Media centre

Friday 14 Aug 2009

PUTTING A LID ON WALKDEN STATION

Region & Route:

Work has started on a £120,000 scheme by Network Rail to renew several separate roof areas of Walkden station on the Manchester to Wigan railway line through Atherton. The work is expected to take 12 weeks to complete and be finished in early November.

Patrick Cawley, Network Rail’s territory buildings engineer, said: “The building is unusual in that it has several flat or pitched roofs over different parts of the station. This make the work a bit more complicated, which is why it will take three months to complete.”

Gardens at the station are looked after by the Friends of Walkden Station (FOWS) and Network Rail is working with them to ensure no damage is caused to the plants during the work.

FOWS secretary Neil Stapleton added: “FOWS are delighted this important repair work is underway as leaking rain water has been a problem for staff and passengers alike - particularly since the roof leading was stolen last year. We're also grateful that Network Rail is carrying out the repairs in sympathy with the hammerbeam roof above the main booking hall which has significant historic and architectural merit."

The station was opened on 1 July 1888 and the buildings that make up the station today are the original structures. The island platform is built on an embankment, with steps leading up to it from the ticket office, which is on a mezzanine level. This in turn, has steps leading up from Walkden Road outside the station.

The roof covering, glazing and decking over the station entrance is to be completely stripped off and replaced with a polycarbonate (or plastic) roof system.

A storeroom adjacent to it will have its roof covering completely removed and any rot in the roof timbers will be treated before new timbers, felt and battens are installed ready to take new fibre cement slates. These slates will be coloured blue/black and textured to match existing natural slates.

The floor of the storeroom will also be removed and new joists put in position so that a new vinyl-covered floor, complete with trap door access to the under-floor area and drainage system, can be laid. The lighting will also be upgraded.

The ticket office and booking hall will be similarly re-roofed, after the chimneys, which are redundant, have been taken down, and will have a laminated glass skylight. Glazing and flashing on the steps leading up to the platform will be repaired to make them watertight.

Finally, where the roofs of the ticket office and stairs emerge above the platform level, they are surrounded by steel fencing to prevent anyone climbing onto them. An access gate will be inserted into the fencing for use by rail staff carrying out future maintenance work.

The main canopy over the station platforms is in a good state of repair and will not require any work.