Once in a Generation Grade I Railway Station Roof Refurb

THE ONCE in a generation railway station roof refurb at Huddersfield station continues almost a year to the day since work began.

The work is part of the overall Transpennine Route Upgrade. Huddersfield station is a key transport hub for the North and bringing it up to modern standards whilst preserving the cultural heritage of the Grade I listed building is a particular challenge, says Network Rail.

Station Roof Refurb

Huddersfield station has of the few remaining ‘Euston style’ roofs on the operational railway today. Its trainshed canopy is being carefully preserved over platforms one and four. Scaffold towers and a raised working platform are currently in place to enable the team to carry out this work, which is said to be progressing well.

The raised platform has been encapsulated and includes sound proofing measures to reduce disruption to train services, passengers and neighbours.

Works to date include grit blasting to remove rust and old paint, steelwork repairs and painting at the Manchester end of the roof canopy. The roof coverings have now been removed in this location and needle-gunning is taking place to further clean the roof canopy. Grit blasting has concluded on the Leeds end of the enclosed roof canopy, with steel strengthening and repair now taking place on this section.

A new lantern structure will also be reinstated along the length of the roof to replicate the original which had been removed some time ago.

Grade II Tearoom

Another project that has been meticulously carried out within the historic station structure is the dismantling of the Grade II listed tearoom on the island platform – built in 1886 – ahead of its slight relocation.

Primarily consisting of timber match-boarded panels – making it one of the few remaining timber railway buildings still in use – it was recently taken down in 8,000 different pieces and is now being carefully stored before being reinstated on the remodelled platform.

The relocation of the tearoom was necessary to accommodate the station re-design, and its accessibility and prominence on the platform is to be enhanced by rotating it 180 degrees upon reinstatement.

Iconic Roof Canopy

Chris Nutton, Major Projects at TransPennine Express, said: “The work at Huddersfield really shows what TRU is all about, with major upgrades across the board, like the restoration of the iconic roof canopy, but also with train operating companies, Network Rail and specialist contractors all working hand in hand to transform this historic station.

“I couldn’t be more excited about the changes we will see happen over the years to come. These changes will truly benefit our customers and make our 177-year-old station ready for its next chapter.”

Given the scale of work, a purpose-built office compound was recently opened with capacity for over 450 people across 5 floors and 26,000ft² of space. Extra care has been taken to minimise the impact on the local community and environment; parking has been arranged off site with shuttle buses to the compound ensuring fewer vehicles on the nearby roads, all lighting runs on PIR sensors which turn off at night to minimise light pollution, and access barriers are solar powered to lessen noise pollution.

Just to the north of the station at Hillhouse, TRU will build a light maintenance depot and future freight site to replace the current station sidings.

Upgrades to the station roof and tearoom, coupled with a new depot, will enable TRU to increase the number of railway lines and to reconstruct platforms. The works will allow more frequent, faster trains to run through Huddersfield, improving connections to Manchester, Leeds and York.

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