Wokingham platforms

[whole diary]

[mjones]

Anyone know what is going on with the platforms at Wokingham? Back in the winter platform 2 (to Reading) was extended to what looks like 12 coaches. This included re-siting a signal at the Reading end of the platform. Then they moved to the carpark, and did a lot of re-surfacing there, increasing the number of spaces. Then, in the last few weeks, they resurfaced the new extension of platform 2, as apparently there were problems there, but as far as I can see, no sign of anything happening on platform 1. Presumably this will be done at some point, as I think all the platforms on that route are to be 12 coach eventually, but anyone know why platform 2 there was done earlier than all the rest?

[Btline]

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are extending all Waterloo suburban platforms to 10 cars by 2012. However, the long term plan is for a 12 car railway.

Of course, it saves money and time/disruption to lengthen to the full 12 cars now at most places despite Waterloo not being ready yet.

For Waterloo to be 12 car compatable, they'll have to pretty much re-build the station, extending the platforms across the current concourse, and converting the undercroft into a new concourse below. The already long Waterloo platforms will also be connected in, requiring lots of work at the station throat.

At the same time, they may build an office block above the platforms a la Charing Cross/Cannon Street to unlock the commercial potential of the valuable City Centre site.

So that explains why Wokingham is 12 cars now - but don't expect 12 car trains until 2014 at least!

[mjones]

Thanks, though to clarify- my question was mostly about why they have extended platform 2, with the work finishing a few months ago, and there seems to be no sign of work about to start on platform 1?

[paul7575]

I think (by reference to the 2009 route plan) that the current work at Wokingham is/was purely to do with resignalling to enable eastbound turnbacks in passenger service from the down platform, rather than lengthening as such.  It is possible that the necessary resignalling (repositioning possibly?) required some platform alterations, so they've just killed two birds with one stone, like they intend to at Reading's Waterloo platforms.

Elaborating on this slightly, we were discussing elsewhere the lack of information about 10/12 car trains to Reading, and the reasoning was that the Reading line (but not Reading station) was outside the current NR^» (Network Rail - home page) CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014) plans, which are describing '10 car suburban services' explaining why the stations as far as Virginia Water and onwards to Weybridge are included.  The platform lengthening between Longcross and Earley (inclusive) is in the 2008 route plan, but has been dropped from the 2009 version.

Looking back to the earlier post from 'btline', a lot hinges on whether or not the Reading - Waterloo route is considered 'suburban' or not - he has obviously answered from a viewpoint that the Reading line is suburban, as I've pointed out, NR's published plans don't currently include the whole line.

Paul

[Btline]

I assume it would be. The GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) is the main InterCity line, the Waterloo line is a slow suburban line.

[paul7575]

I assume it would be. The GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) is the main InterCity line, the Waterloo line is a slow suburban line.

I don't disagree with that reasoning, but I think I've also explained that the published evidence (the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014) enhancements plan) doesn't include the line in the Waterloo '10 car suburban railway' project. So I don't think the other Wokingham platform will be seeing any work soon.

The stations that are included in the list are bounded by Waterloo, Windsor ER, Virginia Water, Woking, Guildford, and Dorking, including all branches and loops, but not Worplesdon.

Paul

[mjones]

I think (by reference to the 2009 route plan) that the current work at Wokingham is/was purely to do with resignalling to enable eastbound turnbacks in passenger service from the down platform, rather than lengthening as such.  It is possible that the necessary resignalling (repositioning possibly?) required some platform alterations, so they've just killed two birds with one stone, like they intend to at Reading's Waterloo platforms.
....

This seems plausible. Not only was the signal at the Reading end of the platform was moved to the end of the platform extension, but it looks like a new signal has been placed at the other end (at least I don't remember seeing it there before), presumably now allowing departures from platform 2 in the Waterloo direction. Reading trains now stop further along the platform, so part of the extension is already in use, this presumably being required to provide space for the new signal.? Is this what you meant?

Does this mean that when the Reading station reconstruction work prevents access to the Waterloo platforms, electric services to Waterloo will turn back at Wokingham instead?

[IndustryInsider]

Does this mean that when the Reading station reconstruction work prevents access to the Waterloo platforms, electric services to Waterloo will turn back at Wokingham instead?

That's a pretty safe bet I reckon. There's a lot of civil engineering to be done to turn two single track fed 8-car platforms into three double track fed 12-car platforms. That would be my guess as to the first part of the project to be scoped down if there happens to be a funding crisis!

[mjones]

Does this mean that when the Reading station reconstruction work prevents access to the Waterloo platforms, electric services to Waterloo will turn back at Wokingham instead?

That's a pretty safe bet I reckon. There's a lot of civil engineering to be done to turn two single track fed 8-car platforms into three double track fed 12-car platforms. That would be my guess as to the first part of the project to be scoped down if there happens to be a funding crisis!

Yes, I was wondering about that, as I spend rather more time at platforms 4a/b than I'd really like and have plenty of time to look at them! It looks to me as if they will have to build a new two track bridge across the road at the end of the platforms, to carry extended 4b plus '4c', then build an extended platform for 4a along the parapet of the existing bridge, joining them all in the spare land on the other side of the road? The ground drops away steeply from the 4b trackbed, so there will need to be a new embankment and associated shoring up to provide a trackbed for '4c'.

Edit, as the eastern underpass is to be re-opened, will Gatwick and Redhill trains be diverted to the new platforms on the northern side of the station?

[IndustryInsider]

Following the commissioning of the new signals, trains arriving at Wokingham from London/Guildford are now able to turn back in the same platform.

[Electric train]

Does this mean that when the Reading station reconstruction work prevents access to the Waterloo platforms, electric services to Waterloo will turn back at Wokingham instead?

This may be the case for weekends, late night bank holidays etc or even if a blockage is adopted at Reading (although these are not so popular now as the public don't like them) there is a lot of serious engineering to do at Reading over the next few years.

[IndustryInsider]

Wokingham's new turnback facility was in use yesterday evening when a lineside fire was causing huge delays (90+ mins) to Waterloo-Reading services. From what I could gather they were terminating at Wokingham before returning to Waterloo, with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) trains running from Reading to connect (stopping additionally at Earley and the Winnersh stations). Seemed like a pretty neat solution.