24 June 2024
Ibstock’s Rail & Infrastructure specialist brand Anderton Concrete has backed plans to install tactile paving at every railway station in the UK, to help keep blind and partially sighted users free from harm when traversing platforms.
Network Rail made a pledge in February 2023 to install tactile paving on every UK rail station by 2025 following RNIB’s #RailSafecampaign, which was launched after the death of a partially sighted man in 2020, who fell from a platform with no tactile paving.
Shaun Forrester, Ibstock’s Commercial Director – Rail & Infrastructure category, commented: “The importance of Dual Copers and Tactile Paving cannot be underestimated, and will undoubtedly help save lives. I am pleased that by 2025 all platforms in the UK will have them and the role Ibstock will have played in this.”
Anderton produces a range of platform solutions including the Dual Coper, which incorporates a tactile paving slab to keep those with poor - or no sight - away from the platform edge. This-high performance product was originally developed for Network Rail and contains a major reduction in embodied carbon of 80%, giving an overall eCO2 reduction of 70%. This has been achieved by producing a unique design blend mix which is used within a bespoke manufacturing process.
The Dual Coper, which is available in buff and yellow, saves a minimum of 30% in preparation and laying times when compared to traditional methods thereby providing cost savings. The coper itself is manufactured off-site and delivers maximum strength and reliability, thereby maximising its lifespan as well as minimising maintenance requirements.
Another product manufactured by the company is low embodied carbon Tactile Paving, which provides an excellent retrofit solution to existing station platforms which do not have this safety feature. The third product in this Anderton product range is the Trestle Coper, which shares the same performance properties as the Dual Coper but is a unit without the tactile paving slab incorporated within it.
Shaun Forrester added: “Our Tactile Paving provides an excellent retrofit solution to existing station platforms which do not already have this safety feature. Our dual coper also comes with a white line warning edge strip, which is pre-painted ahead of delivery, another step designed to save time on site installation thereby saving on labour costs, as well as minimising other associated charges.”