Bo-Peep & Hastings

The Project

SSL was engaged to undertake sprayed concrete lining (SCL) works to reline two sections of Victorian brick-lined rail tunnels in Hastings. The works comprised:

• 22.5 m section within Hastings Tunnel

• 16.5 m section within Bo Peep Tunnel

Preparation works by others included hit-and-miss notch formation and associated steelwork, providing connection points for the required crown mesh. These notches were completed in hand-sprayed dry concrete, followed by a regulating layer applied using ME1 robotic spraying. SSL then installed two layers of mesh from haunch to haunch before completing the full lining thickness using wet-sprayed concrete, again utilising robotic application to improve efficiency, quality and safety.

The Solution

Restricted Access & Logistics

Access through Warrior Square Station and the limited RRAP availability posed significant challenges. All entry points were congested, with tight clearances and minimal laydown areas. This required:

• Carefully engineered lifting and loading strategies

• Detailed logistics planning

• Close coordination with station operations

• Active management of public interfaces

Health & Safety in Confined Environments

The programme demanded multiple concurrent activities within confined work zones and a very tight possession schedule. This required stringent health and safety controls to ensure safe and efficient progress.

Water Ingress & Historic Shaft Locations

Both tunnel sections were affected by substantial water ingress and were situated beneath historic ‘hidden shafts’ flagged by Network Rail for urgent remediation.

To mitigate this, SSL applied a Cemrok 50 AA regulating layer, which significantly reduced water ingress and provided an improved substrate for the wet-spray concrete lining.

The Outcome

The project was completed on time and incident-free, despite the highly constrained access, challenging environmental conditions and strict possession windows. The client expressed strong satisfaction with the quality of work and overall delivery performance.