Reading Station improvements

[ellendune]

Perhaps when it all settles down they might dedicate services to platforms, eg all the Waterloos on P5/P6 and all the Gatwick/Redhills on P4? Another idea might be to make sure the Waterloo trains leave immediately before the next one arrives.   

I though the idea was that the Gatwicks would use the underpass and use the North side of the station.

[paul7755]

I think the problem is that the obvious route (from carpark to new northern entrance) crosses the road.  Although there's no through access to road traffic at the moment,  it is difficult to tell from the station planning drawings I have if that access is to be reinstated or not.  

I did read a while back that they intend to run the Heathrow coach link from a new location on the north side - it is quite possible that would have to approach the station between the car park and new northern entrance, although other possibilities exist.

Paul

[paul7755]

Perhaps when it all settles down they might dedicate services to platforms, eg all the Waterloos on P5/P6 and all the Gatwick/Redhills on P4? Another idea might be to make sure the Waterloo trains leave immediately before the next one arrives.   

I though the idea was that the Gatwicks would use the underpass and use the North side of the station.

That is a much discussed possibility, but I always read it as 'might use' rather than 'will use'.  It would only really be beneficial in conjunction with linking services 'across Reading',  ie there's little point in blocking relief side platforms with terminating trains just because you can, especially as P4 - P6 still have the capacity.  Some of the original options that were published predate the cancellation of the Airtrack scheme as well.

My personal view is that linking services might no longer be as likely as it was (at least for a few years), bearing in mind that the electrification policy has changed the stock type to be used on the suitable services west of Reading, and there is still a signifiicant electrical supply gap in the North Downs route.  Having said that there are other options for linking services, such as East West Rail but that's in what I would consider the medium term...

Paul

[ellendune]

I think the problem is that the obvious route crosses the road.  Although there's no through access to road traffic at the moment,  it is difficult to tell from the station planning drawings I have if that access is to be reinstated or not.  

I did read a while back that they intend to run the Heathrow coach link from a new location on the north side - it is quite possible that would have to approach the station between the car park and new northern entrance, although other possibilities exist.

If a new pedestrian exit from the car park is made in the South West corner then it would be only a very short crossing of any road to the new North entrance.

[bobm]

Is it just a figment of my mind but weren't there the occasional through trains from Oxford to Gatwick about 10 years ago?

[paul7755]

I think the problem is that the obvious route crosses the road.  Although there's no through access to road traffic at the moment,  it is difficult to tell from the station planning drawings I have if that access is to be reinstated or not.  

I did read a while back that they intend to run the Heathrow coach link from a new location on the north side - it is quite possible that would have to approach the station between the car park and new northern entrance, although other possibilities exist.

If a new pedestrian exit from the car park is made in the South West corner then it would be only a very short crossing of any road to the new North entrance.

Yes, I was thinking more of the proposal that it should be fully enclosed, which would be no problem as far as either side of the road crossing, but would be unlikely to include the road.  The sort of set up they have at Southampton Airport, between station and concourse as it happens.

Paul 

[IndustryInsider]

Is it just a figment of my mind but weren't there the occasional through trains from Oxford to Gatwick about 10 years ago?

There were - early morning to Gatwick and late evening back again.  Didn't really serve much of a market though as they were stoppers from Oxford.

I agree with Paul's comments regarding the potential use of the underpass.  It will also come in useful for the ECS Turbo movements between the Depot and Platforms 4/5/6, but under normal running I would expect that the only time Gatwick services will use anything other than 4/5/6 will be early morning and late evening as they do now.

[Nosaj]

Wherever you look at the moment things are happening:
Track is being laid west of the station, to the north of the main line.
The foundations for the new platform 6 are almost all excavated.
The steel core for the first of the supporting pylons on platform 8/9 is up
To the north, the main girders for the new deck are rapidly going in.
The northern entrance is rapidly taking shape, I took a couple of pics earlier this evening
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/o558/ticktock1232/0503a.jpg
http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/o558/ticktock1232/0503b.jpg

[bignosemac]

And all being done around one of the busiest stations on the network.

Impressive.

