Brunel Arcade, the old new Reading Station

[WAO]

The 1989 "station" was really only a new ticket office and footbridge to the multi-storey car park, with an odd concourse and some staff offices. It is a mediocre building, inefficient in site ratio (useful floor area/site area), nondescript frontage with poorly sized signage, a space-frame roof that looks as though the scaffolding is still up and inches deep in dust, so badly built that the 1991 roof leaks (as does the new transfer deck). It is a shame the late Queen had to put her Name to it. It is in what was called "Station Square", bounded by the Italianate station and GW Hotel, grouped around King Edward 7. A responsible planner and architect would have squared off the third side with a sympathetic new station frontage, inviting passengers to enter. This is still needed as the £850M new station lacks a South ticket office and covered concourse! The North, quiet side is better, with perhaps England's longest escalator and even has a good little bus station for Caversham, North of the river, although buses to this prosperous area are less well used than those to the poorer areas, East, South and West.

The new station is very good from the track layout and may be the only station in the country where a delay can propagate to every main line in England (even up North). There is enormous covered waiting space, just as well as the new platform canopies deflect wind and rain on to passengers. Why an overall roof was not used as at Man Vic and KX can only be put down to the low priority passengers had in design. It is perhaps a pity the Eastern foot-bridge was lost as the station is now so vast.

Reading's historic boundaries are tight, probably because the affluent suburbs did not want to pay urban rates although they used the Borough's services. Oxfordshire wants all the nasties South of the river if possible but is happy to funnel through traffic through central Reading. The alternatives are Whitchurch (toll!) or Sonning (single lane!).

Reading's (and Govt's) regained predilection for high rise housing, neglects the consistent dynamiting of such nationally, as quite unsuitable to social housing. Welcome to the 1950's, Reading!

WAO

 

[BlueLeanie]

Reading's historic boundaries are tight, probably because the affluent suburbs did not want to pay urban rates although they used the Borough's services. Oxfordshire wants all the nasties South of the river if possible but is happy to funnel through traffic through central Reading. The alternatives are Whitchurch (toll!) or Sonning (single lane!).

Do you think the attitude of the Parish Councils & South Oxfordshire DC towards a bypass bridge would change if Reading proposed a Congestion Charging Zone like London? Could potentially raise £lots for public transit within Reading if every South Oxon resident was charged £12 to drive to the hospital or station.

 

[crablab]

if Reading proposed a Congestion Charging Zone like London?

It was proposed and has been dropped. The idea is too politically toxic after ULEZ

 

[irish_rail]

The 1989 "station" was really only a new ticket office and footbridge to the multi-storey car park, with an odd concourse and some staff offices. It is a mediocre building, inefficient in site ratio (useful floor area/site area), nondescript frontage with poorly sized signage, a space-frame roof that looks as though the scaffolding is still up and inches deep in dust, so badly built that the 1991 roof leaks (as does the new transfer deck). It is a shame the late Queen had to put her Name to it. It is in what was called "Station Square", bounded by the Italianate station and GW Hotel, grouped around King Edward 7. A responsible planner and architect would have squared off the third side with a sympathetic new station frontage, inviting passengers to enter. This is still needed as the £850M new station lacks a South ticket office and covered concourse! The North, quiet side is better, with perhaps England's longest escalator and even has a good little bus station for Caversham, North of the river, although buses to this prosperous area are less well used than those to the poorer areas, East, South and West.

The new station is very good from the track layout and may be the only station in the country where a delay can propagate to every main line in England (even up North). There is enormous covered waiting space, just as well as the new platform canopies deflect wind and rain on to passengers. Why an overall roof was not used as at Man Vic and KX can only be put down to the low priority passengers had in design. It is perhaps a pity the Eastern foot-bridge was lost as the station is now so vast.

Reading's historic boundaries are tight, probably because the affluent suburbs did not want to pay urban rates although they used the Borough's services. Oxfordshire wants all the nasties South of the river if possible but is happy to funnel through traffic through central Reading. The alternatives are Whitchurch (toll!) or Sonning (single lane!).

Reading's (and Govt's) regained predilection for high rise housing, neglects the consistent dynamiting of such nationally, as quite unsuitable to social housing. Welcome to the 1950's, Reading!

WAO

For sure the station footbridge was a poor design. I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult to "glass up" some of the huge gaps where the wind and rain blow through on the roof bit of the bridge. Operationally, the station is a massive success, its just a shame that as you say, the passenger comfort experience was forgotten in this one key area.

