Reading station upgrade

[43021HST]

Whats happening to the 1920s buildings on the old platform 5 and 8, I know the ones next to the Brunel building have now been demolished. Be a shame to get rid of them they're much easier on the eyes compared to most modern structures.

Just looking at track plan, I didnt know the demolition of the Reading panel and a few relief lines provided that much room.

 

[swt_passenger]

Before the works are fully complete, looks like trains up from the West Counrty fast to London will use plat 7. Between 2013-2015, I don't see how these trains will access the fast London bound island platform 10/11.

However once the new relief side platforms are open there'll be loads still to do on the fast side. For instance the new full length through P11 has to open before P10 can be properly rebuilt - and that needs the current bay P11 to be taken out of use.

As you have probably noticed most of the current usable length of P10 is a temporary structure, in fact some is sitting on the original platform track. I suspect that there'll have to be an interim up main line layout for quite some time - possibly well into 2014, and the most likely solution IMHO is to leave P9 as an up line initially.

Current P7 will also close for a while at some stage, because it is being straightened over the middle part of its length to provide additional platform width, in what will become a busy circulating area at the position of the new footbridge. The present up main will be removed eventually to make room for this.

 

[swt_passenger]

Whats happening to the 1920s buildings on the old platform 5 and 8, I know the ones next to the Brunel building have now been demolished. Be a shame to get rid of them they're much easier on the eyes compared to most modern structures.

Scorched earth I'm afraid. Everything goes, I've attached a platform level drawing from the planning application:

 

[shinkansen1966]

Basingstoke and Newbury stoppers start from Reading, of course, and will continue to use P1–3. But yes, through services will be on P7.

I see !

So until the station work is complete 2015, plat 7 will be bi-directional for London to Berks & Hants trains ?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Scorched earth I'm afraid. Everything goes, I've attached a platform level drawing from the planning application:

From that attached diagram, it looks like the existing footbridge linking all platforms will also be removed ?

 

[swt_passenger]

From that attached diagram, it looks like the existing footbridge linking all platforms will also be removed ?

Yes that's right. That helps with provision of a much improved circulating area alongside the Southern platforms. I suspect it is also designed to persuade passengers to spread out along the platforms either side of the new footbridge area. Particularly when leaving London, there will no longer be much of an advantage to being at the back of the train for that dash to the exit, as the majority of arrivals will not be on P7 anyway...

IIRC an earlier idea was to retain the footbridge as a separate public route across the station, but the more recently preferred decision was to open up and use the existing subway as the north-south public route.

I think this is part of Reading BC's master plan for the area that includes a northern bus station, and intends to open up the area just west of the multi-storey car park.

 

[BananaRepublic]

Some of you may be interested in this thread on the Skyscraper City web site.

Reading Station Development

Lots of photos, going back over several pages.


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[swt_passenger]

Some of you may be interested in this thread on the Skyscraper City web site.

Reading Station Development

Lots of photos, going back over several pages.


.

Useful pics on that thread, but there's often a few less than accurate comments made.

The staircase at the end of the new P4 is most definitely a fire escape, (not an alternative normal entrance/exit as suggested) - as is the staircase and subway yet to be built at the end of P5/6, and those that will be provided at both ends of the new relief platform islands. This is because P4 and P12-P15 are definitely brand new construction, and have to meet the latest safety rules; The new P5/P6 were considered sufficiently new construction to require an escape route.

The current platform 10 structure as shown in that last photo is definitely temporary - as you move left from that viewpoint you can see the redundant track is still there, under the platform sections.

 

[Flamingo]

It's costing £400m (at least it was when they announced it three or four years ago) so each of the 27 million taxpayers in this country is chipping in about £15.

I had somebody from Reading corner me on a train a few weeks ago, came out with all the usual rant (no seats (in coach E), 6%, always late etc.) and then finished with the corker - "And anyway, what is all the money being spent on, I can't see a single thing for it!" :roll::roll::roll:

 

[LexyBoy]

Useful pics on that thread, but there's often a few less than accurate comments made.

