Newbury Racecourse station CCTV installation

GWR contracted TDM in 2022 to install a CCTV system at Newbury Racecourse station.

The requirement

The three-platform station had no surveillance coverage for its new ticket vending machines or for general monitoring during racecourse events. Primary services are fed to the central island platform, and the railway has overhead line equipment (OLE).

The site set the constraints:

• The main external cabinet weighed over 200 kg and had to cross the station footbridge.
• Cabling ran on external footbridge containment, above the OLE and inside its exclusion zone.
• A non-conductive access tower had to stand in the four foot.
• Network Rail’s cable containment rules applied throughout.
• Passengers and staff had to be kept clear of the work.

What TDM delivered

• The primary external SISS equipment cabinet on the island platform.
• Node cabinets on both outside platforms.
• Fibre cabling linking the SISS nodes.
• CCTV coverage of the new ticket vending machines, and general surveillance for racecourse events.

How the work was done

• Possessions and isolations. TDM arranged track possessions with complete OLE isolations, planned with PRB Consulting. They removed train movements and traction current from the work area.
• Asset protection. TDM agreed a Basic Asset Protection Agreement (BAPA) with Network Rail Asset Protection.
• Out-of-hours working. Work was scheduled outside normal hours to separate it from passengers.
• Training. Operatives renewed their manual handling training and were trained on the powered stair climber that moved the cabinet over the footbridge. Access tower work was PASMA certified.
• Site safety. A Safe Work Pack covered the activities, with a Controller of Site Safety (COSS) on site.

The result

• All project objectives were met.
• The possessions were handed back with no impact on rail services.
• The methods are now part of TDM’s standard operating procedures.