Project Case Study: Norwich Crown Point Depot Upgrade

Client/Organization: Taylor Woodrow

Project Duration: August 2017 – September 2022

Project Design Value: £1.5M (PBH Design Value)

Project Implementation Value: £40M

The Crown Point Depot project comprises of the conversion and extension of the existing facilities to provide servicing, maintenance and stabling for a new fleet of Stadler trains.

To provide upgraded maintenance facilities for a new fleet of 58 Flirt Bi-Mode trains. The project included the requirement for:-
• 6 No. new stabling sidings and associated walkways and lighting in the disused Wensum Sidings, adjacent to Norwich Crown Point Depot.
• Extension of existing Depot Maintenance sheds.
• Provision of special High-Level Walkways/Access Gantries.
• Provision bogie turntables.
• Provision of a new Bogie Drop pit.
• Upgraded Carriage Wash facility.
• New Lifting Jacks.
• New Overhead Hoist.

Our scope was to provide the following:-
• Topographical, laser scanning and drainage surveys for the project.
• Permanent Way Design.
• OHL Design.
• Signalling & Earthing and Bonding design (provided by Kilborn Consulting as a Sub-Contractor to PBH) .
• Collaboration with Civils, E&P, depot protection designers and depot operations.

Matt Chilton – Survey Manager
Chris Hewitt – Lead Surveyor
Jonny Morrison – Lead Survey Processor
Chris Carrick – Project lead for PBH Rail and CRE-D for the track design
Grant Price – Senior Designer Track
Joe Sheasby – Track Designer
Craig Atkin – CRE-D for the OLE Design
Kester Witt – OLE Designer
Paul McSharry – CRE-D Signalling
Damy Balogun – CRE-D Earthing and Bonding

Key Challenges on the project were:-
• Interfacing with a large number of different disciplines to ensure required clearance to all rolling stock was achieved.
• Significant changes to scope throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensuring sufficient stabling was available for old and new stock during the transition from the old fleet to the new.
• Interface with the new High-Level Gantries and providing required clearances.
• Re-use of existing non-standard AV switch unit on entrance to Wensum Sidings.
• Selection of Buffer Stops.
• Interface with OLE contact wire and new overhead hoist.

Working with the Client BIM Model to review clash detection and ensure gauge clearence.
• Providing revised design to meet scope changes to challenging timescales.
• Detailed review of options carried out with the client and depot operations team to ensure all stabling requirements were met and stabling plan completed.
• Gauging assessments and design reviews with civils and operations team to ensure clearances achieved and risks managed with stepping off the High-Level Gantries onto the train roof.
• Carried out detailed buffer stop risk assessments leading to change in buffer stop solution and significant cost savings.
• Provided design of off-set OLE contact wire position to avoid any clashes with new overhead hoist.

All milestones for our survey and design deliverables were met enabling the timely interface with all other disciplines allowing issue of AFC design and construction works to start on programme.

Laser Scanning & Point Cloud.
BIM

Providing all our deliverables to programme enabled the project to progress as required and meet the desired output.

Our flexibility to meet the challenging demands of significant scope changes on this project was fully appreciated by the Client and helped them control cost and programme challenges for Greater Anglia trains and the successful introduction of the new fleet of trains on the Anglia region.