities currently being undertaken.
“Prior to the site tour I explained the scope of the works being undertaken and challenges we have faced to date, along with some details of the specifications we are working to, which particularly interested the visitors.”
David, Rob and Network Rail scheme project manager Graeme Thomson then took the party on a tour of all areas of the site which included the car park canopy roof, platform 0 roof and scaffold accesses to all canopies.
David said: “All of the visitors were particularly interested to hear about the project challenges and even the extent of how we developed the scaffold temporary works design which allows the station to remain operational during the works.
“At the end of the tour the party was exceptionally complimentary about the work we are doing and were delighted to have had such an intrusive visit. One of the group commented to Rob that she was privileged to have had a once in a lifetime opportunity to get onto the roof of their station.”
In an email to Graeme, Friends of Wemyss Bay member Nancy Cameron said: “Thank you very much for your time and trouble arranging for our group to have a tour of the work being done at the station. It was an interesting and enlightening experience and quite an eye-opener for all of us, and I am not referring only to the views from those positions. Please convey our thanks also to the Spencer team for their patience and consideration, they were all very good ambassadors for their company.”
Members of the group also took to social media to express their feelings following the visit.
An update reading ‘Admins Simon and Brenda were privileged to be in a group of six Station Friends given a guided tour of the extensive (and expensive) restoration work currently being carried out on Wemyss Bay Station’ was posted on the group’s Facebook page along with the photo below.
Works complete to date include all car park canopy roofing works as well as the scaffold and encapsulation to the canopy.
Spencer is continuing roofing works on Platform 1 and Platform 2 and scaffold erection on Platform 0, 1 and 2 is well underway. Blasting and painting works are continuing to progress well within the car park canopy.
The remaining works include installation of a new access system to the canopies, refurbishment of the concourse roof, other miscellaneous building works, both internally and externally, and the added actions on the back of inspections completed after works began, as outlined above.
Wemyss Bay Station in Inverclyde is a Listed Building designed by James Miller in 1903 for the Caledonian Railway. It incorporates the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry terminal, connecting mainland Scotland to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.
Spencer will continue to consult with Friends of Wemyss Bay Station to update them on the works throughout the project.