 

[LLivery]

Just to emphasise this, from the Local Plan (via https://readingonthames.com/2024/10/20/reading-local-plan-update/)

Huge chunks of the urban area are outside of the borough boundary (the black line), and the only non-built up areas within it are floodplains or within the (recently expanded) AWE exclusion zone. The blog post I linked to has a good amount of information on the latter, which is going to block any development south of the centre including around the Reading FC stadium and the new Green Park station. And while the border with Oxfordshire was adjusted decades ago to include more of Caversham they're still very restrictive, which lets Oxfordshire Council permanently block any hopes for a bypass or a third Thames crossing.

So in short, Reading council has very little choice but to build up and increase the density in the city centre.

We really should review our council boundaries for urban areas. Urban areas are the economic drivers, whether it's Reading, London or Nottingham, far too much of the urban areas fall outside the city's authority. Strategically at least, it makes little sense. But heaven forbid the likes of Staines and Loughton can't call themselves 'Surrey' or 'Essex', as if that's stops the good folk of Purley or Romford.

It was proposed and has been dropped. The idea is too politically toxic after ULEZ

Soo toxic, Sadiq increased his London majority. 90% of the outrage was unhinged nonsense

 

[coppercapped]

SNIP

Soo toxic, Sadiq increased his London majority. 90% of the outrage was unhinged nonsense

Oh dear, do try thinking this through...

...as the circumstances are different.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital is the major hospital in the area and serves a population living many miles outside the Reading borough boundaries. How do you explain to someone that they need to pay £12 to reach the hospital simply because they are taken there in an older car?

Don't say that they should take a bus - if one is unwell then a bus is not the most suitable vehicle in which to travel. If there even is one in your neck of the woods at the time you need it.

 

[cactustwirly]

Oh dear, do try thinking this through...

...as the circumstances are different.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital is the major hospital in the area and serves a population living many miles outside the Reading borough boundaries. How do you explain to someone that they need to pay £12 to reach the hospital simply because they are taken there in an older car?

Don't say that they should take a bus - if one is unwell then a bus is not the most suitable vehicle in which to travel. If there even is one in your neck of the woods at the time you need it.

There are 2 routes that go past the Royal Berkshire Hospital anyway.

Driving through Reading is needed to access Oxford and parts of Oxfordshire too.

Don't forget that Reading isn't London, there are places where the public transport isn't very good. In Woodley the bus is hourly on Sundays and Evenings

 

[DelW]

I just hope this doesn't involve pouring yet more public money into Reading station. It really is the poster-boy for the way southern England sucks up taxpayers money at the expense of the rest on the UK.

A significant proportion of the expenditure went into track layout improvements, including flying junctions that removed many route conflicts. Those improvements benefitted GWR passengers across south western and western England and south Wales, and XC passengers across the whole country, since previously there were regular delays, both at those junctions and awaiting platform lines becoming free.

For sure the station footbridge was a poor design. I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult to "glass up" some of the huge gaps where the wind and rain blow through on the roof bit of the bridge. Operationally, the station is a massive success, its just a shame that as you say, the passenger comfort experience was forgotten in this one key area.

IIRC from comments at the time, increasing the enclosure of the stairs and escalators would have caused other issues, possibly related to fire safety and/or smoke dispersion? The details elude me now, but were explained at the time.

 

[LLivery]

Oh dear, do try thinking this through...

...as the circumstances are different.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital is the major hospital in the area and serves a population living many miles outside the Reading borough boundaries. How do you explain to someone that they need to pay £12 to reach the hospital simply because they are taken there in an older car?

Don't say that they should take a bus - if one is unwell then a bus is not the most suitable vehicle in which to travel. If there even is one in your neck of the woods at the time you need it.

I wouldn't have said they should take the bus, but you could use the same argument within the very outer suburbs of London, where I live. My local major hospital serves people within Kent and the public transport isn't fantastic either. But using the most extreme argument for it is exactly what anti ULEZ people did in London. You can simply have exemptions for hospital visits and the very poorest. It's not beyond the capabilities of Reading Council.

 

[Meerkat]

I don't think many people realise how restraining the boundaries of Reading Borough are. They mostly date from 1912 and what many people think of as Reading suburbs are within the neighbouring districts of Wokingham and West Berkshire. Only on the Oxfordshire side have the boundaries been extended since then and that extension never included much that could be newly built on.

