Beacon status for safe, considerate working at Stanmore station

Tony McNulty MP presents award to Tube Lines construction team

 

The project team carrying our infrastructure improvement works at Stanmore station in readiness for the installation of the new Jubilee line signalling system in 2009 has been recognised as a model for safe working. The site, where a third platform is being constructed to increase reversing capability at Stanmore to enable the provision of a more frequent train service, was named a beacon site by Steve Connell, head of projects health, safety and environment for Tube Lines.  The award was presented today by Tony McNulty MP for Harrow East.

Tube Lines introduced its beacon site scheme to help ensure all work at its project sites and maintenance depots is undertaken safely and considerately with respect to its neighbours. It is based around the Considerate Constructors Scheme but demands even higher standards and has additional requirements because of the potentially hazardous rail environment.

Any site can seek beacon status by demonstrating excellence in six areas:

1.      Safety – this looks at all aspects of site activity and the promotion of care, consideration and safety of all personnel, visitors and the general public. Safety training and its impact are measured.

2.      Environment – noise from construction operations and employees must be minimised and effective measures adopted to reduce waste, recycle and protect local wildlife.

3.      Cleanliness – all aspects of the site must be kept clean and tidy.

4.      Consideration – this looks at the impact of our work on others, including our neighbours, the general public and people working at or visiting the site.

5.      Management and values – paperwork must be completed properly and team members demonstrate a safe working ethos.

6.      Site specific – the scheme is flexible so can demand special requirements for each site.

The work at Stanmore, which started back in October 2004, is in support of the major upgrade of the Jubilee line involving the installation of a new signalling system that will provide London Underground with the capability to increase the number of trains per hour resulting in shorter waiting times on platforms. Journey times will also be reduced.  Currently it takes 49.4 minutes to get to Canary Wharf from Stanmore station.  Once the upgrade is complete in 2009 the passenger journey time between these two destinations will be reduced by over five minutes.

To support this major upgrade, the team at Stanmore are constructing a third platform and train berth to the west side of the station. This will provide the increased reversing capability required to run a more frequent train service. This additional platform requires the team to cut back the bottom of the embankment to the west of the station by about ten metres and construct retaining structures along the cut face of the embankment. The team are a long way ahead in this programme of work; the construction of the platform structure is now complete including buildings for a waiting room, driver’s facilities and equipment rooms. The track bed and 419 sleepers have also been installed for the new track into the platform. Currently the paving is being laid to form the platform surface and work has commenced to landscape the slope above the new platform where the site access road is being removed. The next phase of the project is the steel frame and cladding to form the canopy.

All works, including the commissioning of all equipment and track, will be finished by 2009 in time for the new signalling system to become operational. The station refurbishment, due to be completed by 2010, has been brought forward and will also be undertaken this year.

Passenger capacity on the Jubilee line has already been increased by 17% when Tube Lines converted all existing Jubilee line trains from six to seven carriages in length back in early 2006.

Tony McNulty MP, who presented the beacon award, said:

“I am looking forward to the upgrade of the Jubilee line in 2009 and this project is a hugely important contribution. I am really impressed with the progress made and pleased that the team on site has had such a good safety record. I am delighted to present them with this award and look forward to seeing the project completed in the coming months. In the end I know it will make a real difference to my constituents.”

Steve Connell, head of projects health, safety and environment for Tube Lines, said:

“The team at Stanmore has worked hard to win beacon status and is an example for all people working in rail or construction. This is a heavy civil engineering project taking place alongside an active railway and the excellent safety record of the team is a tribute to their dedication and commitment. We will capitalise on their expertise and ensure best practice is shared around Tube Lines.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Press office, Tube Lines: 020 7088 4848 / 07843 551 589

Notes to Editors

1. Tube Lines is responsible for the maintenance and upgrade of the infrastructure on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. London Underground is responsible for operating the Underground, for employing drivers and station staff, for ticketing and fares, and for the Tube’s safety regime.
2. The Tube Lines consortium consists of two shareholders – Amey and Bechtel. They bring together some of the most experienced providers of business services with specialist skills in the rail industry, including track and signal renewals, plus project and operational management. They are providing some of the best project and operational managers from around the world to work on the modernisation of the Tube system. Amey owns two-thirds of Tube Lines’ business and Bechtel one third.

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