Reading Station

[Wokingham]

Hi all did some googling found nothing, was anything not included in the redevelopment of reading station to save money at the time or left for a further expansion or will this be its final form asides from cosmetic touches overtime?

 

[quantinghome]

It was a very comprehensive redevelopment. 9 through-platforms serving 4 main line tracks, major flyovers to improve capacity, very spacious pedestrian bridge, massive improvement to passenger access from the north side. They even sorted out the Cow Lane bridges.

It's hard to think what else could have been added. Maybe the west-facing bay platforms are a bit short? Some of the canopies should be extended over the whole platform length?

 

[swt_passenger]

There’s one minor point that wasn’t built as per the planning drawings, the way P8 and P9 island is staggered at the ends, effectively making P8 slightly towards London compared to P9. There was some chat at the time that it was originally intended to fill in the section of P8 at the country end, as it is now it looks a bit incomplete.

 

[stuu]

I think the 1980s concourse was going to be refurbished but was dropped, but that's about it. In terms of track and platforms, it's about as good as it gets. Possibly the most impressive railway infrastructure and train service anywhere in the country

 

[coppercapped]

I think the 1980s concourse was going to be refurbished but was dropped, but that's about it. In terms of track and platforms, it's about as good as it gets. Possibly the most impressive railway infrastructure and train service anywhere in the country

I agree. Practically all of the conflicting movements in the station area have been eliminated and parallel arrival and departure movements are now possible from the Main and Relief platforms.

This being a Speculative Discussion I have to add that some further improvements could be made such as:

• additional switch and crossing work to permit more parallel arrivals and departures from the eastern and western bays
• grade separation to avoid flat crossings of the Down Relief by the increasingly frequent south-to-north (and vice versa!) freights taking the west curve to and from Oxford Road junction
• Grade separation at Southcote Junction and, ideally, an independent line to the west curve for south-to-north (and vice versa!) freight to permit traffic on the (London)-Reading-Newbury axis to run unhindered

...and so on.

I am fully aware that there are many other places in the country where the money could be spent to greater effect than here and even if all these things were done network capacity would still be limited by pinch points elsewhere in the system. Some quite close by, Basingstoke and Didcot-Oxford-Wolvercote and the long signal sections towards Guildford come to mind.

 

[43096]

There’s one minor point that wasn’t built as per the planning drawings, the way P7 and P8 island is staggered at the ends, effectively making P7 slightly towards London compared to P8. There was some chat at the time that it was originally intended to fill in the section of P7 at the country end, as it is now it looks a bit incomplete.

I assume you mean the P8/P9 island. P7 is the old platform 4, isn’t it?

 

[DelW]

As a passenger, the only addition I'd have liked is weather screening to the sides of the stairs and escalators at platforms 8 to 15, which would have made the transfer bridge less draughty. But overall it was a massive improvement, and seems to have eliminated the delays that used to plague services from the west waiting to get a clear road into the station. I never used to stand up from my seat until the platform end was in sight.

 

[Wokingham]

cheers was just curious, just new services then lets hope they dont overfill the station!

crossrail Heathrow east west rail..

 

[swt_passenger]

I assume you mean the P8/P9 island. P7 is the old platform 4, isn’t it?

Yes you're right - I forgot about the 3rd Waterloo platform trying to get my bearings. I’ll edit the post to avoid confusing everyone…

 

[cle]

It'll be interesting to see what, if any, impact Crossrail has to skewing activity across to the northern side of the station, which is definitely quieter, less loved and historically shorter trains. Beyond Crossrail, there aren't too many more new services planned that I can think of.

GWR frequencies back to plan possibly, but those Bristol fasts will skip Reading. One day maybe a 4tph service to Waterloo will return. Or some EWR services! But it's pretty much there once Crossrail is at full pelt.

 

[Non Multi]

It'll be interesting to see what, if any, impact Crossrail has to skewing activity across to the northern side of the station, which is definitely quieter, less loved and historically shorter trains. Beyond Crossrail, there aren't too many more new services planned that I can think of.

It won't change a thing. It's the slow service to London, all stations to Southall. It'll only come in useful as a people mover during major events like the Reading Festival or Henley Regatta.

