Hither Green Blockade

About the project

The 2020 Hither Green blockade project comprised a series of works at nine stations, including the cleaning, repair and decorating of station canopies.  

Enable Infrastructure (formerly BCM Construction) were commissioned to carry out these works following the completion of a two-year programme that had introduced a new, more reliable signalling system on the Sidcup, Grove Park and Bromley North lines through Hither Green in South-East London. The station works thus maximised the impact of the signalling programme in terms of passenger-facing benefits.  

The stations involved were Bromley North, Chislehurst, Elmstead Wood, Grove Park, Hither Green, Lee, Mottingham, New Eltham and Sundridge Park.  The works took place in two short periods in April and July 2020, with the majority carried out over the Easter weekend in April.  

The challenge

• Works mostly took place over the Easter weekend of 2020, which meant serious time pressure. We had to plan and provide resources to ensure we could complete works at the nine stations in the available possession period.  
• Easter 2020 came just two weeks after the UK Government had ordered the first lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The solution

• We used Enable Infrastructure’s ten-week lookahead process to assist in the planning of these works. The lookahead report showed the works that were required ten weeks out from the possession, clearly indicating to the Project Manager and team leaders the resources that would be needed. The lookahead process assigns staff early and also promotes the early raising of resource issues. By making best use of the process, Enable Infrastructure had over 90 personnel working at the sites over the Easter weekend. 
• Although there were calls to delay works because of the lockdown, Enable Infrastructure were able to go ahead by altering our processes to ensure we carried out the works in a safe, socially distanced manner.  This won plaudits from both the client and others in the industry.  

The deliverables

• Bromley North: clearance of gutters, raking out and re-pointing to platform copers, tactile installation, platform deep-cleaning, white / yellow-lining  
• Chislehurst: clearance of gutters, painting to canopy structures, platform surface breakout and reinstatement, platform end gate installation, raking out and re-pointing to platform copers, platform deep-cleaning, white / yellow-lining 
• Elmstead Wood: replacement of ACO drainage, platform end gate installation, raking out and re-pointing to platform copers, tactile installation, platform deep-cleaning, white / yellow-lining 
• Grove Park: clearance of gutters, raking out and re-pointing to platform copers, platform deep-cleaning, white / yellow-lining  
• Hither Green: clearance of gutters, painting to Canopy Structures, platform surface breakout and reinstatement, removal of overhanging trees, raking out and re-pointing to platform copers, platform deep-cleaning, white / yellow-lining 
• Lee: clearance of gutters, painting to canopy structures, removal of overhanging trees, raking out and re-pointing to platform copers, platform deep-cleaning, white / yellow-lining 
• Mottingham: station canopy works, replacement of valance / dagger board, clearance of gutters, painting to canopy structures, platform surface breakout and reinstatement, platform end gate installation, raking out and re-pointing to platform copers, tactile installation, platform deep-cleaning, white / yellow-lining 
• New Eltham: station canopy works, replacement of valance / dagger board, clearance of gutters, painting to canopy structures, platform surface breakout and reinstatement, platform end gate installation, raking out and re-pointing to platform copers, platform deep-cleaning, white / yellow-lining 
• Sundridge Park: clearance of gutters, platform surface breakout and reinstatement, raking out and re-pointing to platform copers, tactile installation, platform deep-cleaning, white / yellow-lining