Steelpaint GmbH has completed a milestone contract in which its advanced polyurethane-based corrosion protection system has been applied to a footbridge at Roding Valley London Underground Station.

The success of the project reflects increased market interest in long-life, easy-to-apply moisture-cured coatings as rail contractors look to reduce unscheduled maintenance and through-life costs.

Roding Valley Station, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, is situated on the London Underground’s Central line and forms part of the Hainault Loop. Its elevated footbridge, which links the station’s two platforms, provides access to residential areas north and south of the line. The bridge was closed for refurbishment from early May until August.

Transport for London (TfL) contractor M Group Rail & Aviation selected Steelpaint’s three-layer moisture-curing polyurethane system as the preferred solution for protecting the steelwork due to its reliability, longevity, and ease of application.

The three-part coating system, applied by Peterborough-based Specialist Painting Group (SPG), comprised the Stelcatec-L-PR anti-corrosive primer; Stelcatec-L-NT intermediate coating, known for its strong adhesion and mechanical resilience properties; and Stelcatec-L-TC, a UV-resistant topcoat that maintains gloss and color stability under exposure to sunlight and weathering. It was applied to a total dry film thickness (DFT) of about 300µm.

“The coating system we have supplied provides the highest level of corrosion protection,” says Perry Poppelaars, a director at Recoat UK, Steelpaint’s UK sales and distribution agent. “As infrastructure owners, like TfL continue to look at ways of reducing maintenance costs and downtime, more durable protective coating systems have a critical role to play.”

The polyurethane-based system has attracted widespread attention across the UK since its approval by Network Rail. The Steelpaint system was formally certified in January 2025 after laboratory testing and a test application to “gingered” steel in real-world ambient conditions. 

During an organised demonstration in March this year, representatives from Network Rail and several major painting contractors witnessed the full three-coat system being applied and cured within four hours using standard rollers, with adhesion testing confirming performance on marginally prepared substrates.

While the Roding Valley footbridge falls under TfL’s responsibility rather than Network Rail’s, the system’s prior approval was a deal maker, strengthening contractor confidence in the coatings’ suitability for rail applications across the country.

Interest from rail contractors has grown steadily since the Network Rail approval, with several companies evaluating the system for minor bridges, platform canopies, gantries and other access structures where maintenance closures have a direct operational and commercial impact.

“The UK has become one of our fastest-growing markets, largely because asset owners are demanding longer-lasting protection and more predictable performance from their coating systems,” Steelpaint director Frank Müller says. “We see a clear shift towards solutions that reduce repeat maintenance and extend structural life, and that plays directly to the strengths of our technology. There is significant long-term potential in the UK, not just for the railways but other infrastructure projects. We will continue to expand our presence to meet that demand.”