Really is about time there was an independent commission to resolve these issues - Reading’s boundaries are ludicrous, with Wokingham and West Berkshire councils getting the council tax from loads of Readings suburbs.

I just hope this doesn't involve pouring yet more public money into Reading station. It really is the poster-boy for the way southern England sucks up taxpayers money at the expense of the rest on the UK.

Bitter! The redevelopment improved services across the West of England and Wales, and South East commuter services to places like Reading rake in revenue and other benefits.

But heaven forbid the likes of Staines and Loughton can't call themselves 'Surrey' or 'Essex',

Ahem! Staines shouldnt get fussy about being in Surrey, I don’t even accept as Surrey - it’s a bit of Middlesex that was dumped on us!
Surrey is south of the river.

 

[The exile]

A significant proportion of the expenditure went into track layout improvements, including flying junctions that removed many route conflicts. Those improvements benefitted GWR passengers across south western and western England and south Wales, and XC passengers across the whole country, since previously there were regular delays, both at those junctions and awaiting platform lines becoming free.

And, IIRC, unlike some of the other pinch points (Piccadilly to Castlefield for example), the work could be done without a massive land-grab / demolition of significant buildings.

 

[WAO]

Really is about time there was an independent commission to resolve these issues - Reading’s boundaries are ludicrous, with Wokingham and West Berkshire councils getting the council tax from loads of Readings suburbs.

There was such a Commission in 2OO8 under Prof Tony Travers. I gave evidence at it commending Paddington Suburban Electrification as the strategic need, as more commuting occurred into the town than out, giving (rarely) balanced flows. It happened, with Turbos replaced by 387's and then 345's.

The boundaries are a step too far, as they are now very political.

WAO

 

[Meerkat]

There was such a Commission in 2OO8 under Prof Tony Travers. I gave evidence at it commending Paddington Suburban Electrification as the strategic need, as more commuting occurred into the town than out, giving (rarely) balanced flows. It happened, with Turbos replaced by 387's and then 345's.

The boundaries are a step too far, as they are now very political.

WAO

Boundaries really really need fixing, particularly where devolution is happening (effectively already happened for Reading as they are all unitaries and Berkshire county council disappeared

 

[WAO]

You are rightly thinking strategically but these things are often decided by the narrow self interest of the strongest lobby (here rural Berkshire and South Oxfordshire). They want the largely new Royal Berks Hospital entirely rebuilt for their convenience South of the M4.

Would you prefer boundaries of the ceremonial counties or the sub-region the NHS uses of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and West/Central Berkshire? I like the latter as it covers more, near complete rail services, the old Thames and Chiltern sub-sector!

WAO

 

[MarkyT]

Indeed. The current situation, with bus stops scattered around the one way system, is sub-optimal and rather chaotic. Bringing them into a central terminus would be a substantial improvement.

A multi-modal transport interchange! How modern.

Durham, for example, has an excellent bus station which has absorbed many of the bus stops that were distributed throughout the city centre. So not only is there now somewhere dry and (relatively) warm you can sit and wait, but the pavements are free of clutter & you don't have to worry about finding the right stop (if you're unfamiliar).

The argument that the station isn't directly outside the Oracle, or Broad Street is reasonable. That's why there are bus stops closer to those destinations (in a ring around them), but the station is at the centre of Reading itself and will become increasingly connected with Caversham (with the "through route" across Vastern Rd, from the river bridge over the substation and through the retail park - both to be redeveloped).

So the station is at the centre of the wider area, and with so many transport links concentrated here it makes sense to develop a properly integrated bus and rail station, rather than the haphazard stops on the Southern side and the approximate bus stands on the North.

Traditionally, many routes used Broad St. including the busy east-west crosstown route #17 in both directions. When Broad St. was pedestrianised, #17 in both directions moved to parallel Friar St. Stops on Friar St. near Station Road crossroads were ~200m from both the station main south entrance and the future Broad St entrance to the Oracle centre. The subsequent one-way loop scheme moved the westbound to go under the new Oracle footbridge on Minster St and the nearest stop to the station in that direction is now over 500m away. The eastwestbound has improved a little in more recent station-related work with a new diversion via Blagrave St and a stop a little closer than the nearest Friar St. one. The both ways on Friar St arrangement was a good compromise IMO, but couldn't be recreated easily due to further extensive pedestrianisation and one-way schemes. As you say, Reading centre is compact. As an evening WB user of the #17 after it moved I tended to walk through that small shopping centre from the station, then go to Sainsbury on Friar St for any grocery top-up requirements, and along West St. to the stop outside the Butts centre, sorry Broad St. Mall.

