Britcon completes Leeds railway station south entrance framework

STRUCTURAL steelwork has been completed on Leeds railway station’s new southern entrance after a commission by Carillion.

Britcon Engineering Services has completed the £100,000 contract to reinforce the Victorian Dark Arches under the station in preparation for the entrance.

BES is the structural steelwork contractor division of Yorkshire & Lincolnshire based Britcon.

On behalf of Network Rail, Carillion is managing the delivery of the new £20 million Leeds Station Southern Entrance which consists of an enclosed structure over the River Aire that incorporates lifts, escalators and stairs allowing passengers access from the current western footbridge within the station to ground level either side of the river.

BES fabricated bespoke steel plate girders fixed to the underside of the existing Victorian arches to support the structure along Dark Neville Street. It has previously completed works underneath the adjacent Neville Street, Queens Hotel and the Bus and Taxi entrance canopy to the station.

Nick Evans director at Britcon Engineering Services, said, “Leeds dark arches is a familiar place for BES given our previous work in providing necessary reinforcements. However it was a challenging job due to the confined nature of the site coupled with erecting the plate girders directly over the river.

“This required the design of a bespoke lifting frame to allow the girders to be moved down the arch, lifted and swung around into the correct position.”
The new southern entrance is expected to be ready before Christmas.