Designplan supplied Stromma luminaires and the Mission Cable Management System (CMS) for Cambridge South Station. Specifically, the team worked directly with Gary Mathews at TCDI and the Murphy delivery group. As a result, Network Rail (NWR) and Greater Anglia (GA) approved the full lighting system. Ultimately, this durable solution handles high passenger traffic, speeds up site installation, and simplifies ongoing maintenance.
What were the key challenges of the Cambridge South Station project?
Railway environments demand robust, vandal-resistant infrastructure. In particular, equipment must handle high passenger volumes while meeting strict transport safety standards. Consequently, key project challenges included:
- Strict Maintenance Windows: Engineers needed to install, service, and replace lighting during tight track access times.
- Complex Cable Routing: In addition, the site required clear cable segregation inside the trunking to separate power and control wiring.
- Integrated Emergency Systems: Furthermore, the team required reliable emergency lighting without ruining station aesthetics.
How did Designplan and Murphy solve these technical challenges?
Early collaboration drove the success of this project. Key technical solutions included:
- Interactive Factory Workshops: Teams met at Designplan’s factory to test trunking layouts and resolve site challenges before starting work.
- Engineered Cable Segregation: Designplan built custom Tee-piece segregation routes into the Mission CMS trunking. This feature keeps wiring safe and organized.
- Plug-in Emergency Systems: Designplan integrated plug-in emergency systems directly into the Stromma luminaires. This preserved a clean design while speeding up compliance testing.
- Streamlined Maintenance Design: Modular luminaire mounting allows crews to replace fittings rapidly without disrupting daily station operations.
What was the outcome of the project handover?
This collaborative approach delivered exceptional site results. Network Rail (NWR) and Greater Anglia (GA) attended the official handover. Both operators praised the system’s build quality, practical design, and ease of maintenance.
Client Testimonial
“I would like to say a Very Big Thank You to yourself James and the Design plan team on the help and dedication shown towards the Murphy team throughout the challenging Beaulieu Park Station & Cambridge South Station projects.
From the early days of the station projects meeting your Good Self and the Design Plan team at the state-of-the-art factory I knew Murphys was in Good Hands. I enjoyed our factory visits with sleeves rolled up Mission trunking sections, lighting laid out on tables with the Murphy & Design plan teams working in collaboration to overcome the various challenges & issues facing the project—all solved with very good results in both product and installation.
This all came to fruition during the station meeting to hand over the projects to NWR, GA who were extremely impressed as I explained the thought process and functionality behind the Design Plan products which came from the Design Plan / Murphy synergy. All of this made maintenance, ease of installation, and removal of lighting very streamlined—which in a railway environment and its challenging passenger traffic times is paramount. From the emergency plug-in systems for the lighting built into products giving a more pleasing aesthetic look for the stations, to the Tee piece segregation wiring routes and many others—all produced from the Design Plan / Murphy brainstorming meetings at the factory washed down with generous amounts of sandwiches & Tea supplied by your Good selves to which we greatly appreciated.
I would like to also say a big thank you for the communication accessibility given to Murphys via factory visits, Design Plan staff visits to site, and great contractability via emails & phone calls—always answered with issues solved.
Below are a few photos taken of the products in action, and again a Big Thank You to All the Design Plan team and I look forward to working with you on future projects.”
— Gary Mathews, TCDI
