We’ve been wondering that for years…
https://media.reading.gov.uk/news/b...ws-entirety-of-new-reading-green-park-station
I believe it’s a secondary means of escape from the north end of the platform, they‘ve certainly covered all the bases at vast expense.
Seems a bit daft having a walkway directly behind the platform when instead you could just link the emergency escape to the existing platform. It's not exactly very wider for a full scale evacuation.
The escape route is also linked directly to the platform at the south end. I’m pretty sure they’ve gone for the most expensive interpretation of group standards possible.
I hadn't realised how well built that bridge was too. When there's plenty of other stations around with either uncovered or "half" * covered footbridges, they seem to have gone for the most robust design going!
www.getreading.co.uk
I don’t think the track layout or signalling allows for short workings, it can only be strengthening of existing services.
also since its so far from the stadium i reckon the bus from the station will still be the better option - I doubt it'll get any better than the half hourly service too
Can’t help but think that it seems a bit odd that they installed both canopies and a covered footbridge, but then left a section with no cover at all between them on the platform with the buildings.
To make sure the station is legal and safe
And the politicians who employ them and have got funding for the station will be making sure the station opens as soon as possible now so they can have their photo op.
Just in time for the local elections in May 2023 perhaps?
At a guess, in time for the December 22 Timetable change. AIUI the paths are in the WTT with the stop, it's just Unadvertised at the moment. It's a very simple data exercise to change that code. Possible timescale could be soft (unpublicised) opening the Saturday before the timetable change and then balloons on Monday morning.
The calls have been in the WTT since 2020 (if not before) when it changed from 2 trains going back & forth to 3 trains with longer turnarounds.
) to get the photos of them smiling with a novelty pair of scissorsIf only it were true.
Whatever last minute hitches are still to occur, the overall time taken has already been significantly longer than some other new stations. Obviously they’re all different in detail, but this just seems to have been a very long time.
Back before electrification to Newbury, Saturday services on the Reading-Basingstoke shuttle were regularly reduced to hourly as one unit was sacrificed to provide extra capacity for racegoers going to Newbury Racecourse. But as that service is now electric, there's little possibility of the favour being returned for football supporters going to Green Park station. I doubt there's a free path on the line that would allow extra actual services. The dedicated platform 5 at Basingstoke is probably only long enough for 5 cars and all the units now on the line seem to be 3-car, so making extending the train lengths unlikely, unless they can switch to a longer platform, like 1 or 4.
The promoting/funding council has declared that they are deliberately being cautious. They are not railway construction experts and do not have vast experience on which to draw. Yes, they have guidance by experts but ultimately it's for them to decide whether to do X or Y.
I can imagine Reading Buses will be sneakily pleased with this situation as they can keep their shuttle bus contract with the club!
It's also an easy 10-15 mins drive from Shinfield/Three Mile Cross/Swallowfield, where many more thousands of houses have been built, maybe 7/8k over the last few years.
