Charcon Specialist has completed its involvement in the £800 million restoration and modernisation programme at St Pancras International station, having supplied a range of pre-cast specialist rail products to construct new and existing platforms.
The 141-year-old Grade I listed building opened by HM The Queen on November 14th 2007 is the new international terminal for High Speed 1 (HS1) housing Eurostar services to Brussels and Paris and in 2009 high-speed domestic services. HS1 project manager and designer, Rail Link Engineering specified in excess of 1,500 metres of Charcon pre-cast concrete platform copings and supporting concrete sub copers in natural grey for main contractor CORBER to construct thirteen brand new platforms and refurbish six existing platforms.
James Gadher, Commercial Manager for Charcon Specialist, said: “As the gateway for the East Midlands, Paris, Brussels and Kent, St Pancras will be handling millions of passengers each year, so the products supplied had to be hardwearing. We’ve worked hard to manufacture a portfolio of products that ideally suited the demanding needs of the station and we believe our platform copings and sub copers combine the best in aesthetics and performance to create a unique environment
Product features
Utilising its expertise in off-site solutions and pre-cast concrete, Charcon Specialist manufactured the sub copers and copings in a series of ready to install pieces. This resulted in a quicker laying technique and gives a more uniform appearance along the length of the platform. The products feature a tactile surface to aid visually impaired passengers as well as an acid etched surface on exposed and front faces to improve slip resistance.
Charcon pre-painted the units with a white line to help passengers identify the edge of the platform which again reduced site preparation time. The flush finished surface will reduce wear and tear and provide a longer life before re-painting is necessary.