A 90-tonne steel structure has been craned into Port Glasgow station as part of Network Rail’s work to improve accessibility for passengers.
Network Rail and Story engineers worked through the night to install the two-storey footbridge and lift towers. The structure was delivered to the park-and-ride car park at Higholm Avenue, before being craned section at a time into position.
At 16m tall, and weighing more than 25 tonnes, the lift tower for Platform 2 was the longest and heaviest section to be installed. When complete, it will provide a step-free route from Platform 2, over the railway to Platform 1 as well as higher access to the Highholm Avenue car park.
Approximately 5,750 hours went into the offsite design and fabrication of the structure, with it containing 2,369 different steel components, 1,000 fixing bolts, and 13 lifts to complete the steel installation.
Laura Craig, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said, “Delivering a structure of this size onto the platform is a huge achievement. We’ve worked collaboratively with our principal contractor Story while liaising with Inverclyde Council to ensure this was done safely and on time.
“Working through the night provides the safest environment for our teams to work in and causes the least disruption for passengers. There is still a lot of work to do before passengers will be able to use the footbridge and the lifts, but we hope everyone living nearby and using the station is pleased with the progress and we thank them once again for their patience and understanding throughout the project.”
The project has been funded by the Access for All (AfA) scheme, with contributions from Inverclyde Council, and is designed to make it easier for people with impaired mobility or those travelling with luggage, children, or bicycles to access the platforms.
Part of the design was to provide new uncovered ramped access to the station entrance at Princes Street, with modern railings, new lighting, and a CCTV system.
