St Pancras

Wood&Wood were proud to win the contract, through a competitive tendering process, to develop and manufacture the Passenger information Points for St Pancras. These provide information in a static and interactive format to the 40 million customers that pass through the station each year.

The design, which involved compound curves, was complex to engineer and can only be achieved in certain mediums. Wood&Wood's experience in delivering highly technical solutions meant that they were able to meet Chapman Taylor's design aspirations by developing the design in shot peened 316 stainless steel. Detailed programmes were written to ensure the units would cope with the stress caused by cutting holes in the worked steel to accommodate the touch screens. These complexities coupled with the sheer scale of the units, they stand 4.5 metres high and weigh some 1.7 tonnes, meant pushing the boundaries of the manufacturing processes. Using specialised software to create a virtual prototype, Wood&Wood were able to look at every technical aspect of the design, which involved some 750 individual components. Through exploded views of the drawings they could identify any problems and resolve them before the manufacturing process began.

When it came to the installation of the Information Points it was no less challenging than the manufacture, partly due to the size and weight of the units, but also because the platforms were near completion at the time of installation. The units had to be manoeuvred through glass doors and around existing fixtures. Specialised equipment was created to pick up the units, move them to their sites and erect them onto their final positions.

The end product is a robust piece of engineering that sits comfortably in its heritage environment and like Barlow’s station will provide service for generations to come.

"Wood&Wood’s technical expertise was exceptional, allowing us to push the boundaries and remain faithful to the design.” Steve Johnson, Chapman Taylor LLP