Change to the timetable?

[whole diary]

[Pedros]

Hi all,  there appears to have been a change to the timetable for my service in the morning, and its having an impact on me making my connection at Reading.  I was hoping someone could tell me whether this is a permanent change, or something to do with the on-going engineering works at Reading.  Let me set the scene (and apologies if this is very long-winded)

I collect the 06.58 service from Swindon ^ Paddington, and change at Reading to continue to Guildford (07.34 from Reading)  Previously, we were timetabled to arrive at Reading at 07.28 on Platform 8.  It was then, often a bit of a dash up the stairs, to 4a for the Guildford train.  I appreciate that this is not really an official possible connection at Reading (less than 6 minutes) but it was generally doable.  However, this service now seems to have changed.  We are now timetabled to arrive at 07.31 at Reading on Plat 5, which when you consider the usual delays in and around Reading makes the connection impossible. What makes it frustrating is that we typically go through Tilehurst at about 07.23, and then sit and wait for Plat 5 to become available.  Additionally, we now have to wait for a Newbury train terminating at Reading to cross all the way over to Plat 8, which further adds to the halt outside the station.  This morning as an example, we made it through Tilehurst and stopped outside Reading at 07.25.  We didn^t actually make it to the platform until 07.35 (10 minutes between Tilehurst and Reading!)

So, is this going to be a permanent fixture, or something temporary?  The consequence of it being permanent is that I either have to leave Swindon 20 minutes early and make the 07.34 Reading ^ Guildford service, or wait around Reading station for 30mins until 08.04.  Neither is an attractive proposition at this moment.

Sorry if this sounds a bit of a moan^

[JayMac]

The remodeling of Reading is being done precisely to make operation in, around and through the station more robust, and to hopefully alleviate the problems you are currently facing.

That said, you are right about the the 0658 ex Swindon now timetabled to arrive at 0731 rather than 0728. Arrival time at Paddington remains unchanged, but that is of little concern to you when you are trying to make the mad dash for a North Downs line service.

The change maybe a consequence of the current improvements works or just coincidence.

[BerkshireBugsy]

The remodeling of Reading is being done precisely to make operation in, around and through the station more robust, and to hopefully alleviate the problems you are currently facing.

That said, you are right about the the 0658 ex Swindon now timetabled to arrive at 0731 rather than 0728. Arrival time at Paddington remains unchanged, but that is of little concern to you when you are trying to make the mad dash for a North Downs line service.

The change maybe a consequence of the current improvements works or just coincidence.

Although I believe I understand how the Reading improvements will ease traffic flow particulary when talking about traffic from Reading West through to the UP lines one thing I haven't got my head around is how the changes are going to affect availability of platforms for high speed services to/from Londond Paddington and on to the West/South West and South Wales. As far as I know (and I am prepared to be shot down for this) there will still only be two high speed platforms  - the equivalents of the current P4 and P5.

For example, my normal daily (homewards) routine involves me catching the service to Bradford on Avon timetabled to depart Reading at 1736. From memory this services has, when I have caught it, never left on time. Now the departure delays on this service may see trivial when they we are only talking about a few minutes but in my case even if we leave Reading two minutes late it can add about 15 minutes to my arrival time home due to delays around Thatcham station caused by backed up traffic.


Having read my post through I realise that my "moan" may be down to unrealistic timetabling of services rather than platform capacity before/after station modernisation.

[mjones]

...As far as I know (and I am prepared to be shot down for this) there will still only be two high speed platforms  - the equivalents of the current P4 and P5....

No, there are two more platform islands under construction to the north of the station, so two platforms each, and a through platform will replace the current platform 10 bay platform. So that's 5 more through platforms. As I understand it, fast trains for the Didcot line will use what are now platforms 5 and 8. Fast trains to London will use what are now P9 and 10 (greatly widened). The four new platforms to the north will take local services and I believe Cross Country. Current P4 will be used by fast westbound trains for the Berks and Hants line. All this means effectively 2 platforms for each direction, greatly increasing throughput.

[BerkshireBugsy]

No, there are two more platform islands under construction to the north of the station, so two platforms each, and a through platform will replace the current platform 10 bay platform. So that's 5 more through platforms. As I understand it, fast trains for the Didcot line will use what are now platforms 5 and 8. Fast trains to London will use what are now P9 and 10 (greatly widened). The four new platforms to the north will take local services and I believe Cross Country. Current P4 will be used by fast westbound trains for the Berks and Hants line. All this means effectively 2 platforms for each direction, greatly increasing throughput.

Thats the best explanation I have seen so far...thanks

[paul7575]

Thats the best explanation I have seen so far...thanks

I've previously attached an area schematic and a platform level plan to posts in the main Reading station thread, but I've repeated them below to save a complicated set of links.  Should explain everything. 

I think what might cause the 'slight confusion'; is people referring to two 'fast line platforms' when they actually mean two 'fast line islands' ie four fast line platforms, two each direction.  Then there's the third down direction branch platform as well, the current P4 renumbered to P7.

Anyway, the drawings should be very useful...

[bigdaz]

It's not clear to me, so where would terminating Oxford - Reading  / Reading - Ealing Broadway stopppers terminate as there appear not to be any bay platforms except for Hants and Berks terminating services, and North Downs Line.?

[paul7575]

This is one of the things they don't get across very clearly - NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s PR^▸ (Public Relations) people always push the idea of the 5 additional platforms, but it's something of a sleight of hand, because the current station has 12 platforms of which 8 are bays including 4A and 4B, and the new one has only 15 individually numbered platform faces, so the net gain is only 3, one of which is on the Waterloo side.

However it isn't as bad as it sounds, because the new 12 - 15 will all be 12 car long, bidirectional, and they'll also allow permissive working, i.e. two or more trains in one platform, so I'd expect the centre pair 13 and 14 to be used for any terminating or reversing (like XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))) trains.  It wouldn't surprise me if they get signed up 'Southampton style' with A and B ends.  The through trains could run round the terminators using 12 and 15 - that avoids the kind of crossing conflicts you get with current platform 6 and 10.

Then with the full capability once the west end underpasses are finished, there is the potential to link existing services across the station, e.g. stoppers from the reliefs would no longer need to terminate, there's no reason why they couldn't interwork through to the Newbury direction.

Paul

[BerkshireBugsy]

Newbury to Gatwick stopping only at Thatcham Reading guildford reigate and Gatwick.

Ok so I may have a vested interest in this buy I Lo e the idea !

[bobm]

There used to be some through services between Oxford and Gatwick Aiport.

[bigdaz]

'Southampton style' with A and B ends. 

Or could they use the "Guildford model" and have London End and Oxford End ??

[BerkshireBugsy]

'Southampton style' with A and B ends. 

Or could they use the "Guildford model" and have London End and Oxford End ??

I thought the "Guildford  model" had London and Portsmouth ends? Must check tomorrow morning - if I am awake

[ellendune]

Or could they use the "Guildford model" and have London End and Oxford End ??

Or they could use the "Guildford model" and have London End and Bristol End or Cardiff End or Swansea End or Exter End Plymouth End etc...

I think we should just stick to A and B

[bigdaz]

I thought the "Guildford  model" had London and Portsmouth ends? Must check tomorrow morning - if I am awake

BerkshireBugsy - it does indeed - I was merely using it to model having towns used in the division signs as opposed to A and B.

[Surrey 455]

'Southampton style' with A and B ends. 

Or could they use the "Guildford model" and have London End and Oxford End ??

Guildford uses both.

At least it does on Platform 1 (1A, 1B). Not sure about the others.