Key phase of refurbishment of Bristol Temple Meads station to get underway

The next phase of the Bristol Temple Meads’ historic roof refurbishment is to get underway next month.

From Tuesday 12 April, Network Rail’s team of engineers and its contractors Taziker will begin a key phase of the work to refurbish the roof of Bristol Temple Meads station, using a process known as grit-blasting to remove any old paint, dirt and surface contaminants from the metal parts of the structure before they can be repaired, repainted and reglazed.

The grit-blasting, which involves forcibly propelling abrasive material against a surface at high pressure, marks the latest stage of a complex multi-year project to carefully restore the Grade I listed roof, ensuring that it remains safe and retains its character for generations to come.

Mike Contopoulos, Network Rail project director, said: “We’re proud to be preserving Bristol’s oldest station for future generations as part of the Bristol Rail Regeneration programme, transforming Temple Meads into a world class transport hub.

“Our work to renovate the Grade I listed roof will mean that this icon of our city will be protected and maintained for decades to come, while creating a more welcoming environment for passengers.

“Our specialist team will begin grit-blasting the steel parts of the roof in April, stripping it to bare metal so that we can carry out repairs and apply protective paint. We’ll be doing this in phases throughout the summer, encapsulating each section to make sure that no dust or other material reaches the platforms. To minimise the impact on passengers, grit-blasting will take place overnight and noise levels will be monitored.

“Once completed, Bristol Rail Regeneration – of which the roof refurbishment is only one part – will provide numerous benefits for our passengers, building on Bristol’s strengths as a world class city and creating a transport hub fit for the 21^st century.”

The roof refurbishment is due to be completed in the summer of 2024.

At the same time, a separate project to update all of the station’s electrics is getting underway, which will see the overall power supply, lighting, passenger information and CCTV systems all brought up to modern day standards. To support this, from Monday 18 April the station’s ticket office will be temporarily relocated to the former Bonapartes café bar on platform 3 for up to 12 weeks.

The roof restoration and rewire of the station are part of Network Rail’s Bristol Rail Regeneration programme, which is transforming Bristol Temple Meads into a world class transport hub. It means passengers will benefit from a brighter and more welcoming station environment, improved passenger information and an increase in retail offerings in the future.

The programme has already enabled improved train service reliability and an increase in suburban services following last summer’s £132m track and signalling upgrade at Bristol East Junction, as well as delivering a smarter, brighter and more welcoming entrance to Bristol Temple Meads following the refurbishment and repainting of the canopies at the front of the entrance.

Taziker managing director – infrastructure, Neil Harrison, said: “We have overcome significant challenges to get to this stage of the project which is only possible through the hard work and dedication of the whole project team.

“Our collaborative relationship with the Network Rail and the station management team is key to the success of delivering this project and we have created great relationships throughout the project to ensure we are working together to successfully hit our milestones.

“We’re really proud to be playing a part in the Bristol Rail Regeneration programme and have been supporting community initiatives by installing cycle racks in local schools and joining Caring in Bristol’s new partnership programme, Caring Corporates, to support people experiencing homelessness in Bristol.

“Our next challenge is the grit blasting stage but we’re prepared and fully equipped, with experts in this specialism ready to commence work.”

To find out more about the Bristol Rail Regeneration programme, please visit https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/bristol-rail-regeneration/

Photo credit: Network Rail

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