Lanes refurbishment transforms unique rail pump house

Lanes Group’s Rail Division has transformed a “unique” but ugly drainage pump house at end of the Northern Line in South London.

Work on the building close to Morden Station, in South Wimbledon, included cladding the external walls in plastic panels and waterproofing the roof, significantly improving what had become a local eyesore.

London Underground awarded Lanes the six-figure contract, by competitive tender, under its planned and reactive civils maintenance programme for bridges and structures.

The eight-week refurbishment project has dramatically changed the look of the pump house, which takes water from the Tube track, six metres below ground-level, up into the surface water drainage system.

London Underground Client Representative Babajide Oriogun said:  “This pump house is a unique facility. There is nothing else quite like it on the London Underground system.

“When it was built, visual amenity was clearly not a priority. The work done by Lanes has protected and upgraded the building, and has improved its looks greatly, which is what we set out to achieve.”

Lanes Rail Division Project Manager Steve Demwell said: “The building was looking very tired and drab. With its new blue and white cladding it is looking neat and bright.

“A full free-standing scaffold had to be constructed 300mm from the building, so the cladding team could work on the structure without hindrance. That, in itself, was quite a feat of engineering.

“The new skin is designed to be easy to clean and the cladding panels are replaceable. So the structure will be sound and will look good for decades to come.”

Other work carried out as part of the project included installing guard rails on the roof and a roof access cat ladder with a safety fall cage.

Steve Demwell said: “The project was completed on time and on budget, and has really improved that was an eyesore. There is no doubt local residents will be pleased with the results.”

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