Smarter Access, Safer Delivery: The Apsley Easter Blockade
Smarter Access, Safer Delivery: The Apsley Easter Blockade
April 29, 2026
While many of us were enjoying the long Easter weekend, our site teams executed a massive logistical effort at Apsley station. Operating under a collaborative ‘one team’ approach alongside Principal Contractor Taziker, we delivered critical Access for All (AfA) foundation upgrades for Network Rail.
Delivering deep foundations and extensive trenching in tight station environments normally relies heavily on expensive On Track Plant (OTP) to shift machinery. It reduces valuable possession time and adds logistical risk. We wanted a smarter, safer approach.
Collaborating early in the planning phase, Enable Design and Enable Infrastructure worked with equipment supplier Cordek Ltd to engineer a bespoke Polybridge and Alimat temporary access solution.
We completed a rigorous temporary works assessment for the station’s Harp & Slab construction. The temporary access solution we designed and built enabled us to safely distribute heavy plant weight without touching the track.
Overall, the delivery teams achieved:
• 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: 18 x 300mm diameter, 14-metre deep CFA piles sunk across Platform 4 and the P2/3 island, followed by initial 1-metre lift pit excavations once cured.
• 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐬: 60 metres of buried Cubis multi-duct and 7 chambers installed directly on Platform 4, with all paving slabs and yellow lines fully reinstated for passengers.
• 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐎𝐓𝐏 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: All rigs mobilised, grout pumped, and spoil removed using the Polybridge system, keeping heavy machinery entirely off the track space.
• 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲: Underpinned by excellent HSEQS management, continuous track monitoring was maintained throughout. The site was fully cleaned down and handed back four hours ahead of schedule.
Johnathan Reid, Enable Infrastructure Contracts Manager, said: “The Easter blockade at Apsley was a real testament to preparation and teamwork. Weeks of work went into getting the site ready. The unseen, less glorified but equally important parts of delivery. During the blockade, piling was delivered seamlessly, and despite late scope changes, the team adapted and over-delivered against plan. The commitment shown by our teams was exceptional, and I want to wholeheartedly thank everyone who gave up their Easter to deliver this scheme.”
Andrew Chan, General Manager of Enable Design, added: “By innovating a practical access solution upfront, the team bypassed traditional site complications and delivered a complex civil scope safely within a tight possession window.”
A massive thank you to everyone across 342 individual shifts who gave up their Easter holiday to drive these station upgrades forward.
Look forward to our forthcoming technical case studies that detail and explore our work on this programme.
