Great Western Coffee Shop

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/23378639.tilehurst-station-revamp-includes-step-free-access-lifts/

The Reading Chronicle reports that work on this upgrade is due to begin in the spring, with completion by the autumn. It includes installing lifts, so that all platforms will be fully accessible for the first time.

Further story in the Reading Chronicle (https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/23529239.tilehurst-station-lifts-finally-move-closer-reality/)

The reporter, James Aldridge, has form when it comes to not knowing what's already been published.  Recently he noted that a planning  application had been submitted to  remove the cash machine from NatWest in Tilehurst, adding that the reason was not  known.  Yet his news website  has several times covered the imminent closure of the branch.

I made what is nowadays an occasional trip into Reading this morning. As on the last occasion, the ticket machine was out of order. At least the ticket office was open, otherwise there would have been a long queue of people at "excess fares" at Reading.

At 0930 (and midday) the car park was less than half full.But several cars were parked in the forecourt, their users enjoying the hospitality of the refreshments van.

No sign of the "upgrade", including the lift instalments that were meant to begin in the Spring. I gather that the process is going through the planning-application stage.

According to NextDoor "the Wolsey Coffee van at Tilehurst station was broken into, for the 3rd time".

Dates set to finally add lifts to Tilehurst train station (https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/24045352.dates-set-finally-add-lifts-tilehurst-train-station/)

Now covered on the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-67976382)

Well I hope Pangbourne, which is now busier than both Goring & Streatley (which has lifts) and Tilehurst, is next.  There’s only a subway at Pangbourne and no footbridge, but I guess that above-ground lifts (2 required) and a new bridge in between would be cheaper than lifts down to the subway. 

And Cholsey too, where the platforms are completely inaccessible to people who can't climb stairs.

So true. And yet platform 4 could be easily made step free by using the carpark access road.

It would only need a lift for the down platform as there's step free access from the street to the up platform. Not sure who owns the roadway to the south of the down platform but I could easily imagine a lift there from the street direct to the platform.

At Tilehurst Station the lockable cycle-storage cabinets on the station forecourt have been removed, presumably to facilitate the installation of the lifts. I wonder if they were used much? A few years ago I peered through the mesh and all were empty. A sign promises that the installation will be completed by the year's end. (Yesterday four guys in hi-vis were conferring close to the stairs on platform 1.)

Being a Friday it didn't surprise me that the car-park was only half full.