 

[davews]

They want the largely new Royal Berks Hospital entirely rebuilt for their convenience South of the M4.

I didn't realise the new hospital would be so far away from the town centre. Currently RBH is very accessible by public transport and (OK, being fit and active) when I go I just walk from the station, 15 minutes along the Kennet. From Bracknell it is by far the easiest A&E to get to - Wrexham Park is a nightmare, Frimley Park little better and when that moves no doubt will be even further.

 

[Thames99]

The westbound 17 can't be as much as 500m from the station can it? Jackson's Corner is the best stop to use, walk through Market Place, past the old town hall and into the station by the Railair bus can't be more than two or three hundred yards.

The problem is that bus announcements don't suggest getting off there for the station and the route isn't sign-posted. Locals will know what to do, but for visitors to the town it's not at all clear.

 

[MarkyT]

The westbound 17 can't be as much as 500m from the station can it? Jackson's Corner is the best stop to use, walk through Market Place, past the old town hall and into the station by the Railair bus can't be more than two or three hundred yards.

The problem is that bus announcements don't suggest getting off there for the station and the route isn't sign-posted. Locals will know what to do, but for visitors to the town it's not at all clear.

550m to Duke St (Jackson's) vs. ~600 to Cheapside (Butts). Buses are timed 8 minutes between the two so if you go to the latter you might catch an earlier service. It's almost as if planners drew the new westbound path to be as far away from the station as possible while still technically being in the town centre! The one way loop system was introduced around the same time as the tram loop in Croydon which introduced similar asymmetric interchange challenges at West Croydon. Loops were all the rage at the time ISTR. Fine if all services terminate in the centre and traverse the whole loop, but crosstown routes, often the busiest and most frequent, are forced to take completely different routes according to direction through the heart of the town. Not intuitive at all for occasional visitors.

 

[fandroid]

It is a shame the late Queen had to put her Name to it. It is in what was called "Station Square", bounded by the Italianate station and GW Hotel, grouped around King Edward 7.

I thought that was King George 6!

Reading's historic boundaries are tight, probably because the affluent suburbs did not want to pay urban rates although they used the Borough's services. Oxfordshire wants all the nasties South of the river if possible but is happy to funnel through traffic through central Reading. The alternatives are Whitchurch (toll!) or Sonning (single lane!).

My colleagues and I dreamt up a plan for a local Reading-Caversham toll bridge back in the 1980s! We thought the demand was so great that it might even wash its face as a private venture.

Reading's (and Govt's) regained predilection for high rise housing, neglects the consistent dynamiting of such nationally, as quite unsuitable to social housing. Welcome to the 1950's, Reading!

You've not been to just about anywhere in London recently then? The railway from Waterloo to Battersea is shielded from the river by a wall of residential towers. Any Tube station with space around it is having residential towers thrown up. Hayes and Harlington station has a sea of high rise blocks to the west. Those started well before Crossrail got going. Anywhere with land restraints is building upwards The big shame for me is that they aren't going for European city style 5-6 storey streetscapes but allowing mega towers that deflect any high winds onto the streets below

 

[crablab]

The new plaza, part of the Station Road development, and right next to the Brunel Arcade, is coming on very nicely. See attached.

At one point there were plans to build out a proper new booking hall and waiting area in this space, to replace the Arcade. It looked rather nice!

Unfortunately there was never funding and now the plaza has been built here it's not possible.

 

[MarkyT]

I didn't realise the new hospital would be so far away from the town centre. Currently RBH is very accessible by public transport and (OK, being fit and active) when I go I just walk from the station, 15 minutes along the Kennet. From Bracknell it is by far the easiest A&E to get to - Wrexham Park is a nightmare, Frimley Park little better and when that moves no doubt will be even further.

The Thames Valley Park option would be much better for access than Shinfield IMO. The hospital could spur development of the oft-mooted new station on the GWML with EL and other local trains calling. No chance of that at Shinfield. A fast bus link could also be added from the town centre to TVP routed to the north of the railway from the main station along Napier Rd and past Tesco. Routes currently terminating in the centre from various parts of town could extend to TVP and in combination provide a high frequency link from the centre and main station. Shinfield is a long way out of the centre and will enforce extra changes between bus routes for many people in the town to get there. I hope they also consider keeping at least some medical services in the town centre, maybe a new site for outpatients. Somewhere around the main station would be convenient for a lot of people.

