Client: East Midlands Parkway
Type of works: supply of an integrated sustainable drainage system.

East Midlands Parkway is the region’s newest mainline station. Opened in 2009 on the Midland Main Line, it provides park and ride facilities for passengers on the routes from Leicester to Derby and Nottingham. Situated close to the M1, the station’s location was carefully selected to encourage motorists to switch to more fuel-efficient rail transport, relieving pressure on the surrounding congested road network and delivering a net reduction in carbon emissions.

Served by over 100 train services per day, the £25 million station is expecting to attract up to half a million passengers a year. Owned by Network Rail and operated by East Midlands Trains, it comprises four platforms, a stepfree-access main station building with ticket office and secure parking for 850 vehicles. In line with its green operational objectives, Network Rail wished, in its construction, to use new technologies wherever possible that would minimise the impact on the local environment. In partnership with main contractor, Birse Civils, it meant working with suppliers who were committed to using locally-sourced and recycled materials.

ACO Water Management’s selection was due to the versatility and breadth of its product range together with the strength of its environmental credentials both in manufacturing and distribution. The design team had also worked closely with Network Rail’s engineers to show how, through ACO’s Value Engineering process, a fully integrated surface water management system would reduce ground infrastructure, saving money and shortening installation time.

Three products have been used extensively across the key areas of the station: ACO Qmax together with ACO KerbDrain keep the car park clear of standing water; ACO KerbDrain has been installed to remove run-off from the new station access road and used to create the bus and taxi pull-ins along the main entrance apron; and ACO MultiDrain provides drainage around the station perimeter and along the exposed passenger platforms.

To speed installation further, 1m long ACO KerbDrain units have been used to complete longer runs. KerbDrain drop kerbs, rodding access units and shallow gullies have also been installed to provide step-free-access, to allow easy maintenance and to tie the runs into the main drain that discharges into the adjacent River Soar. The composite grating used in all the ACO MultiDrain MD runs complement both the glazed façade of the main station building and the non-slip textured surface finish of the platforms.

Easily changed or removed for maintenance, the gratings use ACO’s Drainlock™ bar-less locking system to prevent any vertical movement or unwanted access.