Architecture
Architectural services and design management solutions for smart, sustainable buildings.
Infrastructure
Ilford Train Maintenance Depot
We supported Volker Fitzpatrick to win and deliver a Design & Build contract for major depot remodelling work to accommodate the Crossrail trains.
The existing Ilford train Maintenance Depot was selected as a key train servicing and stabling site to the east of central London for trains on the new Crossrail/Elizabeth Line route.
Key details
Project name
Ilford Train Maintenance Depot
Client
Volker Fitzpatrick
Location
Ilford, East London
Services provided:
- Architectural design
- Structural design
- Design coordination
Challenge
The scope of work involved design and construction of:
- a new replacement Paintshop
- a new Logistics & Stores Building
- a new Operations and Welfare Building
Works included major internal modification and refurbishment of an existing large train maintenance building. Meeting the Crossrail requirements for this was a significant challenge.
Detailed requirements for the new buildings had been agreed between Crossrail and the existing depot operator. The design needed to permit complex phasing to allow existing depot operations to continue, and the spaces available were tightly constrained.
Depot operational processes needed to be thoroughly understood to ensure that the movement of people, trains and road vehicles could be conducted safely. Fire escape provisions and access for building maintenance were particularly challenging issues, along with fitting all the operational requirements into the existing train maintenance building.
Solution
Providing all of the architectural and structural design for the project, we developed safe and practical solutions to train roof access requirements within the new Paintshop.
We carried out a detailed analysis of the various train class and unit configurations that needed to be accommodated. We developed schematic layouts to demonstrate how all the required equipment (e.g., train jacks and train roof access platforms) could be accommodated whilst also ensuring safe fire escape routes were maintained.
Despite the limited available headroom, we demonstrated how train lifting for underframe equipment removal could work well and developed safe dimensional and procedural designs for access to the train roofs.
