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Author Topic: Reading Station improvements  (Read 1356479 times)
mjones
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« Reply #570 on: February 27, 2012, 13:34:57 »

The concrete footings for the extended platform 5/6 are now being built. Something that has struck me about them is that they appear to be closer to the track serving platform 5 (currenly closed) than 6. They also look asymmetric in appearance. So it looks like there will be a larger overhang on the P6 side, or is some of the existing platform on that side to be cut back and the track shifted towards the platform?

At the end of where the extended platform will be there is an excavation going on, which I think is to provide an emergency exit, via a subway under the tracks. Is this correct? I'm assuming that the  strange concrete structure that was built while the embankment was being widened last year was in fact the liner for the subway, so no further tunnelling or undercutting will be needed?
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paul7575
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« Reply #571 on: February 27, 2012, 16:48:47 »

I can answer this, as I asked someone on site about it around ten days ago!

The concrete foundations between the two tracks are about 2/3 of their finished length, there is a load of reinforcing bar (rebar) poking out through the concrete on the 'north' ends of the various strips, which will connect to the remaining lengths of the foundations, and a row of piles, when they are eventually cast, which will be once P5 is re opened and P6 is closed.

The reasons for doing it this way are twofold.  They don't have to excavate so near the operational track yet, and it also allows for the public area of P5 to be an adequate width with a hoarding supported just past the centre line in due course.

And yes the excavation in line with P5/P6 is the second emergency escape route - drawing attached below from the design and access statement.

PS to the above - now that the majority of the 'cast in situ' concrete crossbeams are in position you can see more easily a further outcrop of rebar extending towards the P6 track...

« Last Edit: March 07, 2012, 17:10:23 by paul7755 » Logged
Lee
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« Reply #572 on: March 15, 2012, 20:10:45 »

From getreading:

Quote from: getreading
Green light for next stage of Reading rail scheme

Town hall planners called on Network Rail to ensure it takes measures to prevent graffiti as they gave the go-ahead for the next stage of the multi-million Reading Station redevelopment.
 
Reading Borough Council^s planning committee has given approval to proposals for viaducts and box junctions which will create a raised railway along a stretch of the Great Western mainline.
 
The changes will allow mainline passenger services to travel over the top of the mainline to avoid freight trains up to a mile long coming up from the South and crossing over it, causing delays.
 
Overall, councillors were in favour of the proposal, but voiced concerns about graffiti while others suggested more could be done by Network Rail to let the public know about the scheme.
 
Councillor Richard Willis said: ^We have all seen the applying of graffiti around the network.
 
^We should get feedback from Network Rail that they consider that and something be done to minimise graffiti in advance.^
 
Cllr Chris Maskell added: ^I have no problem with the application and it just demonstrates how important Reading is to the nation^s rail network and, more than that, why we should become a city.
 
^The scale of the development taking place here is enormous, but I think Network Rail aren^t doing the best job they can in PR (Public Relations) work in telling people what is going through.^
 
Cllr Tony Page earlier welcomed the latest development to the scheme at the meeting held at the council^s Civic Offices on Wednesday last week. He said: ^Clearly, this is a very important application in the staging of the Reading station area development.
 
^There is no getting away from the fact the viaducts will be seen and that is stated in the report but we cannot have the benefits accruing from this scheme without the construction of them and the supporting junction.^
 
The committee unanimously approved the application.
 
After the meeting, Bill Henry, director of Network Rail^s improvement scheme at Reading said in a statement: ^We^re delighted that Reading Borough Council has given the green light for the development of the viaduct.
 
^The council staff and members ^ especially Tony Page, lead councillor for planning and transport ^ have been hugely supportive.
 
^As passengers will be well aware, there is a problem with a bottleneck on the railway at Reading and the viaduct is the main part of the solution in fixing this.
 
^It will stop slow freight trains from delaying faster, mainline services which will use the viaduct, while the freight trains will pass underneath the structure.
 
^When the viaduct is finished in 2015 it will also allow Network Rail to replace Cow Lane bridge north, bringing another wider, safer bridge with two lanes of traffic, a footpath and cycle lane.
 
^We^ve already engaged with local residents and businesses about the viaduct but will be contacting them again before construction work begins in January 2013 so they know what to expect.^
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« Reply #573 on: March 16, 2012, 10:34:02 »

The first signs of a building in the new maintenance depot has sprung up this week, in a location which matches where the train care shed will be built.  I'm hesitant to say it is the new train care shed in case it's a temporary structure, but if it is part of the new depot then it's great to see it taking shape.
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« Reply #574 on: March 16, 2012, 12:32:41 »

There is also a new tall structure appearing to the North of the station, which I assume will provide support for the northern end of the new pedestrian bridge...?