[IndustryInsider]

Here's a summary of next Easter's major engineering work whilst the new platforms are brought into use:

Good Friday 29th March (00:30) to Tuesday 2nd April (04:00)

• Heathrow Airport Junction <> Slough all lines closed
• Maidenhead <> Didcot all lines closed
• Reading - no trains apart from Platforms 4/5/6 and also Platform 2 (for Pilotman operated B&H/Basingstoke services only).

HST are being diverted as they were Xmas 2010, i.e. and hourly Paddington to Swansea service via Chiltern Line and Oxford and an hourly Paddington to Bristol service via the same route.  West of England services running hourly from Waterloo via Basingstoke though should be 30-45 minutes quicker than in 2010 thanks to running on the main lines.

Also Cheltenham's and Worcester's mostly starting at Didcot. Hourly from Reading to Bedwyn and Basingstoke (though the latter could be a XC service running though to Bournemouth).

LTV services and HEx services forming a 15-minute interval service between Paddington and Hayes.  A 30-minute interval Turbo between Slough and Maidenhead and Windsor/Marlow/Henley service as normal.

Waterloo<>Reading service ramped up to every 15-minutes all day as this will be the only Reading to Paddington train service.

Buses covering all other routes as appropriate.


Tuesday 2nd April (04:00) to Saturday 6th April (23:00)

• Main Lines closed between Ruscombe and Tilehurst.
• Reading Platform 2 open as in first possession.
• New platform 12/13/14 and 15 also open (but all others closed).

HSS services from Paddington to Bristol/Swansea largely unchanged though Cardiff off-peak services withdrawn.  West of England services diverted via Swindon and Westbury after Reading. Cheltenham's start/terminate at Swindon.

LTV services between Reading and London thinned a little and other services thinned a little as well.


Saturday 6th April (23:00) to Tuesday 9th April (04:00)

• Maidenhead<>Didcot all lines closed
• Reading<>Southcote Juntion all lines closed

HSS services largely operating as per first possession (i.e. via Chilterns/Waterloo), and Cheltenham/Cotswold Line services starting at Didcot.

Paddington to Maidenhead Turbo services and Bedwyn's running between Bedwyn/Westbury and Theale only.  Windsor/Henley/Marlow open as normal, but buses as appropriate on other routes between Maidenhead and Didcot.

[bignosemac]

Excellent summary of the situation next Easter, II. Thanks. 

From a purely selfish point of view, these engineering possessions won't affect me unduly, but I'm looking forward to bashing some unusual HST mileage again. 

[Southern Stag]

Roger Ford in Modern Railways suggested that the FGW franchise may be extended by a couple of weeks to cover the period of the Reading closure. I'm fairly sure new franchises normally start around the start of April and it perhaps isn't a good idea to have a change of management team half way through the blockade.

[EBrown]

Thanks for all the information, very helpful.

(for Pilotman operated B&H/Basingstoke services only)

Sorry, I don't understand what that means? Could you explain it please?

[Southern Stag]

A pilotman is the authority for a train movement to take place over a line which is usually operated only in one direction but is being used as a bi-directional line, but lacks the normal bi-directional signalling necessary for such movements. I presume at Reading only one track is available from Southcote Junction, on to the Basingstoke line to Reading. Trains will only be allowed to run along that section when the pilotman, a member of Network Rail staff wearing a pilotman armband I believe is on board the train. It's a similar principle to tokens on single tracks, where movements are only authorised when the driver has the token, a lump of wood or metal I believe, which will be released by the signalman at a signalbox. Several tokens can exist, for example at signalboxes at either end of a single line section but the interlocking will prevent more than one being released at one time, preventing more than one movement over a single line section.

[IndustryInsider]

Not a bad summary of working by pilotmen by 'Southern Stag' there.  If anyone fancies some bedtime reading here's the full procedure:

http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Rule_Book/Forms/Live_Documents.aspx?RootFolder=/Rule_Book/Rule%20Book%20Modules/P%20-%20Working%20by%20Pilotman&FolderCTID=0x01200060B274261602B94B84F5B3E1E95DE5C8

And, yes, the franchise is being extended to cover until the end of the blockade.