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A short and simple halt

Some very high costs been suggested to build a station at Newburgh - a price that might make some in Government flinch. The campaign, however, believes a new affordable station can be deployed easily by adopting modern, modular design. It doesn't have to have to be big. Just a short halt of 75m should do it.

Cost effective modular stations

New modular platforms at Livingston South assembled on site in just 10 days, Photo by Dura Composites

Modular rail stations are pre-fabricated, factory-built, designs. They are cheap, easy to assemble and environmentally friendly when compared to standard station design. Today, modular design methods are an integral part of Network Rail station builds

A tradition station built

Rail Stations were one time built brick-by-brick, requiring teams of skilled people - such as bricklayers, joiners, plasterers - to get it done. Costs accrued as teams of skilled workers needed paying and numerous lorries supplied the raw materials needed. The number of trucks needed to deliver all the material made it costly for the environment too.

Network rail, who manage British rail infrastructure sough a better, cheaper more environmentally friendly way to build stations.

In 2008 they built the first UK modular station at Greenhithe in Kent. It was simpler and cheaper and more environmentally-friendly than tradition station builds. Today, modular design is a very standard way to build rail infrastructure.

Network Rail's HUB station: designing new small stations quickly and simply

Today, modular design is an integral part of the Network Rail's HUB station concept - an adaptable station design developed for building small or medium sized stations.

The HUB concept began in 2018. It was developed to meet the need to build up to 100 new stations over the following five years. Network Rail had to deliver these stations at scale., for low cost while not compromising quality or safety.

Their response was to develop the HUB design concept.

The core design element is what is called the “kit of parts” - a set of pre-designed components that can be combined and configured to suit different stations.

HUB stations are modern, efficient and sustainable, with features like timber and low-carbon materials, and solar-panelled canopies for renewable energy.

The components tat make up the “kit of parts” are made in factories, making construction faster, cheaper, more flexible, and easier to expand or adapt later.

What a modular station is

Modular stations is made of pre-fabricated, factory-built, light-weight component ( or modules) that are transported and assembled on-site. Assembling and deploying a station is often quick and relatively easy. The environmental impact of modular design when compared to traditional brick and mortar builds is far less.

The modular approach is often combined with more conventional rail-station construction methods - where prefabricated components are incorporated into a more standard build.

Off site construction of both modular and and more standard elements of construction like concrete blocks reduces both the cost of materials and the time taken to build a station. Maghill North station, a two platform fully featured station near Liverpool was build in just nine months.

Maghill North station on Mersey Rail near Liverpool

The benefits of modular station design

The advantages of Modular station design

Off-site fabrication - of components allows much of the work to be done concurrently with on-site preparation. These factory made components are cheaper than conventional material and often lighter too.

Stations can be assembled quickly - Stations can be assembled on site with minimal disruption to train services or nearby road traffic. Assembly does not teams of skilled workers. It is for the most part labour intensive.

Standardised designs - reducing architectural and engineering costs. The Network Rail HUB approach to station design standardises the design approach, and the components used.

Standardised parts - and layouts simplify inspections, repairs, and upgrades. and make expanding a station easy.Reusable components - offer an economy of scale lead to lower construction and maintenance costs.

Less waste - Modular construction typically generates less waste.

Recycled material - Some providers of modular station designs increasing use eco-friendly materials like energy-efficient lighting or solar panels and recyclable materials including old wind turbine blades!

Less on-site work - means fewer risks to workers and disruption to rail services.

And it can be tested as an idea!

A halt not a station

The term halt is being increasingly used to distinguish a small stop with minimal infrastructure from a larger fully-featured station. An unmanned halt can comprise little more than a short-form platform, a ticket machine, a shelter and an electronic timetable.. Designs are fully accessible,

Many smaller rail stations were once entitled 'halts'. The term was removed from timetables by British Rail in 1974 but came back in 1978 for the opening of the IBM Halt in Greenock in Scotland.

The campaign proposes Newburgh adopts a short-platform halt. - cheap, easy-to-assemble means to connect to rail.

A temporary station can be put in place to assess its use. If figures are low it can be removed. But if it proves popular (as new station nearly always do) it can become a permanent fixture - one that can further expand to meet rising passenger numbers. A test station is operating in North Wales.

Beauly Station

A big hit with local commuters

Following a local campaign, Beauly station was reopened in 2002. It is a short-form design with a one 10m length, single platform.The new single platform, shelter and car park were built as part of a £250,000 project (£453K in today's figures*). The reopening of the station prompted 75% of local commuters to switch from road to rail. Beauly shows what can be achieved on a modest budget.

Conon Bridge

A cost-effective success

In 2012, the Scottish Government announced that a new station £600,000 (£845,000 in today's figures*)with a single, carriage-length platform, would be built at Conan Bridge. It opened in early 2013 on budget.In the month following the station's opening, more than 2,000 journeys were made to or from it. According to the then Minister for Transport, Keith Brown, the numbers "show that it was an extremely worthwhile investment".

*Bank of England Inflation Calculator

The viability of a proposed train station can be assessed by putting up a temporary test station. It would have a short platform, a simple shelter, a service display board, ticket machine and accessible access.

Test stations are modular and can be deployed for as little as £150k (plus the costs of accessibility requirements). and can be assembled and deployed quickly. They are flexible designs and can be shortened or lengthened depending on passenger numbers.

A test halt in Wales - Deeside Industrial Park

The Welsh Government intends improving bus and train connectivity across North Wales. Network North Wales together with Network Rail are looking to deploy a temporary modular test halt at Deeside Industrial Park to assess demand for permanent rail services to one of Wales’ largest employment hubs.

Suggested costs of a test halt in Newburgh

Costs are based in a simple station described above.

Assembly costs £50k to £65k
Additional foundations, surfacing
M&E costs plus design and track access (minimal) will raise this to approximately £100k.
Adding Project Management etc. costs suggests a total of approximately

£150,000

Plus costs to ensure the station is accessible

Is Newburgh station viable - testing the idea

Examples of modular stations and platforms

Robroyston, Glasgow

significant savings made - innovative construction methods and collaborative working, led to cost efficiencies. More >>>

Livingstone South, Scotland

Two new modular platforms in just 10 days - Existing platforms were demolished and replaced with one platform extended to accommodation longer trains. More >>>

Maghull North, Merseyside