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Railway Drainage for Platforms, Trackside and Rail Infrastructure

Railways serve as a transport link for many people for work, social events or a transfer between airports, cities and towns. On average in the UK, railway stations see up to1.8 billionvisitors per year. 

For railinfrastructure,it is essential to have well-designed and efficient surface drainage systems to ensure minimal disruption to rail services, reduce degradation of mechanisms and keep commuters safe. 

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Characteristics of railway platform drainage

Depending on the station or time (e.g. peak/off-peak), railway platforms can expect to see anything from light to heavy footfall. Linear drainage must be durable enough to cope with continual foot traffic to ensure longevity. As this is a public area, heelsafe gratings are essential for pedestrian safety.

The safe removal of surface water on railway platforms can help prevent run-off from going onto the track. The material of the drainage system should also be taken into account for platform rail drainage. Composite channels/gratings have non-conductive properties which are recommended to reduce the effects of flux.

Characteristics of rail trackside drainage

RECYFIX STANDARD 300 at Severn Tunnel

Without efficient trackside drainage, storm events can disrupt services caused by surface water flooding. Any engineering work carried out trackside can have an impact on rail operators and commuters.

The speed of installation plays a major role to reduce the amount of inconvenience and getting operations back up and running. Drainage channels that are easy to handle and low in weight provide a quick and simple installation. They offer a cost-effective solution as they don’t need any lifting equipment on-site.

 

When selecting the right system for your trackside rail project, the HAURATON team will take into account the ground conditions, design, track usage and local climate by using accurate hydraulic calculations.

  • Over 500 metres of HAURATON drainage channels were successfully laid by Alfred McAlpine Project Services in the cutting approaching of Severn Tunnel East. It was a part of an on-going engineering work commissioned by Western Territory Network Rail that underlines their commitment to provide a safe and reliable railway. Extensive work was carried out on the trackside and cutting slopes on this busy section of line.  

    RECYFIX STANDARD 300 channels supplied to McAlpine were a good choice as they have a large drainage cross section (863cm²) and yet only weigh 14.4kg per one metre unit. This was greatly appreciated by the contractor as easy manual handling of the channels was essential to reduce hassle on-site and allow faster installation procedures. The work was completed with minimal disruption to services.

    The RECYFIX channels were specified to comply with a load category Class C 250 and matched with patented GUGI ductile iron mesh gratings which are secured by eight bolts per metre. The mesh gratings were chosen as it helps prevent the surrounding stone ballast from entering the channel.

As a registered RISQS supplier for the rail sector, our technical sales team and project managers understand the importance of delivering robust drainage systems that provide a reliable performance over many years.

Cable protection for railway infrastructure

Protection of cables for signalling, telecommunications and power is vital to prevent extensive damage. Cable troughs ensure reliable cable management, while still providing easy access for maintenance and servicing operations. Find out more >

Drainage for rail infrastructure: car parks and station forecourts

Aside from tracks and platforms, rail infrastructure covers surrounding areas such as railway station forecourts and parking areas. Typically these areas are impermeable surfaces. Linear drainage systems play a vital role in controlling surface water run-off and the prevention of flooding within these types of locations.

Considerations for drainage at railway station car parks

Extensive surfaces

Station car parks can cover large surface areas. Drainage systems with a large hydraulic capacity will accommodate the flow of vast amounts of surface water.

 

Polluted surfaces

Station car parks can be subject to pollutants such as microplastics and fuel hydrocarbons. A surface water treatment scheme could be a fundamental part of your project design.

HAURATON have a dedicated rainwater treatment channel that collects, filters and releases purified water back into natural watercourses or sewer networks.

Depth restrictions

Rail stations can have their very own multi-storey car park. The top deck will require a drainage system to prevent standing water. HAURATON have shallow invert channels for limited to restricted installations.

Whether it is a new station build or refurbishment project, the HAURATON team endeavour to be your end-to-end project support. Get in touch with us to discuss your requirements. For drainage of railway station forecourts, please refer to our public space application.

Complete project support from the start of your journey to the end

From the pre-planning phase, rail drainage design, run scheduling and on-site installation advice, the HAURATON team will put you on the right track for your railway project.

As an accredited supplier for Network Rail under the Rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS approval), HAURATON understand the requirements for providing the right solution for these specialised projects.

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Railway drainage solutions for rail construction

The following solutions from HAURATON are recommended for safe and reliable surface drainage in rail infrastructure. All systems from HAURATON comply with Network Rail drainage standards.

RECYFIX PRO
RECYFIX MONOTEC
SLOTTED CHANNEL
RECYFIX HICAP F
Non-conductive & corrosion-free drainage for railway platforms.
Durable drainage channel for platforms, sidings, concourses and car parks.
Ideal façade drainage for stations.
High capacity slot drainage system, ideal for draining extensive car parks.
Load class according to EN 1433
Load class according to EN 1433
up to D 400
up to D 400
up to D 400
up to F 900
Load frequency
Load frequency
Load dynamics
Load dynamics
Nominal width | System size
Nominal width | System size
100, 150, 200, 300
100 & 200
100 & 150
1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, 8000, 10000
Materials of the lower parts
Materials of the lower parts
Polypropylene (PP), 100 % recycled composite
Modified polypropylene
Polypropylene (PP), 100% recycled composite
Modified polypropylene (PP), 100 % recycled composite
Angle housing
Angle housing

Composite frame 20 x 20 mm insertion depth

Grating variants
Grating variants

– Longitudinal bar grating
– GUGI design gratings
– Mesh gratings
– FIBRETEC and METROPOLIS design gratings
⇒ Made of ductile iron, polypropylene (PP), galvanised steel, stainless steel

Integrated award-winning FIBRETEC heelsafe design

– Slot gratings made of galvanised or stainless steel (V2A, V4A)
– Duo slot gratings
– Symmetrical & asymmetrical versions

Retained ductile iron slotted top

Special characteristics
Special characteristics

– Pre-assembled ready for installation
– Low weight, easy to handle and install
– Channel body can be easily machined, cut to size on-site

– Large retention volume despite slim channel design
– Monolithic drainage channel
– Vandalism-proof
– Easy cleaning via the inspection box

– Unique connection technology of the slot tops
– Removeable access tray

– Radial installations possible
– Large channels for retention
– Channel run without slotted top achievable, for example, under planted areas
– Cable installations can be threaded though throat voids of the channel

Gradient
Gradient

– Constant depth
– Stepped fall

– Constant depth
– Stepped fall

– Constant depth
– Stepped fall

– Constant depth
– Stepped fall

Application areas that may also interest you

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