Anyone know whats happening around Reading this Sunday.

[whole diary]

[amiddl]

We seem to be in the engineering works season which doesn't make working in the Thames Valley with family in Cornwall easy to facilitate. I am just so so glad I am not traveling back on Sunday.

It sounds like some major work going on in and around Reading. Just wondered what is going on Anyone know.

Bit of a strange weekend to do it being end of half term

[Electric train]

From the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website

Track improvements and maintenance are taking place from 02:00 on 01/11/09 to 02:00 on 02/11/09 between Reading and Westbury.
Whilst work is taking place, buses will replace trains
between Pewsey and Swindon
between Reading and Newbury

On Sunday 1 November 2009 track improvement work will be taking place between Reading and Newbury.Trains between London Paddington and Newbury, Pewsey, Westbury, Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance will be retimed and services will also be diverted via an alternative route. Replacement buses will also be in operation between: Pewsey and Swindon Reading and Newbury. Customers travelling on this route are advised to check journey times before travelling.

These sorts of possession's are booked into the system over a year ahead, if all the school holidays, special events, public holidays etc were avoided nothing would ever get done, NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are working on processes to avoid possessions but there are still some tasks that need these blockades

[amiddl]

Just planning my travel for January (Newbury - Plymouth each weekend) - Looks like every weekend during January we will be on rail relief buses.

I know "the work needs to be done" - but surely it could be organized better. Maybe thinking about the inconvenience regular travelers are being put to and not just providing a bus link to Theale and a train to Reading (as it seems to be shaping up for January) or an all stations bus to Reading (as in the past). Maybe thinking about a fast bus from Newbury and Thatcham to Reading as well (or to Didcot).

During January my Journey time will go from about three hours to five hours each way every weekend. That will means 4 weekends x a return journey (2 hours extra each way) = 16 Hours extra train travel.

Maybe it is time to give up on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and start driving home. I am not impressed - Rant over.

[coachflyer]

This work is in conjunction with the signaling move from Reading to the new center at Didcot.

The Newbury panel is the first to move down there over the easter period.

Expect a fair bit of weekend disruption and a longer closure over the easter break.

[JayMac]

Just planning my travel for January (Newbury - Plymouth each weekend) - Looks like every weekend during January we will be on rail relief buses.

I know "the work needs to be done" - but surely it could be organized better. Maybe thinking about the inconvenience regular travelers are being put to and not just providing a bus link to Theale and a train to Reading (as it seems to be shaping up for January) or an all stations bus to Reading (as in the past). Maybe thinking about a fast bus from Newbury and Thatcham to Reading as well (or to Didcot).

During January my Journey time will go from about three hours to five hours each way every weekend. That will means 4 weekends x a return journey (2 hours extra each way) = 16 Hours extra train travel.

Maybe it is time to give up on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and start driving home. I am not impressed - Rant over.

Your choice. Enjoy your seven hours driving on the A303 or M5/M4. And that's seven hours if the roads are clear......oh and you can't nod off, read a book/paper, make a call (unless hands-free), do some work, have a beer......

I'd rather have the 30-50mins on the bus then 4 hours on the train each way.

[devon_metro]

Think i'd rather drive.

As far as i'm concerned coach journeys are the devil. I cannot stand them!

[eightf48544]

Wait until next year and  Reading is shut  and HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) will be going via High Wycombe.

You'll all need to buy your Baker's to work out how to get around.

[amiddl]

Likely as not will not drive although having driven regularly for  periods over the last 5 years - by travelling at the right times journey times have always been fairly consistently under 4 hours (yes there are the occasional occasions where something goes really wrong and you can spend 8 hours but these are fairly rare and with modern technology one can find a way around). As suggested after a long week at the office its better to snooze and read the way home.

Andover is looking a good bet only an additional 50 mins or so and a return of ^48 (plus  car parking for the weekend) vs the normal ^63  or may be park at Didcot.


I accept that there needs to be occasional engineering works but where there is an extended period of engineering consideration needs to be really given to trying to reduce the impact on travelers.

I had a period of traveling from Cornwall to Northampton last winter and what impressed my about Virgin and London Midland is they had a system over the relatively long term engineering work of both stopping buses and fast buses with god connections to get travellers to the destination more quickly. Have seen Southern do the same from Haywards Heath to Brighton. Reading to Newbury is only 20 mins or so add 20 mins for a connection and you should add under an hour  to a journey - 2 hours extra is crazy.

There potentially needs to be some easing in the ticketing arrangements last time I did this I was charged a Newbury - Plymouth via Reading which is more expensive than a Newbury/Plymouth direct.

I guess the argument that we are talking about relatively low numbers of passengers with diverse needs holds some water vs cost of providing alternative transport but muck regulars about to much and they will find new ways of travelling.

[paul7575]

Wasn't the consensus last time something like this was discussed that they shouldn't be charging you 'via Reading' just because of engineering work, and the journey planners were wrongly displaying those fares.

IMX all you ever do is buy whatever ticket you use normally, and the diversion just happens?

Paul

[Mookiemoo]

Wait until next year and  Reading is shut  and HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) will be going via High Wycombe.

You'll all need to buy your Baker's to work out how to get around.

So what route will they be taking?  and how long for and how big is the impact?

Just trying to work out how on earth I can get to Crowthorne if Reading is shut.

With that and the cotswolds blockades....

[Ollie]

It's not as bad as the post makes out, Reading will probably have a complete block on trains around Christmas 2010.

[amiddl]

Wasn't the consensus last time something like this was discussed that they shouldn't be charging you 'via Reading' just because of engineering work, and the journey planners were wrongly displaying those fares.

IMX all you ever do is buy whatever ticket you use normally, and the diversion just happens?

The trouble is its all good in theory but haven't worked out a way to actually buy at not via Reading rate - ticket office doesn't want to sell and website wont let you buy.

Its the time lost that annoys me rather than the cost.

[devon_metro]

ticket office doesn't want to sell and website wont let you buy.

In theory, if you ask for it, they should sell it!

[amiddl]

in practice they won't - though have only tried Newbury - Maybe will try Reading

[IndustryInsider]

Wait until next year and  Reading is shut  and HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) will be going via High Wycombe.

Some HST's/Turbos will probably be going via High Wycombe over the coming years whilst Reading is being re-developed. As Ollie says though it will probably be largely confined to weekends and Bank Holidays. I know that discussions are taking place as to how to get HST's round that route - a time consuming reversal will be required at either Aynho Junction or Banbury, and there might also be issues concerning the ATP^▸ (Automatic Train Protection) as the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) and Chiltern's system differ. If they're coming from the Cotswolds they'll also need to reverse at Oxford, so I suspect that on affected days the Cotswold Line will run as a shuttle as far as Oxford and diverted Swansea/Bristol trains will come via Didcot West Curve up to Oxford so they only have to reverse once. There's not that much capacity on the Chiltern Line though, so it won't be a case of all trains going that way.

I very much doubt weekday services will be affected much, and I doubt there'll be much happening next year - but when the rebuilt really gets going in 2011 and beyond. Sadly, all these wonderful enhancement projects will cause much disruption at weekends and holiday periods for many years to come!