Reading engineering Query

[43021HST]

There is a lot of Network Rail men hanging around Reading, Reading West, and pangbourne recently. Why? I hope one of there locos come through like a class 97 or something. Could anyone tell me of any developments. Is it to do with the electrification the GW main line.

 

[The Planner]

No, it will be to do with the Reading re-development project I would have thought. The first major stage of that is to move all the signalling interlocking up to the new Thames Valley signalling centre, though thats still a fair while away.

 

[asylumxl]

When I last went through they were just doing Surveying with total stations. This involves measuring 3 dimensional points to high accuracy levels, and from these working out useful things for design such as altitude, gradients arc curvatures etc.

 

[kestrel]

They're doing it along the whole route reading -paddington, crossrail and the impending reading redevelopment is the reason for the surveys and test drilling

 

[turbo mick]

hi there

iam a fgw driver at reading,ref the engineering its going a masive project,first the signal box at reading is moving to didcot to the new signalling centre.

my depot is going to be moved to reading west junction new flyover more platforms with bigger track layout

cheers

mick

 

[2030720310]

hi there

iam a fgw driver at reading,ref the engineering its going a masive project,first the signal box at reading is moving to didcot to the new signalling centre.

my depot is going to be moved to reading west junction new flyover more platforms with bigger track layout

cheers

mick

Whereabouts at Didcot will it be put?

 

[djw1981]

IIRC there is a new signalling centre at Didcot which will do the eatern end of the GWML.

The whole reading redevelopment is covered here and the crossrail work, which starts at Maidenhead, right ibnto Paddington, then under Lodon and out to Shenfield is covered here.

the Reading work is a huge project in its own righ to reduce conflicts, increase paths, improve interchabnge facilities and maintain 'normal service' on all lines throughout the cionstruction period. If Crossrail is extended to reading, it could further complicate matters, though AIUI NR have 'futureproofed' the new Reading layout for Crossrail, and Airlink.

 

[jrhilton]

the Reading work is a huge project in its own righ to reduce conflicts, increase paths, improve interchabnge facilities and maintain 'normal service' on all lines throughout the cionstruction period. If Crossrail is extended to reading, it could further complicate matters, though AIUI NR have 'futureproofed' the new Reading layout for Crossrail, and Airlink.

I used to travel from Reading to Paddington daily, a lot of the problems of conjestion were caused by trains always leaving Paddington late, and in close succession, then all arriving within minutes at Reading, e.g. there used to be (can't remember the exact timings but something like this) an 18:00 leaving paddington, then an 18:05 then 18:15 I think. They would all be lined up in paddington, and it would always be a good game to predict which train would actually leave first and jump on it, the 18:00 or 18:05, and it was often the 18:05! They would both leave late, within minutes of eachother, and arrive at Reading at almost the same time, instead of 5 minutes apprt. It was imcompetence at a high level!

I still don't see why they need extra platforms (are they still building more???), can someone explain it to me please?

They have enough bays, and enough through platforms. Reading only has very aproximatly 296 stopping trains a day, Vauxhall for example has around 750, with fewer platforms. Is the real problem not that almost every FGW train that arrives at Reading is either arriving when its meant to depart, or a minute or so after (and is still counted as being ontime for stats purposes), then it takes longer to get the train to depart as they HSTs dont have electric doors, so more delays, at which point the next train is waiting outside.....

 

[The Planner]

Its not all about the amount of trains stopping there. The scheme reduces conflicts from Southcote Jn at Reading and Reading West by seperating all the flows out. The crossing movements will be minimal. With the envisaged increase in freight traffic from the South coast to the Midlands and W10 gauge clearance, its all needed. Vauxhall only has trains from 2 directions, Reading has 4.

The last plan I saw (which is probably out of date now) had main lines to Didcot/Swindon using 8, 9, 10, 11. The reliefs 12, 13, 14 and 15. Berks and Hants, 7 and probably 11. It also will give you the option to get on to the Waterloo lines without crossing all lines from platforms 14 and 15.

 

[16CSVT2700]

The whole reading redevelopment is covered here and the crossrail work, which starts at Maidenhead, right ibnto Paddington, then under Lodon and out to Shenfield is covered here.

The Maidenhead starting point for Crossrail is a cover-up. It was always aimed to go to Reading but they did not want to include it in their financial plan for it would make it too expensive.
They'll just extend it to Reading once the remodelling is complete.

 

[Railway Andrew]

I find Reading very useful.
Living in Macclesfield, and being disabled, I try to avoid London as much as possible.
Heading down to Portsmouth or Bournmouth, the XCounry services to Basingstoke or Southampton are very handy
I cannot see Network Rail doing it, but treating the Reading remodelling as a seperate issue to Crossrail to Maidenhead seems wise.
In an ideal world it would be sensible to do both jobs concurrently, or Reading first, to cut down on the disruption.
If Crossrail gets completed on time and on budget, I will eat my pass!

Railway Andrew