I'm curious to know how the station will operate during the interval between the new platforms opening and the completion of the grade separation, given the significant changes in track layout when the flyover is open, in particular whether trains on the Newbury/Basingstoke line will able to reach 11 to 15. Also, I think that some of the existing platforms are to be built out (7?) so will trains be diverted to the new platforms while this work is done?
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paul7575
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« Reply #575 on: March 16, 2012, 15:19:50 »

I had a look through the 2013 NR» (Network Rail - home page) engineering access statement, (Part 7.0 possesions register - Western) which shows next years probable engineering work closures, week by week:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/Rules%20Of%20The%20Route/MAINMENU.pdf

Going by that (which is subject to change of course) it suggests that once the new relief side islands open, it will be platforms P10 and P11 that close to get sorted out first, so that would leave 7, 8 and 9 still available for the fast lines. 

If I was a betting man, I reckon that up fasts will probably then transfer to P10/11 when it is complete and P7/8/9 will be taken out of service in sequence, P7 last of all.   My reasoning is that the P10/11 island isn't really wide enough to deal with crowds of passengers heading in both directions, so it would be best to leave it as an up platforms only?

Criticism welcome though, as that's mainly guesswork...

Paul
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« Reply #576 on: March 16, 2012, 19:41:54 »

The massive building site to the North of the station (where the new Northern entrance will be) is not visible from the platforms, but you get a very good view from the overbridge to the car park. A massive retaining wall has been built to separate the elevated track level side from the road side, which is at a considerably lower level. The wall has been built up in one place to the height of the new overbridge - impressive engineeering. The concrete base for the new buildings appears to be complete now, and looks very extensive. A concrete tower has also been built, which I assume is a lift shaft.
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Jason
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« Reply #577 on: March 19, 2012, 12:43:20 »

The steel superstructure surrounding (though mainly to the north of) the concrete wall has been rapidly rising over the past week. There is also additional concrete structure being added between the wall and platform 10.

Judging by the new line of metal girders now on platform 10 I imagine it is going to be narrowed in the not too distant future.

(Apologies for the v. quick snap taken at dawn. My first time posting here)
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johoare
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« Reply #578 on: March 19, 2012, 21:59:22 »

Thanks for the picture Nosaj.. And welcome to the forum  Grin
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paul7575
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« Reply #579 on: March 20, 2012, 18:41:08 »

While waiting for a connection today, I took a couple of shots from the carpark roof.  Those blocks the crane is positioning (more on the back of the trailer) are the lift shaft sections for the group of passenger lifts up to the transfer deck.  All factory made for accuracy, shouldn't take more than a day or two and they'll all be in position...

Paul 
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« Reply #580 on: March 20, 2012, 20:20:26 »

  All factory made for accuracy, shouldn't take more than a day or two and they'll all be in position...

Paul 
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mjones
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« Reply #581 on: March 23, 2012, 09:04:03 »

The first signs of a building in the new maintenance depot has sprung up this week, in a location which matches where the train care shed will be built.  I'm hesitant to say it is the new train care shed in case it's a temporary structure, but if it is part of the new depot then it's great to see it taking shape.

This has shot up over the last week, must be a permanent structure. It is good to see visible progress like this, the scale of the new passenger bridge / deck is becoming apparent now, hadn't really appreciated before how much wider it will be than the existing bridge. Also, concrete panels are starting to be laid for the deck of the extended platform 5/6. Does anyone know the current timescale for completion of the extended platform and when work will switch to platform 6?
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« Reply #582 on: March 23, 2012, 09:58:09 »

Platform 5 was supposed to be all finished by the end of March with work on Platform 6 starting immediately and taking longer as it will involve demolition of the existing platform.  Scheduled completion by July.  They'll have to go some to complete Platform 5 in just over a week though!

The building on the maintenance depot is indeed a permanent structure as has become apparent now with the size of the thing!

Finally, in terms of the electrification time-scale, work is supposed to start ahead of the GWML (Great Western Main Line) project this September and be finished by November 2015.
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mjones
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« Reply #583 on: March 23, 2012, 10:11:50 »

Thanks. It will be a rush then! Assuming it isn't delayed. Why does Platform 6 need to be demolished? Indeed, isn't it part of the same structure as Platform 5?
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paul7575
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« Reply #584 on: March 23, 2012, 10:23:28 »

Platform 5 is delayed by a few weeks I believe, because they have decided following inspection to replace the concrete deck over its entire length.  The previously intended method was to just reduce the thickness of the deck slightly, to allow for a new top surface and coping slabs, (this section had been cast 'in situ' originally, with an asphalt skim), and this is why they have only recently started using machinery to demolish the whole of the length of the deck - there were visible signs of the abandoned 'surface reduction' on some of the deck sections.  I assume that they'll need a load more prefabricated panel sections for that change of plan - lets hope the factory can deliver them on time.

What I did get confirmed on my last visit was that the canopy support steelwork for P5/P6 will be fitted during the P6 closure, working behind the line of the hoardings which will be 'reversed' once the P6 deck is finished.

P6 and P5 are not part of the same structure, they were built nearly 10 years apart, the old 4A replaced the Southern station on its own in 1965, 4B arrived significantly later in the 70s when more capacity was needed.

Paul
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