Octavius is to convert two redundant goods lifts for passenger use as part of a £7m accessibility upgrade at Pokesdown station in Bournemouth.
The project is being delivered for South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, with Octavius acting as principal contractor. The original design proposed building two new lifts, but the contractor said reusing the existing structures would provide a more sustainable and cost-effective solution.
Existing assets to be refurbished
The lift shafts’ foundations, steelwork and cladding will be renewed before new lift cars are installed. The works will also include new motor rooms, an upgrade to the station’s power supply and walkways linking the lifts to the platforms.
“We made a creative assessment of the design and the station’s potential and saw an opportunity to achieve the accessibility goals without constructing new structures,” said Nick Freeman, project manager at Octavius.
Completion is scheduled for early 2028.
Community use planned after construction
Octavius is also refurbishing an empty retail unit next to the station for use as the site office and welfare facility during construction. After the project, South West Rail is expected to use the space as a community centre and coffee shop.
Separately, Octavius is constructing a new substation at Pokesdown. Both schemes are being delivered in the station’s busy urban surroundings and deep cutting, requiring abnormal possessions that are being coordinated and combined where possible to limit disruption.
The contractor is delivering both projects as a delivery partner on the Southern Renewals Enterprise, described by Octavius as the UK’s first enterprise delivery and Project 13 programme for railway renewals.
Alongside standalone schemes such as Pokesdown, Octavius has a national portfolio of more than 35 Access for All projects.