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Author Topic: Reading Station improvements  (Read 1356469 times)
bobm
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« Reply #3390 on: August 07, 2018, 20:59:07 »

..and as any local will tell you that's hardly scenic... Grin
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Adelante_CCT
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« Reply #3391 on: February 17, 2019, 09:07:03 »

It will provide a larger % increase in capacity than Filton Four Track1, has taken just as long to engineer as Crossrail2, and has had as many people working on it as the Great Wall of China3, but we are now only 8 days away from Cow Lane opening for two lanes of traffic for the first time.

A very long awaited project finally comes to fruition, although the Foot/Cycle Path aspect won't be ready until the summer. For those unaware who are in the area the bridge will be closed for both road users and pedestrians from Friday evening 22nd, until 10am Monday 25th. A strange time to re-open a road but I believe they are waiting until later in the morning so that the media can be all over it and they can do a ribbon opening ceremony, possibly involving the Mayor.


(1 Potentially around a 250% increase with two lanes of vehicles instead of one lane with traffic lights, of course the bottlenecks will simply move to the roundabouts at either end of the road instead, but that's not something the local press releases will be announcing come next week)
(2 Both the Reading Station Project which this comes under, and Crossrail both started in 2009)
(3 Possibly a slight exaggeration)
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Adelante_CCT
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« Reply #3392 on: February 25, 2019, 10:40:46 »

It's open!!!!


Obligatory showpiece bus photo

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CyclingSid
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« Reply #3393 on: February 25, 2019, 15:21:18 »

I've just cycled through it.

What a mess! If they did some resurfacing over the weekend they didn't stitch it to the original road level very well. The cycle/foot path through the new bridge, when they finish it, is going to require you to then use a pedestrian/cycle crossing to get to the other side of the road to go under the next bridge. Why can RBC(resolve) never think anything through?

On the subject of the buses, where are they going to go to and from? On the basis that Reading Buses/Council have always opposed cross town routes, apart from the 17, I can't see any great demand going from Caversham to Tilehurst. I expect a service will run for a year, be gradually downgraded to single then midi bus before it disappears. I will be delighted to be proved wrong.
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lbraine
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« Reply #3394 on: February 26, 2019, 21:41:22 »

Just a couple of comments about Cow Lane -

1. The north side road surface is incomplete - means there are still some lumps and bumps - but to smooth out access to Reading Depot would have to be closed off, and GWR (Great Western Railway) asked for that not to happen. Unsure at this stage when this work will take place, as the depot is pretty much a 24x7x365 operation, right ?

2. With regard to cycle way access - Yes you have to cross Cow Lane, presumably at the new crossing provided - but to link the dedicated pedestrian/cycle underpass to the national cycle network (on Portman Rd/Oxford Rd) you have to cross from the town side to country side somewhere ! A bit harsh to blame RBC(resolve) when they are just connecting up the dots.

3. The new road and underpass will take a double decker bus - although no routes currently go this way, as has been pointed out. In fact, Reading Buses are looking into reinstating the 16A route from Purly-on-Thames to Reading station. Those with longer memories than I will remember previous peak hour express 16A buses diverted along the Oxford Rd (skipping most of Tilehurst) to provide express services to Reading. But, once past the Norcot roundabout these buses ground to a halt along the eastern section of Oxford Rd (highly built up single lane residential area). The reinstated route will ‘zip’ along Portman’s Rd and Cow Lane to Reading Station, avoid current traffic bottlenecks. Also, the minibus route 42 to Rivermead Lesuire Complex (at the north end of Cow Lane) May also be routed through the new underpass.

It’s been 8 years coming - let’s not write the new underpasses off quite so early on in their life’s .....
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eightonedee
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« Reply #3395 on: February 27, 2019, 11:20:00 »

Quote
Those with longer memories than I will remember previous peak hour express 16A buses diverted along the Oxford Rd (skipping most of Tilehurst) to provide express services to Reading. But, once past the Norcot roundabout these buses ground to a halt along the eastern section of Oxford Rd (highly built up single lane residential area).

Those with an even longer memory will remember the unique number 19, joint Reading Corporation/Thames Valley route from Long Lane Tilehurst (border of Purley) to the town centre which had a similar calling pattern, and problems with traffic in Oxford Road, not helped when trolley bus poles came adrift form overhead wires!
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Reading General
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« Reply #3396 on: February 27, 2019, 22:28:50 »

As someone who has recently worked for Reading Transport I can clarify that it is the company not the council who dislike cross town routes, although the councils poor road planning in the town centre makes some potential cross town routes difficult. Reading Buses find it necessary to attempt to have every route pass near the rail station which just isn't possible without time consuming doubling back on cross town routes. Interchange is great to have, but since the removal of the through route across the front of the rail station and terminal area by RBC(resolve), this is no longer possible and space in the town centre for terminating radial route buses is beyond it's peak. The current institution like 17 travelling westbound misses the station and if this route can be the busiest in town missing this I don't see why others can't. So other cross town routes, particularly for the more frequent roads, should still work. If there is one thing I've learnt after nearly two decades driving buses around the town it's that the vast majority of inbound passengers want to go to the town centre and not the rail station.

