Case Study: Stafford Station, Staffordshire
The West Midlands & Mid Wales Branch of Stannah Lift Services has completed a major lift modernisation project for Network Rail at Stafford Station. The modernisation programme – to Network Rail specifications – meets the requirements of the Lifts Directive (95/16/EC) 1995, BS5655 and EN81-80.
Three 35 person, traction drive, 2-stop passenger/goods lifts were completely refurbished on Platforms 1-3 and 4-6 & 6 in order to enable all members of the public, including those with disabilities, to easily and safely access all parts of the station.
The project, managed by Stannah as Principle Contractor, involved the complete replacement of the original 1963 lifts; including new lift cars and gear, new motor room equipment, refurbishment of the motor room, all building work to open up the waiting area on the covered bridge and closing off the tunnel access. Each lift was worked on in turn in order to minimise disruption for both staff and public on the station.
“The work at Stafford Station was made easier by the excellent co-operation of the Virgin Rail staff in a joint venture with Network Rail. The comments we received from the public, such as ‘these lifts are a blessing for the elderly’ and ‘absolutely beautiful lifts’ illustrates just what a difference the refurbishment work has made.”
The new lifts provide independent pedestrian and disabled access to all platforms. Before the refurbishment people needing to use the lift had to be accompanied by Virgin Rail staff as the old lifts had double shutter gates that were heavy and difficult to manoeuvre, and the route was not really suitable for independent public access. The lifts on Platforms 1-3 and 4-5 are through lift cars, with a single entry on each landing and a clear access of 1250mm wide x 2100mm high.
The lift specification
Each of the lifts at Stafford Station is a traction drive 35 person 2750kg with a contract speed of 1.00 metre per second. The internal car dimensions are 2570mm deep, 1950mm wide and 2200mm high.
Safety first
The new lift installations were designed to comply with EN81-80 requirements. They have full height, electronic 3D safety edges fitted to all car doors, both at high and low levels. There are alarm push buttons and a two-way communication system fitted to all lift cars and landings. Speech synthesisers within each lift car provides lift travel information on all landings. The new lift drive system is a 2:1 Roped Traction Drive travelling at 1.00 metre per second. The Variable Voltage, Variable Frequency (VVVF) Drive will always ensure accurate floor levelling, regardless of load.
The lifts are manufactured to the highest specification with a life expectancy of 25 years in this harsh environment.