The staircase at the end of the new P4 is most definitely a fire escape, (not an alternative normal entrance/exit as suggested) - as is the staircase and subway yet to be built at the end of P5/6, and those that will be provided at both ends of the new relief platform islands. This is because P4 and P12-P15 are definitely brand new construction, and have to meet the latest safety rules; The new P5/P6 were considered sufficiently new construction to require an escape route.

The current platform 10 structure as shown in that last photo is definitely temporary - as you move left from that viewpoint you can see the redundant track is still there, under the platform sections.

Thanks for the corrections Will P10 be demolished and rebuilt at some point then? I did think it was temporary- it's made of prefab panels with a pre-painted surface glued on.

I was sure that there was going to be an entrance on Vastern Rd (there used to be one leading to the main concourse, closed to make make room for p4), is this not the case?

Anyway, it's all exciting stuff to see the developments- amazing how fast everything happens once the groundwork's done.

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks for the corrections Will P10 be demolished and rebuilt at some point then? I did think it was temporary- it's made of prefab panels with a pre-painted surface glued on.

I was sure that there was going to be an entrance on Vastern Rd (there used to be one leading to the main concourse, closed to make make room for p4), is this not the case?

The finished platform 10 will be parallel to platform 9 over its full length. (by which I mean there will be a two track gap between the two islands. I think the reason the east end of P10 hasn't been built out to match the west end is more to do with the position of existing junctions and signals, and the support for the existing footbridge, which cannot be demolished until the new 'transfer deck' is completed as an alternative route.

I'm puzzled by this idea of an entrance off Vastern Rd, I wasn't aware that there was any public access right into the station between the Apex Plaza building and the original P4A/4B, but there is still a footpath alongside the building. However there are parts of one of the planning booklets that mention the new northern station entrance as being 'off Vastern Rd', but in that context they mean the stretch of Vastern Rd west of the multi-storey carpark, ie opposite the Southern Electricity offices.

The stairs down towards Vastern Rd east of the railway bridge that we were discussing are definitely a fire exit as described in the design and access statement.

 

[LexyBoy]

The finished platform 10 will be parallel to platform 9 over its full length. (by which I mean there will be a two track gap between the two islands. I think the reason the east end of P10 hasn't been built out to match the west end is more to do with the position of existing junctions and signals, and the support for the existing footbridge, which cannot be demolished until the new 'transfer deck' is completed as an alternative route.

That makes sense. The junctions at the eastern end are certainly too close to the end of the platform for it to be straight at the moment.

I'm puzzled by this idea of an entrance off Vastern Rd, I wasn't aware that there was any public access right into the station between the Apex Plaza building and the original P4A/4B, but there is still a footpath alongside the building. However there are parts of one of the planning booklets that mention the new northern station entrance as being 'off Vastern Rd', but in that context they mean the stretch of Vastern Rd west of the multi-storey carpark, ie opposite the Southern Electricity offices.

The stairs down towards Vastern Rd east of the railway bridge that we were discussing are definitely a fire exit as described in the design and access statement.

I agree that the stairs east of the bridge are a fire exit. I think I may just have jumbled up my memories - I thought the path from Vastern Road near the bridge (streetview before redevelopment) which is now gone (pic1, pic2) originally led into the station at the bottom of the stairs, next to Upper Crust. I never used it though so I might have got that idea somewhere and not questioned it, so perhaps I interpreted something as meaning an entrance onto p4 would be provided. Anyways, still think it would be useful even if only manned for a couple of hours at peak times!

In other news, what appears to be the rear wall of the new northern entrance went in yesterday & this morning, and the canopy over the remains of the old p7 has been entirely removed.

 

[David Goddard]

Had a wander round the other morning and see that where the old P7 has been filled in, the buffer stops are still in place. The contractors have just filled material into the gap.

 

[swt_passenger]

Had a wander round the other morning and see that where the old P7 has been filled in, the buffer stops are still in place. The contractors have just filled material into the gap.

It's only filled temporarily so they can move machines such as piling rigs and excavators around safely within the hoarded off area, without a gap in the middle. The whole island platform structure will be rebuilt eventually according to a bloke from Costains I was talking to a few weeks back.