Anyhow, I envisage that the council will persuade Reading Transport to run some sort of route along through there, not because it's needed, simply because you can. There is the definite possibility of the contract route from Rivermead being extended, but from there to where i'm not sure. Even if there was a new Purley route via Rivermead from town I can't see it ever requiring double deck buses, the current demand simply isn't there and the Oxford Road is a large traffic generator in itself. For potential passengers travelling between north and west and vice versa any route wouldn't be that useful as it would stop short of Caversham precinct. The only way I could see a route through there working is if it was part of a large circular taking in other parts of west Reading or Tilehurst, crossing Caversham Bridge and back over Reading Bridge, again it wouldn't require double deck vehicles unless it became really popular.
However, with Cow Lane open, the routes to the west of town should become slightly quicker and more reliable with more regular traffic moving off the Oxford Road and this should be the opportunity to make the corridor free flowing with one or two stops perhaps removed, the distances between stops evened out and allowing for traffic to overtake loading buses again, which, in turn, will help other buses move along the road quicker. I am aware of council plans to change the layout at Norcot Junction with an outbound bus lane and repositioning of the stops out of the traffic flow, whether this will happen or not i'm not sure.

Cheers
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Adelante_CCT
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« Reply #3397 on: March 10, 2019, 09:03:09 »

Been away from the forum for a couple of weeks, must have been all the excitement of the bridge opening! I'm lucky enough to not usually have to cycle over the bumpy bit outside the depot as part of the road surface joining with Cardiff Road is smooth, but it is a shame it couldn't be a little neater at least temporarily. I note that Cow Lane is to be closed on the weekend of 13-14th April, so possibly it can be worked on then?

As has been mentioned about buses, no I do not see a viable route through the bridge and the '17' was just a showpiece to see what could go through the bridge. RB themselves have admitted they have no plans for a route but will see what the future holds. They will soon be building the secondary school on Richfield Avenue and possibly the odd school bus may use it.

For the record though it was being used by double deck buses yesterday, those running empty to/from the bus depot what with the Oxford Road being closed at Reading West Station.
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bobm
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« Reply #3398 on: March 10, 2019, 09:24:12 »

In the late 1980s Reading Transport did buy some minibuses specially to work a service linking the Portman Road Industrial estate via Cow Lane to Caversham Road and the Railway Station.

I can't remember how long it lasted or even the route number now but it didn't run for more than a couple of years.
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« Reply #3399 on: March 10, 2019, 20:29:38 »

I think it was a number 27, started running from Tilehurst but later turned at Norcot Junction. I think it ran down Beresford Road and through the bus link there. My sister used to catch it to work at Rivermead and she was frequently the only person on it, until it disappeared during a timetable change.
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stuving
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« Reply #3400 on: April 07, 2019, 22:43:33 »

Been away from the forum for a couple of weeks, must have been all the excitement of the bridge opening! I'm lucky enough to not usually have to cycle over the bumpy bit outside the depot as part of the road surface joining with Cardiff Road is smooth, but it is a shame it couldn't be a little neater at least temporarily. I note that Cow Lane is to be closed on the weekend of 13-14th April, so possibly it can be worked on then?

From Railadvent:
Quote
Network Rail has announced that a new pedestrian and cycle route will open in Reading later this month after two railway bridges were upgraded to create more space for a new cycle path and footpath.

On Monday 15 April the new route will be opened at Cow Lane following the opening of a wider road, this allows for double decker buses and lorries to use the road for the first time.

The opening of dedicated new pedestrian and cycle facilities under the new bridges marks the completion of the Cow Lane project. The project, of which, is being completed by Network Rail and Reading Borough Council.

Before the new facilities can open, a three-day full road closure is required to resurface the new cycle and pedestrian facilities as well as finishing off the resurfacing of the road.

Cow Lane will be closed to all vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists from 8pm on Friday 12 April until 6am on Monday 15 April. Closure and diversion signs will be in place.
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grahame
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« Reply #3401 on: April 17, 2019, 19:48:07 »

From the Reading Chronicle

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A NEW pedestrian and cycle route has opened in Reading after two railway bridges were upgraded to create more space.

On Monday, April 15, the new routes at Cow Lane opened following the creation of the new wider road, which allows for double decker buses and lorries to use the road for the first time, removing one of the town's most notorious bottlenecks.

The opening of new pedestrian and cycle facilities under the new bridges marks the completion of the Cow Lane project, which is being delivered by Network Rail and Reading Borough Council.
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Adelante_CCT
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« Reply #3402 on: August 11, 2019, 06:18:47 »

Flood warning signs were installed on the approaches to Cow Lane at the beginning of last week



Comment from GetReading suggests that there was a foot of water at the bottom during Friday afternoons downpour - unsure of the accuracy of said comment but I passed through an hour or so later and almost no standing water remained, it was certainly a good test for the pumps and appears they passed
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Adelante_CCT
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« Reply #3403 on: September 24, 2019, 10:26:56 »

Oops, lots of flooding through Cow Lane Bridge this morning, certainly does not cope with heavy downpours. Cars either not going through, with some risking it failing due to water in the engine.
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onthecushions
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« Reply #3404 on: September 24, 2019, 11:16:23 »


Modern cars can have their air intake ducted from low down at the front, not through a carburettor and air filter above the engine. This means that a mere 12"/305mm of water can drown and write off a car, breaking an engine connecting rod.

Be warned.

OTC
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