 

[AlastairFraser]

The Thames Valley Park option would be much better for access than Shinfield IMO. The hospital could spur development of the oft-mooted new station on the GWML with EL and other local trains calling. No chance of that at Shinfield. A fast bus link could also be added from the town centre to TVP routed to the north of the railway from the main station along Napier Rd and past Tesco. Routes currently terminating in the centre from various parts of town could extend to TVP and in combination provide a high frequency link from the centre and main station. Shinfield is a long way out of the centre and will enforce extra changes between bus routes for many people in the town to get there. I hope they also consider keeping at least some medical services in the town centre, maybe a new site for outpatients. Somewhere around the main station would be convenient for a lot of people.

Unfortunately, NR has said no to a station round TVP, because of capacity constraints on the GWML.

 

[MarkyT]

Unfortunately, NR has said no to a station round TVP, because of capacity constraints on the GWML.

At only ~1.5 miles out I expect it would interfere with the ability to clear trains to the east effectively from the main station. If a stopping passenger train left in front of a long heavy freight, there'd be a chance the freight would get stopped behind it, possibly with its tail fouling Reading East Junction, maybe even still partly in the station itself or in signal overlaps preventing subsequent arrivals from the west in that platform. Then it would have to struggle into motion again once the passenger train moved on. Today everything leaving Reading for the east on the Reliefs can engage full power departing and trains accelerate optimally and space themselves out effectively in the five mile stretch to Twyford. If there could be a separate platform track for the TVP stoppers, that might make a difference but the NR position really strengthens the case for a new independent transit system, busway probably, in parallel with the GWML to the north, providing a swift, frequent link from main station and town centre to the site. Other existing fast buses such as Winnersh P&R and Railair link could also use the busway to access the main station, with the possibility of a TVP stop en route.

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @crablab to add to

 

[Jimini]

The M&S Simply Food in the old arcade has now permanently shut. Not too much of a PITA as the foodhall in the main store on Friar Street isn't too far away. Still a shame, mind. Used to use that quite a bit.

 

[fgwrich]

The M&S Simply Food in the old arcade has now permanently shut. Not too much of a PITA as the foodhall in the main store on Friar Street isn't too far away. Still a shame, mind. Used to use that quite a bit.

Indeed so as I found out the other evening when I was going to call in for some snacks. I can’t say I’m too surprised if I’m honest as it was a cramped, odd shaped shop.

The drawback however is that it just adds to the unloved, decaying and steadily emptying feeling that the Brunel Arcade has really.

 

[Bread & cheese]

Indeed so as I found out the other evening when I was going to call in for some snacks. I can’t say I’m too surprised if I’m honest as it was a cramped, odd shaped shop.

The drawback however is that it just adds to the unloved, decaying and steadily emptying feeling that the Brunel Arcade has really.

For the record, the M&S Simply Food in the Brunel Arcade closed on Christmas Eve.

 

[MarkyT]

Indeed so as I found out the other evening when I was going to call in for some snacks. I can’t say I’m too surprised if I’m honest as it was a cramped, odd shaped shop.

The drawback however is that it just adds to the unloved, decaying and steadily emptying feeling that the Brunel Arcade has really.

It was awkwardly shoehorned into the middle of the arcade. The original development didn't have a permanent retail unit there, but there may have been kiosks and similar in the space over the years. They definitely removed some customer seating to make room for the M&S. ISTR there were payphones in that vicinity too. How many vacant units are there now?

 

[cactustwirly]

It was awkwardly shoehorned into the middle of the arcade. The original development didn't have a permanent retail unit there, but there may have been kiosks and similar in the space over the years. They definitely removed some customer seating to make room for the M&S. ISTR there were payphones in that vicinity too. How many vacant units are there now?

There's no reason to go that way unless you're going to platforms 4-6 or RailAir lounge

 

[MarkyT]

There's no reason to go that way unless you're going to platforms 4-6 or RailAir lounge

Agreed. Closing the old footbridge took most of the footfall away. Even most of those arriving on the main line heading for the Blagrave St area probably wouldn't re-enter the station after exiting at the new gateline near the foot of the transfer bridge escalators.