Upgrade of Athlone, Heideveld and Langa Stations on Cape Town’s Suburban Rail Network - A 2010 World Cup Project - Civil Engineering , May 2010
In February 2007 Jeffares & Green (J&G) were appointed lead consultant over a professional team consortium for the upgrades of three suburban rail stations in the Cape Town metropolitan area.
The stations identified by the client, Intersite Properties, were at Athlone, Heideveld and Langa. The magnitude of the brief had to be initially investigated by the professional team. This rested largely on input by J&G’s traffic engineers who carried out extensive studies to determine the spatial requirements for anticipated commuter volumes projected to 2025.
Towards the end of 2007 the architects were in a position to convert these spatial requirements into the desired facilities at each station. Once civil/structural and mechanical/electrical input had been provided, the quantity surveyors submitted their first financial report to the client.
Financial constraints at the time led the client to divide the construction into two phases. Phase 1 was to concentrate work at Langa Station, which had the largest commuter volumes, and then to carry out greatly reduced schemes at Heideveld and Athlone stations.
By mid-2008, as the preliminary designs for each station were nearing completion, Intersite released its role as client to the parent company PRASA (Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa) and the mandate was given to carry each of the Phase 1 projects forward into tender documentation, with a view to going to tender in early 2009.
The first half of 2009 saw construction beginning first at Langa, then Heideveld and finally Athlone at budgets of approximately R50 m, R20 m and R5 m respectively. As the construction was to be at existing station facilities it was imperative that commuters and Metrorail train operations were accommodated at all times. This necessity, with the relocation of overhead electrification wires, led to the implementation of high health and safety standards which were tied in with Transnet SPK7.1 documentation.
Langa Station
Langa Station is situated between the district of Langa to the south and the industrial area of Epping 1 to the north. An existing undercapacity subway connecting the two areas is now being replaced by a 100 m long x 10 m wide “skywalk” bridge structure.
The length of this structure was not only determined by the spacing of the existing rail tracks, but provision had to be made for a possible future rail link between the airport and Cape Town CBD and a future Integrated Rapid Transport route on the northern side of the station. At each end of the bridge commuters are able to approach or leave the structure via either staircases or ramps. A high priority for PRASA is to accommodate special-needs passengers (SNPs), so ramps or lifts have been provided at each of the stations, wherever possible.
A 1 500 m² ticket purchase and circulation concourse area is being constructed over the two main platforms. This area provides sufficient space for a minimum of grade C level of comfort (a Metrorail standard) for peak-hour commuters at all times while moving through the station complex.
As the station had to remain operational throughout the construction period, a large amount of off-site construction was done. All track spanning beams and slabs were precast and all superstructures were prefabricated from structural steel.
Heideveld Station
The Phase 1 scheme at Heideveld Station will provide SNPs access via ramps to the outer platforms, followed by a bridge structure 4 m wide to carry them via lifts to the other platforms. Stairs leading across the same structure are provided for all other passengers. Phase 1 budgets did not provide for a concourse ticket area, but provision has been made for this if Phase 2 proceeds. To the north of the site an existing Metrorail steel footbridge is being adapted to provide a “skywalk” facility for pedestrians wishing to move only between the western community of Heideveld and the eastern community of Gugulethu. As with Langa Station, the structure comprises pre-cast beams and slabs to ensure minimal interruptions to rail operations during construction.
Athlone Station
Athlone Station is situated between the Athlone CBD to the east and the well-established Athlone residential area to the west. Budget constraints for Phase 1 only allow the construction of a small ticket office on the eastern side and a ramp system to raise commuters some 2 m onto the platform surface. In Phase 2 commuters will be transported from one side of the station to the other via an enclosed steel bridge. The intention is that the western stair/ramp system will be accommodated within a commercial retail development.
Completion
At the time of publication, Heideveld and Athlone Stations Phase 1 upgrades are due for completion before the FIFA World Cup in June 2010, while the current Langa Project is scheduled for completion in September 2010, if all three stations move into Phase 2, the overall estimated project budget, including professional fees, will be R290 m.
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