Sandiacre Rail Distribution Centre

The project comprised the construction of a new central storage facility and distribution centre for Network Rail. This was to improve asset reliability and operational logistics for Network Rail’s High Output strategic rail fleet spares which will save around £1.6m through improved efficiency at this new facility.

The spare parts for the High Output ballast cleaning and track renewal system trains and the factories on top were previously stored on the High Output fleet of specialist track maintenance machines and travelled with them around Britain.

Moving the spares to this central facility will make it easier for teams to locate the parts they need at the right time. Better storage conditions will also prevent spares needing to be scrapped or overhauled ready for use.

The project to provide a central storage facility at Sandiacre High Output Operating Base (‘HOOB’), Toton siding, Nottingham was constructed at a site originally occupied by an engine shed on mostly wasteland within one of the largest rail depots in the UK. The main elements of the scheme included:

• Installation of ducting and service pits for new Electric and BT supplies
• Mass earthworks and construction of new concrete floor slab
• Installation of drainage systems including rainwater harvesting system and soakaway
• Installation of sheet pile retaining wall to the access road boundary
• Mass earthworks and construction of new concrete paving to the yard area and surrounding building, including the base for a generator
• Regrading existing track ballast and importation of new material
• Installation of concrete kerbs
• Design, fabrication, supply and installation of a 20m x 50m x 6.2m eaves height building with steel cladding to elevations and inflated two-layer translucent PVC roofing, complete with a electrical operated roller shutter door and 3 hinged personnel doors
• Installation of pallet racking
• Installation of small power
• Installation of internal lighting and external street lighting

To enable the works to be carried out without closing the main road to vehicle traffic through the depot to a quarry, we came up with an innovative sheet piled solution in lieu of constructing a Stepoc wall.

Due to the presence of a high ground water table a temporary well pointing system was designed and installed. Discharge consent was obtained from the Environment Agency.

Project time constraints meant that careful management of long ‘lead-in times’ was required so that items arrived on-site at the appropriate time. After laying the building foundations, Dyer & Butler managed to assemble the warehouse in just seven days. In total, the project moved from a contaminated railway sliding to a new distribution centre in just 66 working days.