Oxford Station
Client: Great Western Railway
Project Overview
Oxford Station
£109,964 ex VAT
Service: Commercial & Retail Refurbishment, Roofing
Sector: Rail
- Approved Contractor: MLG UK Ltd
- System Installed: Westwood anti-slip waterproof coating
- Client: Great Western Railway
- Duration: Sunday afternoon to Friday morning, full station shutdown
- Work Carried Out: Waterproofing, carpentry, painting, specialist anti-slip systems
Scope of Work
The bridge had to be back in public use by Friday morning. MLG refurbished the pedestrian overbridge at Oxford Station inside a tightly controlled shutdown, running back-to-back shifts across multiple trades.
- Carpentry: all existing treads removed, substrate fully prepared, new Polydeck treads installed with tactile surfaces to top and bottom landings
- New risers complete with bespoke signwritten lettering
- Bridge span preparation: levelling and building up the substrate to eliminate existing trip hazards
- Westwood anti-slip waterproof coating system applied across the full main span
- Preparation and painting of stringers, columns and handrails in durable transport-environment coatings
Systems installed
- Anti-slip coating: Westwood anti-slip waterproof coating system to the bridge deck
- Treads & tactiles: Polydeck treads, tactile surfaces and risers
Challenges & Constraints
A hard handback deadline
The bridge had to be back in public use by Friday morning, at the end of a shutdown that started on the Sunday afternoon.
Three trades, one structure
Three trade groups needed to work the same structure in sequence inside a single shutdown window.
No room for slippage
Any slippage in one trade would have stopped the others and missed the reopening.
Project Execution & Techniques
Day and night shifts
A coordinated team of in-house specialists worked in rotation across back-to-back day and night shifts, so progress continued through the whole shutdown window.
Treads and tactiles renewed
All existing treads were removed and the substrate fully prepared before new Polydeck treads went in, with tactile surfaces to the top and bottom landings and new risers carrying bespoke signwritten lettering.
Substrate built up
The bridge span was levelled and the substrate built up to eliminate existing trip hazards, rather than resurfacing over them, before the Westwood anti-slip waterproof coating was applied across the full main span.
All trades in-house
Waterproofing, carpentry and painting were all delivered by MLG’s own operatives working collaboratively, not as separate subcontract packages.
Outcome & Long-Term Benefits
Handed back on Friday
The bridge was handed back to Great Western Railway on Friday morning as required and reopened to the public.
Trip hazards designed out
Levelling and building up the substrate removed the existing trip hazards instead of covering them, so the deck was corrected rather than resurfaced.
Safer for users
The Polydeck treads, tactile surfaces, risers and Westwood anti-slip system significantly enhance user safety on the bridge.
Client feedback on delivery
GWR highlighted the standard of workmanship, the professionalism and attitude of the teams, the efficiency of delivery within a demanding timeframe, and the improved safety and appearance of the bridge.
Conclusion
The pedestrian overbridge at Oxford Station had to be back in public use by Friday morning. That fixed the whole job: a full station shutdown from Sunday afternoon, three trade groups working the same structure in sequence, and no slack anywhere in the sequence for one trade to hold up another.
MLG ran waterproofing, carpentry and painting with its own operatives on back-to-back day and night shifts. All treads were removed and the substrate prepared before new Polydeck treads and tactiles went down, the span was levelled to take out existing trip hazards before the Westwood anti-slip system was applied, and the stringers, columns and handrails were prepared and repainted in durable transport-environment coatings. The bridge was handed back to GWR on Friday morning.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you for the work completed on the station overbridge. The quality has been excellent, and I really appreciate you going beyond the original scope by redecorating the steel columns on the span and the stairs, this has given the structure a much-improved overall finish. Delivering the works within the six-day blockade was a great achievement, and the improvements have made a noticeably long-awaited positive difference to the station. I have received nothing but positive feedback from the Station Team."
, Alison Tarrant, Asset Manager (East), Great Western Railway
Ready to start your project?
Contact MLG UK today.
