The nature of stations being upgraded under Access for All (AfA) schemes inevitably brings complexity. Space within the station estate and on platforms is often constrained. There may also be heritage considerations. The risk of costs and project timings escalating is ever-present.
Efficiency and cost-control always matter. With AfA schemes, there’s an added incentive: having seen the benefits and impact on people’s lives being realised over multiple successful projects – there’s a desire to deliver more.
Keeping budgets and timings under a firm grip means more schemes can be completed using finite resources.
Stretching Resources
On top of the foundations of solid project management practice, the three main keys to staying on track and making resources stretch further are innovation, product standardisation, and early engagement with specialists and stakeholders.
One of our earliest AfA programmes was at Godalming Station. Despite numerous complications thrown at us by the age, size and heritage status of the station, we completed the project four weeks ahead of schedule and within budget.
Shared Understanding
Workshops and walk-throughs with the Route Asset Managers (RAM) and the TOC made sure there was a clear and shared definition of the desired outcomes from the outset. Intelligent design modifications simplified both project delivery and future maintenance. Extensive use of offsite fabrication for the stairs, lifts and overbridge simplified delivery and minimised disruption.
These core elements establish the blueprint for on-time and on-budget delivery: simplifying wherever possible and being certain about what good looks like before we start.
Innovation
Innovation has the capacity to deliver benefits across all project phases and from the earliest stages. Track access for traditional station surveys can take months to arrange. Octavius deployed Sensat’s UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technology to survey four London stations prior to the AfA schemes.
Data-rich surveys were completed in just two days to create 3D cloud point models for new station enhancements and potentially digital twins for future planned maintenance. Drones made the survey process 60% cheaper and four times as fast as traditional surveys, while delivering more detailed survey data over a larger area.
AfA schemes deliver enormous benefits – both directly in terms of increased passenger numbers, and indirectly through inclusion, economic growth and reduced congestion. Delivering the maximum benefit to as many people and communities as possible imposes a duty to be ruthless about efficiency and cost control.
Find out more at our AfA resource area.
