Langley Station
Client: Sisk Rail, on behalf of Network Rail
Project Overview
Langley Station
Four months of 2-hour nights
Service: Groundowrks & Civils
Sector: Rail
- Approved Contractor: MLG UK Ltd
- System Installed: Plura Polydeck GRP decking
- Client: Sisk Rail, on behalf of Network Rail
- Duration: Four months, in 2-hour nightly access windows
- Work Carried Out: GRP support frame, GRP anti-slip decking, platform level correction
Scope of Work
The platform at Langley was severely degraded and still carrying passengers every morning. MLG installed an emergency raised platform system built entirely from glass reinforced plastic.
- Raised platform system constructed entirely from GRP: support frame and decking
- GRP packs used to raise platform height to the correct alignment while protecting the timber frame from damp
- 12mm Plura Polydeck boards manufactured offsite with resin-embedded yellow nosing
- 22mm anti-slip boards for the walking surface
- Delivered over four months in 2-hour nightly access windows
Systems installed
- Platform structure: Glass reinforced plastic (GRP) frame
- Deck: 22mm anti-slip GRP boards
- Design life: GRP carries a 25–30 year life cycle and is virtually maintenance free
Challenges & Constraints
Two hours a night
Access was limited to two hours per night, and the platform had to be back in passenger service every morning.
Reinstated before trains
Each completed section had to be checked and fully reinstated before trains ran, so no shift could end part-finished.
A deteriorated platform
The existing platform was severely degraded while still carrying passengers, and stopping services had to be rerouted to alternative platforms for the work to proceed safely.
Project Execution & Techniques
Pre-cut and pre-assembled
Everything was pre-cut, pre-assembled and organised in advance so the two-hour window was spent installing rather than making.
Small complete sections
Work proceeded in small complete sections, each one checked and reinstated before handback.
An all-GRP build-up
The raised platform was built entirely from glass reinforced plastic, support frame, packs to bring the platform to correct alignment while protecting the timber frame from damp, and anti-slip decking.
Offsite manufacture
12mm Plura Polydeck boards were manufactured offsite with resin-embedded yellow nosing, with 22mm anti-slip boards forming the walking surface.
Outcome & Long-Term Benefits
No day of closure
A deteriorated platform was returned to safe passenger use without a single day of closure.
In service every morning
The station stayed operational for passengers every morning across the four months of night working.
Alignment corrected
The GRP packs bring the platform back to the correct height and alignment while keeping damp off the timber frame beneath.
A durable walking surface
The finished deck is anti-slip, and GRP carries a 25–30 year life cycle and is virtually maintenance free.
Conclusion
The platform at Langley was severely degraded and still carrying passengers every morning. Sisk Rail, on behalf of Network Rail, needed it rebuilt without taking it out of service, inside two-hour nightly access windows.
MLG installed a raised platform system built entirely from GRP, support frame, height packs and anti-slip decking, with the 12mm Polydeck boards manufactured offsite with resin-embedded nosing. Everything was pre-cut so the two hours were spent installing, and the work advanced in small complete sections that were checked and reinstated before the first train. Four months later the platform was back to correct alignment on a system rated for 25 to 30 years, and it had not closed for a day.
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