08.11.2006

St Pancras refurb on track

The £500 million refurbishment to St Pancras station - including the famous Barlow shed - is well underway. This is the structure's first revamped since it was built in 1871, and work includes repairs to World War II bomb damage and reinstating the historic roof.

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Once CORBER - the joint venture between Costain, Laing O'Rourke, Bachy and Emcor Rail - has completed the contract, Eurostar trains will move from their current base at Waterloo to St Pancras and will journey through Stratford and Ebbsfleet. The new link is due to open in the autumn of 2007 and should reduce journey times between the UK, Brussels and Paris.

Included in the refurbishment is a new train deck extension to hold extra platforms. The existing Grade II listed Barlow shed - St Pancras's original 30m high platform concourse - is also being refurbished and its platforms are being extended to the length required for international trains.

To complete the work, Nationwide Access has between 30 and 95 machines on site at any one time including a 20 ft lift for tunnelling works; a 80 ft spider and a 125ft boom for high level works to the roof.