Scarborough Train Station first opened on 7 July 1845, as the terminus of the line from York.

The station was designed by noted railway architect George Townsend Andrews, whose work helped define early Victorian railway architecture.

The station originally featured a large booking hall, waiting rooms of various classes, toilets, porters’ rooms and a refreshment room, it included two platforms at first, connected at the north end, with four tracks and turntables between them.

The expansion of the train station came in the late 19th century as seaside tourism grew, the station expanded. Two new platforms were added in 1883 (now platforms 1 and 2) with additional waiting rooms and amenities to cope with rising passenger numbers.

Scarborough train station is a Grade II listed building, a status granted on 8 June 1973 in recognition of its architectural and historical importance.

As part of Network Rails newest restoration project that would be done in two phases.

Network Rail asked several of their preferred suppliers to competitive quotations do the complex restoration works with would include a large proportion or scaffolding and Colt Construction was the successful preferred supplier.

Firstly, was to design a scaffolding crash deck that would allow all the work to be done but at the same time allow the day to day of working of the station including the staff, passengers and the public to be allowed to continue operating.

The scaffolding crash deck was designed to cover the full concourse of the station’s platforms; it was very important they had ventilation for the running trains parked up and had to put in place fire precision which would mean below the scaffolding crash deck would have to be covered with a fire blanket design.

The Scaffolding design was designed by RV Engineering who work closely with Colt and Network Rail.

J Gunn Scaffolding Ltd had the vast experience and knowledge of this type of working environment as the worked with Colt Construction on May of their previous projects and where awarded the scaffolding work as their preferred Scaffolding supplier.

The scaffolding work began in 2021 with the building of large numbers of support towers on each platform that would take the weights of unit beams holding up a crash deck. The towers needed to be built not to block the visual site of the train drivers when entering or leaving the station.

Once the crash deck frame was built, the area needed to be double boarded and sheeting with FR rated materials to prevent dust or other loose debts falling.

Above the crash deck was two additional independent towers built to allow safe access to the taller areas of the roof to allow the glass panels to be removed and replaced with slates.

The Scarborough train station clock tower was addition in the 1880s, The station’s central clock tower was added around 1882 to1884 as part of a major expansion and this was not part of Andrews’ original 1845 design but was introduced later as the station’s profile grew.

Scarborough train stations clock tower has an elaborate Baroque style with a lead dome, making it more decorative compared with the otherwise restrained classical pavilions of the original building.

The clock tower contrasts with the rest of the station’s Italianate architecture, adding vertical emphasis and a sense of grandeur to the central pavilion.

Secondly, the clock tower would require another complex scaffolding that would also need to be designed. This design scaffolding was also to be designed by RV Engineering following on from the outstanding scaffolding work on the station platforms.

This complex Scaffolding was also built with for support towers that would have to carry a large volume of working platforms to allow stone masons to work on every level repairing stonework.

The four Scaffolding supports towers would be built to carry the 750-unit beams that would be needed to span above an around the clock tower to allow access to all areas.

The Scaffolding also had to be designed to ensure that the train station operated as usual and no harm would come to passages or the staff and public.

750 beams were used to span the lower base of the clock from all sides.

The Scaffolding would then be punched up and then 450 beams introduced to ensure that all weight would be distributed equally whilst stone workers worked on various levels at the same time.

All internal scaffolding works was done on night shift working. The clock tower work was initially done on night shift working and then on day shift working.

All this work was done safely, on time and within budget.