Doors specialist closes £1m deal with London Underground

Rhino Doors has won a new contract valued at more than £1m to design, supply and install bespoke fire doors for London’s Bank Station capacity upgrade project.

Working alongside leading engineering and construction contractor Dragados SA, Rhino, the designer and manufacturer of high performance engineered doors, will install 18 double leaf, oversized latchless fire doors which will self-close to provide a barrier against smoke and 60 minutes of integrity fire resistance from either side.

The stainless steel doors, usually held in the open position by electromagnets, will provide protected escape routes and places of refuge for passengers passing through one of London’s busiest interchange stations on the underground network in an emergency situation.

Rhino Doors manufacturers all products at its Burscough factory, in West Lancashire, before they are transported to its South Wales site for assembly.

Managing director, Stuart Lawrence, said: “We’re pleased to have secured this contract and to be working alongside Dragados to improve passenger safety at Bank Station.

“The contract award follows a period of development, during which we have worked closely with the team at Dragados to meet the challenging performance requirements set.

Doors undergoing a fire test

“At Rhino, we pride ourselves on creating bespoke doors that meet complex and varied industry standards, and this project is a testament to the high level of design and manufacturing expertise we provide to the transport sector.”

Due to the complex nature of the project, site installation will be performed within restricted hours, including engineering hours, when no trains are running to ensure the safety of engineers.

The Bank Station Capacity Upgrade project, currently under way in the heart of London’s financial district, will increase capacity by approximately 40% and include a new passenger and running tunnel and a new southbound platform for the Northern Line.