Metal railings and
gates specialists Alpha Rail has been appointed to help with phase 2 of the
transformation of the enclosure area at York racecourse.
Established in 1731,
with racing heritage tracing back to Roman times, York Races is one of the
premier tracks in Europe and attracts over 360,000 racegoers each year.
It has played host
to many spectacular events over the years, including hosting Royal Ascot in
2005 and The Ladbrokes St Leger Festival in 2006.
The £4 million
development of the Course Enclosure area will help to overhaul many of the
historic buildings on site, as well as bring damp and flood prone facilities up
to modern standards.
Alpha Rail was
appointed by the main contractor Lindum Construction to help restore many of
the original aesthetics of the enclosure area by manufacturing and installing
metal railings and gates in designs typical of the era.
The company, which
has its manufacturing facility based in Huthwaite, Nottingham supplied over
200m of 1450mm high balustrade which was installed around the various
facilities around and within the course enclosure perimeter.
Part of this
included installing vertical bar metal railings with handrails to the upper
levels of outdoor hospitality suites to ensure guests are prevented from
falling from height. The galvanised railings have been manufactured to
incorporate heavy duty backstays to ensure the railings can withstand the load
of guests who may lean against them whilst watching the racing.
On behalf of Lindum
Construction, Contract Surveyor, Lester Fisher said “The Course Enclosure is an
area of the racecourse which generations of families and racegoers have enjoyed
for hundreds of years. This scheme seeks to address the challenges of the facilities
which are located in the infield. Alpha Rail has helped to retain many of
original features with the installation of metal railings, which was certainly
one of our goals from the outset.”
Phil Ball, Sales
Director at Alpha Rail added “York Racecourse is steeped in a rich history of
racing tradition, so it was a privilege to be part of the redevelopment of such
an iconic venue. The metal railings we have installed have helped to meet our clients
project requirements of wanting to retain original features whilst also
ensuring the safety of guests.”
