Newport railway station’s innovative £22m roof is being repaired by contractor Galliford Try because it has been leaking
Newport’s eye-catching £22m new station, which was designed by Grimshaw and opened in September 2010 ahead of the Ryder Cup golf tournament at nearby Celtic Manor, has been the subject of passenger complaints about puddles in recent weeks.
The new roof is comprised of 31 air-filled cushions, made from the polymer ETFE, which was used by Grimshaw on its famous Eden Project in Cornwall.
Councillor Matthew Evans who was the leader of Newport council when the station revamp was unveiled told the BBC that the leaks are “embarrassing”.
He said: “You will have snagging problems with any new building but when you’ve still got problems three years later it doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence.
“I don’t have anything against the design - I called it thought-provoking at the time - but it needs to be practical.
“The roof has had problems for some considerable time.”
When it was unveiled, Network Rail called it a distinctive station “that is cost-effective to build and maintain, eco-friendly and fit for the 21st Century and beyond”.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “We still have verification works to complete before we are happy that the roof is leak free. Since [the station opened], we became aware of interface issues between some of the materials used in its construction.
“We agreed a remediation plan with our contractor and we are delighted that the works are now complete.”
A spokesman for contractors Galliford Try said: “We have rectified the readily accessible leaks identified in the roof with the exception of two which require possession of the line.
“We will attend to these at the first opportunity.”
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