Reading West - Southcote

[Meerkat]

Are there any serious conceptual plans for capacity increases on this section?
First question is of course....is there a problem? It would seem to me that there is a lot of traffic going through, it is of varied types (Express, local, stone, container), and much of it travels long distance so timetabling and performance of this section has affects across a wide area.
If capacity could be improved extending terminating slow trains through Reading to Green Park/Basingstoke and Theale would hugely improve commutes into and across Reading.
From google maps any extra tracks north of the Bath road would be disruptive and probably need demolitions (possibly locally acceptable if it enabled an enhanced local service), but a flyover at Southcote would presumably make things much easier as Crosscountry and GWR expresses don’t conflict with long liner and stone trains trundling through.

 

[JonathanH]

Discussed here

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=18173.0

Don't forget the key point that the local trains from Basingstoke to Reading cross the down line to Newbury twice so just providing a flyover at Southcote Junction doesn't remove the whole issue.

It is discussed in the 2015 Western Route Study (as a flyover or third 'local' track through the corridor) but obviously not being taken forward at the moment.

https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Western-Route-Study-Final-1.pdf

 

[MarkyT]

It is discussed in the 2015 Western Route Study (as a flyover or third 'local' track through the corridor) but obviously not being taken forward at the moment.
https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Western-Route-Study-Final-1.pdf

See page 128:

The infrastructure between Southcote Junction and Oxford Road Junction limits the potential service level due to the track layout, the proximity of the two junctions and the convergence of routes from the south and south-west onto the Great Western Main Line (GWML). The infrastructure layout also imposes performance risk on the timetable due to all services requiring to be planned with conflicting crossing moves between northbound and southbound services at either Southcote Junction or Oxford Road Junction. Timetable analysis of the 2019 ITSS highlights that the section of line between Southcote Junction and Oxford Road Junction will be at capacity in 2019. Any further capacity that would be available is linked to the wider specifications and availability of paths on the routes from the south and onto the GWML, along with the constraints of the infrastructure between Southcote Junction and Oxford Road Junction. Grade separation and a third, bi-directional line would be a key contributor to provide further capacity for future services and accommodate the connectivity Conditional Outputs, the full utilisation of which is also dependent on ensuring capability on the wider network with the SWML and GWML. Should passenger and freight demand increase in line with forecasts that may drive consideration of the connectivity requirements presented in the 2043 ITSS, then development work on this option is recommended including more detailed analysis of the wider timetable impacts of this infrastructure intervention.