Hewden bridges the gap

After more than 40 years without a passenger train rail service, Laurencekirk in Scotland will once again be connected after the station has been restored with the help of a crane.

Hewden, the UK's largest equipment rental firm, completed a contract lift for main contractor Galliford Try Rail, part of the Galliford Try group. Galliford is working for client Network Rail on the Aberdeenshire station project funded by Transport Scotland.

To minimise interruption to rail services Hewden crane hire worked at night with a 100 tonne Terex Demag all terrain crane to position six precast concrete support beams and a new pedestrian bridge linking the two sides of the track.

Douglas McCully, head of the Hewden operation, said everything went to plan and was on schedule, "with the pedestrian bridge in place by 6 a.m. so there was no disruption to the East Coast Main line."