Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[anthony215]

Note:  That link does not work for those of us who are not members of RailUK forums. 

Oops sorry, I forgot about that. As for the timetable, I thought it was a bit strange,

[paul7575]

And the timetable shown on said link is in no way an official release.

It's probably a direct crib from the journey planners, (he did the same a week or two back for the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Southampton extensions); so about as accurate as anything could be at the moment, pending any last minute revisions to the TSDB. 

I think they're unlikely to chnage much now...

Paul

[ChrisB]

It's attached to this post for anyone that wants to see it...

[XPT]

A timetable for the  Penzance - Plymouth - Westbury - London Waterloo servie has been posted up on uk railforums:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=505152#post505152

More details on that thread

The timings of these services are a little different to the timings that are back on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site.  The services out of London Waterloo depart at xx:26, with the first service departing at 1026.

The timings for the services to and from Bristol and South Wales are back online on FGW too.

Just a couple of weeks now before cheap advance tickets on these services are bookable.

[ChrisB]

BUT....those timings twixt WAterloo & Basingstoke! Around 90 minutes!??

[JayMac]

Despite the timings, (which may not be finalised) it's still a darn site better than a rail replacement bus.

[ChrisB]

SWT^▸ (South West Trains) do it generally in 45-50 minutes....ok, I realise the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are going the long way round, but nevertheless, 90 minutes? Just hpw long will they sit at Basingstoke?

[paul7575]

I did mention in an earlier post that up trains had 10 mins of extra time over down trains between BAS and WAT, and we also know they are timed as 158/159s; it is already known that they're taking the long way round via Staines, and as far as Barnes Jn they'll be pathed in amongst other SWT^▸ (South West Trains) services, either via Feltham or Hounslow.

Comparing that with SWT's timings whenever they make the same diversion (which is happening again this weekend by chance) would confirm they are using the usual diversionary timings.  The SWT website explains that this weekend mainline services will run in their normal times west of Woking, but depart from Waterloo half an hour earlier, (and vice versa).  Interestingly, to make this happen the Windsor service gets thinned out to make room - I haven't heard of that happening during the Reading blockade.

Here's the DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) diversion timings for example:

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/uploads/101024woe.pdf

Paul

[Fish]

They are also due to stop at Clapham Junction, though hopefully not for 40 minutes or there would be gridlock!

[eightf48544]

Without the working book it is difficult to judge I assumme the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are sloted in between the stoppers and semi fasts. Ideally in the slot before both.

Be interesting to see the graph between Virgina Water and Feltham Junction which is the bottle neck. I imagine they'll be running on yellows most of the way.

[Louis94]

A timetable for the  Penzance - Plymouth - Westbury - London Waterloo servie has been posted up on uk railforums:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=505152#post505152

More details on that thread

The timings of these services are a little different to the timings that are back on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site.  The services out of London Waterloo depart at xx:26, with the first service departing at 1026.

The timings for the services to and from Bristol and South Wales are back online on FGW too.

Just a couple of weeks now before cheap advance tickets on these services are bookable.

It would appear that the xx26 timings are the bank holiday times (27th and 28th), and those xx33 timings are the normal weekday timings.

SWT^▸ (South West Trains) do it generally in 45-50 minutes....ok, I realise the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are going the long way round, but nevertheless, 90 minutes? Just hpw long will they sit at Basingstoke?

FGW services are restricted to the slow lines all the way because there are something like 25 bridges that would require strengthening for a HST power car to go over them on the fast lines.

[paul7575]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services are restricted to the slow lines all the way because there are something like 25 bridges that would require strengthening for a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) power car to go over them on the fast lines.

In fact the oppposite is probably true.

If you read the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) document I linked to a while ago (15th Sept) it reports that:

"Around twenty minutes pathing time exists in both up and down Waterloo paths giving robust headroom, including for any speed restriction that may be necessary at the one remaining bridge under gauging assessment between Basingstoke and Byfleet Junction."

It also says that:

"No additional speed restrictions through gauging are expected except between Basingstoke and Byfleet Junction where routing via the slow lines will result in slow speed over two underbridges, however trains are timetabled over the fast lines where no restriction applies.

That first paragraph alone answers most of the last few comments about the slack timings...

Paul

[ChrisB]

Thanks - that answers my question - there could be up to 20 minutes hanging around at Basingstoke. Time plenty for a smoke then....:-)

[readytostart]

Thanks - that answers my question - there could be up to 20 minutes hanging around at Basingstoke. Time plenty for a smoke then....:-)

Just remember it's pick up / set down only at BSK^▸ (Brake Standard Corridor (carriage)), if you get off coming in from the West Country they might not let you back on!

[ChrisB]

good point!