Bath Spa Station - GRP Daggerboard Replacement & Drainage

Project Overview

Bath Spa Station, Bath, Grade II* listed

12 months

Service: Commercial & Retail Refurbishment

Sector: Heritage & Conservation, Rail

Approved Contractor: MLG UK Ltd
System Installed: Plura Innovations / Polydeck GRP daggerboard system
Client: Taziker, on behalf of Network Rail
Duration: 12 months
Work Carried Out: Canopy inspection and repair, redecoration, GRP support frame, GRP daggerboards, metal gutter system

Scope of Work

The timber daggerboards on the canopy at Bath Spa had rotted through, and Bath Spa is Grade II* listed, so replacing them meant replicating shapes nobody makes any more. MLG designed, supplied and installed the first full GRP daggerboard system on a listed railway station. The metal canopy was inspected, repaired and redecorated, a GRP support frame bolted to the steel, the daggerboards fixed to it, and a new metal gutter system installed.

First listed railway station to take a full GRP daggerboard and support system
3D scanning used to capture existing architectural detail for accurate replication
CNC-machined GRP components fabricated offsite: durable, fire resistant, Class B rating
Colour-through manufacture removes the need for repainting
New metal gutter system with bespoke trim details

Systems installed

GRP daggerboards: 485 × 1155 × 12mm GRP daggerboards plus gable-end units, CNC-machined from a 3D scan of the originals. Class B fire rating. Drawing Y02009-DRG-BRS0013 (Plura Innovations / Polydeck)
GRP support frame: 100 × 80 × 6mm GRP box-section packer; GRP foam-core 300 × 30mm fascia board, bolted to the existing steel (Plura Innovations / Polydeck)
Gutter system: Ogee aluminium gutter in Heritage Black: GY513H gutter, GY520H union, GY523H 76mm running outlet, GY580H fascia brackets, SL77 leafguard (Evolve)
Rainwater pipe: 76mm flush-fit aluminium downpipe XRE313 with 112.5° and 92.5° bends, loose-joint spigot and access pipe, PPC finish (Evolve)

Challenges & Constraints

Timber rotted through

The timber daggerboards on the canopy had rotted through, and Bath Spa is Grade II* listed, so replacing them meant replicating shapes nobody makes any more.

Station open throughout

The station had to stay fully operational, so work ran on night shift under engineering possessions with every removed section reinstated and functional before the morning.

Conservation approval required

The installation had to satisfy conservation standards on a listed structure, which meant extensive prototyping, custom trim manufacture and a formal approval process with the local conservation office.

Project Execution & Techniques

Scanned and machined

Existing architectural detail was captured by 3D scanning and the replacements CNC-machined from it, so the GRP daggerboards, 485 × 1155 × 12mm, plus gable-end units, replicate the originals.

Fabricated offsite

Components were machined offsite, which cut time on site inside the possessions and produced a consistent, high-tolerance product.

Frame bolted to steel

A GRP box-section packer at 100 × 80 × 6mm and a 300 × 30mm foam-core fascia board were bolted to the existing metal canopy structure and the daggerboards fixed to that frame, all Class B fire rated.

Canopy repaired and drained

The metal canopy was inspected, repaired and redecorated, and a new Evolve ogee aluminium gutter system in Heritage Black installed with bespoke trim details and 76mm flush-fit downpipes.

Outcome & Long-Term Benefits

First of its kind

Bath Spa is the first listed railway station to take a full GRP daggerboard and support system.

Fifty-year life cycle

The installed system carries a 50-year life cycle with no maintenance beyond occasional cleaning.

No repainting

Colour-through manufacture removes the need for repainting, and with it a recurring maintenance burden and the station disruption that came with it.

Heritage character kept

The finished canopy reads as the original, with the conservation office satisfied and the listing respected.

Conclusion

Rotten timber daggerboards on a Grade II* listed canopy are a conservation problem before they are an engineering one: the profiles are not made any more, and a modern substitute has to earn its approval. MLG worked with the conservation office rather than around it, 3D scanning the existing detail and CNC-machining GRP replacements from the scan.

The result is the first full GRP daggerboard and support system on a listed railway station, Class B fire rated, colour-through so it never needs repainting, and rated for a 50-year life. It was installed on night shift under engineering possessions with the station open throughout, alongside canopy repair, redecoration and a new aluminium gutter system.