Octavius is undertaking a ground-breaking accessibility project at Pokesdown Station. What sets the project apart is the reuse of existing assets – two goods lifts – rather than creating new structures to make the Bournemouth station fully accessible to all customers.
The £7 million project is being delivered for South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, Octavius is principal contractor. The original design envisaged constructing a pair of new lifts. Octavius demonstrated the more sustainable option of repurposing two redundant goods lifts to carry passengers was a viable, cost-effective solution.
“We made a creative assessment of the design and the station’s potential and saw an opportunity to achieve the accessibility goals without constructing new structures,” said Nick Freeman, Project Manager, Octavius.
The lift shafts’ foundations, steelwork and cladding all need to be renewed before the new cars can be installed. New motor rooms will be constructed and the station’s power supply upgraded. New walkways will provide access from lift to platform. Completion is scheduled for early 2028. Creative use of existing structures during the accessibility project extends to refurbishing an empty retail unit adjacent to the station for use, initially, as the site office and welfare. Post project the space will be taken over by South West Rail for use as a community centre and coffee shop.
In a separate project Octavius is also constructing Pokesdown’s new substation. Accessibility for both projects is made challenging by the station’s busy urban surroundings and the location in a deep cutting. The abnormal possessions required to enable both projects are being carefully co-ordinated, and combined where possible, to minimise disruption.
Octavius is delivering both the accessibility and substation projects in its role as a delivery partner on the Southern Renewals Enterprise, the UK’s first enterprise delivery/Project 13 programme for railway renewals.
In addition to standalone accessibility projects such as Pokesdown, Octavius also has a national portfolio of more than 35 Access for All projects. This makes the company, arguably, one of the UK’s most experienced accessibility scheme delivery partners.