My only gripes with 'New Reading General' is that the smaller platform loos are too small, and the platform waiting areas under the bridge are poorly lit.

 

[cle]

I think it might see more travel into Reading. And higher frequency corridor travel. I don't see it changing patterns to London itself, especially - but I think that side will become a little busier.

 

[S&CLER]

Back in the late 1960s I was amused to see a mess room door on the down main platform at Reading which bore a sign "Southern Region e.m.u. drivers only". I sometimes wondered if they stretched a point and allowed drivers of "Tadpole" d.e.m.u.s into this sanctum on sufferance. Did this sign survive the rebuilding of Reading?

 

[JonathanH]

I think it might see more travel into Reading. And higher frequency corridor travel. I don't see it changing patterns to London itself, especially - but I think that side will become a little busier.

It won't though as all it has done is replace a GWR stopping service with a TfL Rail one at the same frequency.

 

[Horizon22]

It won't though as all it has done is replace a GWR stopping service with a TfL Rail one at the same frequency.

Yes generally the local services on the relief lines which is good useful capacity in the event of Paddington-Reading being blocked and also availability for freight trains to pass through.

 

[Falcon1200]

Back in the late 1960s I was amused to see a mess room door on the down main platform at Reading which bore a sign "Southern Region e.m.u. drivers only".

When I worked at Reading Booking Office (1980-84) Southern Region Drivers were still very much a separate entity from the Western Region majority, for example we paid their cash wages directly from the Booking Office, this applied to no other staff.

I agree that the rebuilding of Reading is a massive achievement; If I had a pound for every minute I was delayed waiting my train home from the old Platform 4 I could have retired when I was 30 !

 

[JN114]

With my controller’s hat on there isn’t really much missing - the rebuild was comprehensive and covered virtually everything needed by the present day train service.

Perhaps:-

Trailing Crossover on the flyover at High Level Jn to permit departures from platforms 10/11 towards Didcot.

Complete the suite of Turnback signals at Tilehurst to permit reversals on Up and Down Mains during certain engineering work scenarios that make getting on/off depot complicated.

“Missing” signal installed at Kennet Bridge on the Up Main (Down Direction) to permit arrivals into platform 11 from London, and provide a faster route into platform
10 from London.

A Headshunt or similar at the Eastern end of Reading TCD to allow Depot to independently shunt trains at that end of their yard.

Retention of Reading DMU Depot within the triangle to alleviate noise abatement restrictions on DMU operation, and alleviate capacity problems Reading TCD experiences.

AC electrification extended onto the Southern (~ Earley area) to be able to run EMUs directly onto Southern and allow dynamic AC/DC changeovers.

Bi-Directional signalling of Down Westbury between Southcote and Reading station.

Platforms on the Main lines at Pangbourne.

 

[cle]

It won't though as all it has done is replace a GWR stopping service with a TfL Rail one at the same frequency.

It will go up to 4tph eventually, and with some faster patterns - plus the PR of Crossrail itself. I think there will be an uptick in time, in local/corridor travel. Keen to see the effects though.

 

[JonathanH]

It will go up to 4tph eventually, and with some faster patterns - plus the PR of Crossrail itself. I think there will be an uptick in time, in local/corridor travel. Keen to see the effects though.

Isn't 4tph Crossrail all day beyond West Drayton just to Maidenhead with all 4tph to Reading in the peak (as now) and half (ie 2tph) to Reading off-peak?

The other option (which has been touched on in previous discussions) is transferring all relief line services east of Reading to Crossrail with Reading to Didcot becoming a separate shuttle. That would give 4tph all day Reading to Crossrail if judged necessary.

 

[Non Multi]

There was already statistical passenger growth on the corridor immediately after electrification (AKA 'sparks effect'), which was wiped out by the pandemic. That was whilst the GWR Electrostars were briefly operating the inner suburban local stopping service.

 

[43096]

There was already statistical passenger growth on the corridor immediately after electrification (AKA 'sparks effect'), which was wiped out by the pandemic. That was whilst the GWR Electrostars were briefly operating the inner suburban local stopping service.

Apart from anything else, the change from Reading's grotty Turbos (normally 3-car) to an 8-car Electrostar is going to be much more attractive to passengers.