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Friday 17 Oct 2003

NETWORK RAIL RAISES THE ROOF AT WATERLOO

Region & Route:

National

| Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Passengers using Waterloo Station are benefiting from a lighter, airy and more modern platform environment, which is all down to a brand new station roof, Network Rail revealed today. The new roof, delivered in partnership with international engineering company AMEC, was marked by an opening ceremony attended by John Armitt, Chief Executive, Network Rail, Richard Bowker, Chairman and Chief Executive, SRA, Deborah Richards, Director Railway Estates, Network Rail and Sir Peter Mason, Chief Executive, AMEC. Waterloo Station is owned and managed by Network Rail and has one of the largest train shed roofs in Europe, measuring 28,000 sq m, which is the equivalent to over seven football pitches.  The mammoth engineering project took two years to complete and during that time over 24,000 panes of glass and 19km of guttering were fitted and 675 tonnes of trusses were cleaned and repainted. Delivering the new roof without causing disruption to the 200,000 or more passengers who pass through Waterloo daily was of paramount importance.  This was achieved by constructing a deck underneath the roof to enable work to be carried out safely, whilst trains continued to operate below as normal. In addition to the provision of a much brighter and drier environment, passengers are also benefiting from the refurbishment of the end of platform canopies and the addition of new lighting along the platforms. - more - Waterloo – 2 The project was mindful of environmental considerations and used environmentally friendly low-solvent-based paints and timber from sustainable sources.  The new platform lighting is energy efficient and waste from the project was recycled where possible.  Deborah Richards, Director Railway Estates, Network Rail said: “Regenerating the roof at Waterloo has resulted in much improved platforms and travelling environment for passengers. Network Rail is continuing its task of rebuilding the railway and has quite literally raised the standard of the roof at Waterloo for the millions who use the station each year.” Sir Peter Mason, AMEC chief executive, said: “AMEC is committed to working with Network Rail to maintain and improve the UK’s rail infrastructure. This contract highlights how a successful partnership style approach can deliver real value on such a challenging and complex project.”