Farringdon Station

The promise of a new standard in transport interchanges

The redevelopment of Farringdon Station promises to set a new standard in transport interchanges. When complete, it will connect Thameslink, Crossrail and London Underground, provide much needed extra capacity to this key part of London and also give direct access to Heathrow, Gatwick, City and Luton airports along with St. Pancras International rail station.   

Atkins’ involvement in the project is wide-ranging.  They were appointed by Network Rail as the detailed designer for the Thameslink elements of the works (to accommodate longer trains and increase passenger throughput) and, since London Underground own the station, they were commissioned to provide concept and detailed design for the associated station entrances, as well as the respective concourses and platforms. Additionally, Atkins is the concept and detailed designer for the integrated ticket hall, which will not only be the main access for Thameslink services but will also become the main entrance for Crossrail.

A key feature of Atkins’ work on Farringdon, and indeed other stations, has been its commitment to sustainability.

Mass transit rail systems, especially those with stations located completely underground, generate their own unique design problems that require specialist solutions to integrate the latest Government legislation and CIBSE (The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) guides with the stringent standards and requirements of today’s railways. Although this is certainly a challenge, it is possible to ensure that sustainability is incorporated into even the most complex stations and interchanges.

“Farringdon is an exciting and interesting project,” says Demetri. “While the design strives to resolve the complexities associated with connecting three major rail systems catering for commuters, passengers with heavy luggage, buggies and wheelchairs, all stakeholders have – quite rightly – demanded that sustainability be integral throughout the project.

“Much of our work has been influenced by our adoption of the Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment & Award Scheme (CEEQUAL), which acts as a tool to assess how well we’ve dealt with the environmental, sustainability and social issues of projects.”

Atkins’ use of the CEEQUAL scheme also allows its project teams to develop a cognisance of all relevant legislation, standards and guidance to a specific project, whilst simultaneously providing the means to satisfy corporate environmental and sustainability policies. Against this back drop, a simple step-by-step approach is followed to ensure that sustainable options are identified and, where possible, included in the overall design.

“Our station design team starts with a technical review of previous design work, followed by a feasibility study to address any gaps identified,” explains Demetri.

“At the same time, we look to define the CEEQUAL scope, using the results to develop a sustainability strategy which describes exactly what options are available and how they will be incorporated into the design. This strategy is then carried through to the design phase, where its contents are used as checklists against which to verify the design at the various review stages.”

By taking this approach and utilising its in-house team of architects, building services engineers, and civil engineers,  Atkins ensures that all schemes are not only properly assessed for compliance, but that sustainability is prominent wherever practicably possible.

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For more information, please contact Demetri Anastasiou on 020 7121 2567 or demetri.anastasiou@atkinsglobal.com