Scarborough Railway Station: Network Rail enlists hawks to prevent delays in station’s £14m overhaul

Maverick and Lily are feathered enforcers who spend an hour a day ensuring nesting birds don’t cause costly delays to the upgrade.

The two 15-month-old harris hawks patrol the site for an hour twice and week and are rewarded with food from their Rentokil-employed keeper.

Their arrival on the side at the Grade II-listed station provokes a lively response from the local birds who often try to stand their ground - before wisely beating a retreat.

Network Rail said the hawks are kept under close control – eating only their pre-prepared food – and their patrol routes have allowed other birds to remain on sections of the roof which will not be touched until after nesting season.

Ann Shannon, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said: “This is a £14 million project which will make a massive difference to this historical station.

“Nesting would be a problem because if eggs were laid, we’d have to stop our work. As we’re replacing the roof, it could mean us losing two critical months this summer, and the costs would be phenomenal.

“We’re making major changes which will hugely improve Scarborough station for passengers and staff. This restoration will also include stonework and lighting repairs, upgrades to the ticket office, waiting area and drainage system, and improvements to the clocktower.

“The changes will improve safety for station users – and preserve the building for generations to come.”

The roof repair project began in 2021 after a glazing failure. The station was made safe and, after funding constraints were overcome, the full restoration started in April this year with a target completion of the end of March 2026.

The coastal location has meant other considerations aside from the seaside birds. Specific types of paint and timber are used because of the high salt content in the air.

Welsh Ffestiniog slate is being fitted on the roof because it’s tougher and should last about a century, while the valleys between the roof glazing are being made deeper to cope with a one-in-100-year weather event.

Scott Day, senior project manager at main contractors Colt Construction, said: “It’s not just a roofing project, it’s an improvement of a listed building, with upgraded stonework, painting, drainage – it’s a complete scheme protecting an important listed building.

“Once the funding was in place, we reacted quickly to get the site set up. We’ve been in contact with the residents and businesses to inform them of what’s happening and shown them that what the future of the station will look like once it's complete. It’s exciting times for us and the community.”

Aiden How, from Rentokil Pest Control, said: “With it being the breeding season for gulls right now, we’re using birds of prey as a natural form of pest control to discourage any nesting while work is happening on the roof.

“Flying birds of prey over the station roof deters the gulls from wanting to nest there as they see them as a threat, and so they will look at other locations in which to breed. Maverick knows when he’s on site, and he’s ready to go pretty much as soon as he comes out of the van. He knows he’s off to work and he’s rewarded with food, so it means dinner time!”

Chris Nutton, major projects director at TransPennine Express, said: “The repairs to Scarborough station roof will deliver significant improvements to the station and restore the grade II-listed building.

“Our thanks to Network Rail and our partners who are doing all they can to keep this project moving and secure the future of this historic station. We would like to thank our customers for their patience while work is taking place over the next 12 months."