Twyford parking rules could change as Elizabeth Line route opens

[whole diary]

[BBM]

A petition has been opened by somebody called David Sleight to support additional parking at Twyford:

https://www.change.org/p/support-additional-parking-at-twyford-station

The Issue
Twyford Station is a vital lifeline for thousands of commuters across Wokingham Borough. With fast GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services to London Paddington and convenient Elizabeth Line connections, it’s the Borough’s gateway for work, education, and leisure.

But there’s a major problem: parking is a nightmare.

· Around 400 spaces—usually full by 7:15 AM.
· No clear plan from the Borough Council or GWR to fix it.
· More yellow lines being proposed for local roads, making things worse.

If you’ve ever struggled to park, missed your train, had to walk miles just to catch your commute, or rely on others to drop you off due to the lack of parking — this affects you.

We’re calling on Wokingham Borough Council to:

1. Work with GWR to assess current and future parking demand.
2. Explore proper solutions to expand parking near the station.
3. Act now, not in the “medium term.”
4. Improve connections with buses and cycling options.

Please support this campaign and sign the petition.

[Chris from Nailsea]

This doesn't affect me at all, personally, but I do support their intention and agenda.

[IndustryInsider]

A petition has been opened by somebody called David Sleight to support additional parking at Twyford:

It should in theory be a reasonably easy place to add more parking as the current park is large enough to support a second or third deck with very minimal intrution to the views of neighbouring properties, the nearest ones being the other side of the Henley branch line.

Whether there are other silly little things that might make it more complicated, who knows!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Whether there are other silly little things that might make it more complicated, who knows!

Newts, just for example. 

[IndustryInsider]

Whether there are other silly little things that might make it more complicated, who knows!

Newts, just for example. 

Yes.  Or more niche ones like gaining approval to increase the footfall of the unusual and outdated method of getting from the car park to the station by crossing the track.

[stuving]

Yes.  Or more niche ones like gaining approval to increase the footfall of the unusual and outdated method of getting from the car park to the station by crossing the track.

Mind you, that crossing isn't quite as scary as the National Rail plan would have you believe. Spot the deliberate error!
[Image from here is not available to guests]

[bobm]

[Image from here is not available to guests]

Here is the crossing in question.

The track to the left is the connection to the Up Relief for stock to get on and off the Henley branch.  The one on the right leads to the bay platform and is used by trains more often.

[CyclingSid]

A bridge from the first floor of the extended car park?

[Sixty3Closure]

One of the reasons in the past for not putting in a bigger or double decker carpark (apart from cost) is apparently it would need to take some land from the allotments which are next to it. That creates a whole set of different problems and a different group of people who will get very upset.

I'm also not sure extra buses or a park and ride are the answer as much of the traffic is quite early/late - before 8am or after 7Pm and even at every 30 mins I just can't see people wanting to wait especially as the Elisabeth line has drawn in commuters from quite a wide catchment area.

The car park seems the best solution although access to the station is through some quite narrow and crowded roads on one side at least and not sure there's capacity for more cars.

It's possibly that old adage "you wouldn't build it here" if you were starting anew.

[Marlburian]

It's possibly that old adage "you wouldn't build it here" if you were starting anew.

The parking problem may add to the case for a new station at Ruscombe, on the eastern edge of Twyford.

https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=25693.msg316659#msg316659

In which Grahame suggested "Or perhaps with reduced commuting - people in the office just 2 to 4 days a week - not so much 'width' of service will be needed". 

After several years of Working from Home being fashionable, the trend now seems to have turned, with most employers wanting their staff back in the office most of the time.

[grahame]

https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=25693.msg316659#msg316659

In which Grahame suggested "Or perhaps with reduced commuting - people in the office just 2 to 4 days a week - not so much 'width' of service will be needed". 

After several years of Working from Home being fashionable, the trend now seems to have turned, with most employers wanting their staff back in the office most of the time.

I would suggest - four years on from the slightly frivolous comment - that you have two forces. Yes, you still have an element of reduction from 5 days in the office though far less now, and you also have the success of the Elizabeth line in brining so much more economic and travel positives to the Thames Valley, as discussed in other threads.

I - risk - speculating again.  Extend the Maidenhead Crossrail terminators to Henley perhaps - goodness knows what that would do with the parking.

:12 and :42 from Maidenhead
:22 and :52 at Twyford
:34 and :04 at Henley

:39 and :09 at Henley
:51 and :21 at Twyford
:00 and :30 into Maidenhead

Cuts down the layover times and turn back times - I think that replaces the diesel train on the branch with an electric train but no extra diagrams? Couple of minutes of slack in there too.  It does mean 4 trains an hour over what is now an occasional foot crossing to the car park at Twyford, but then in makes Shiplake and Wargrave into potential car parking targets with half hourly though trains to central London.

Up the service to Maidenhead from London from 4 to 6 per hour and you could extend the other two services similarly to Bourne End / for Marlow - re-engineer Bourne End in a New Holland sort of way?

[Sixty3Closure]

In which Grahame suggested "Or perhaps with reduced commuting - people in the office just 2 to 4 days a week - not so much 'width' of service will be needed". 

After several years of Working from Home being fashionable, the trend now seems to have turned, with most employers wanting their staff back in the office most of the time.

Having just started to look at getting back in the job market most companies now seem to offering flexible working with the expectation you're in the office 3 days a week. A couple offer remote working but they've been for fairly niche or geographically diverse roles that I suspect would have offered something similar pre-covid.

[BBM]

A couple of news stories from today which are reporting that the Twyford car parking issue will be debated at tomorrow's full council meeting of Wokingham Borough Council:

https://wokingham.today/twyford-station-car-park-comes-to-council/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg5g149484po

[John D]

Twyford has 1,754,790 journeys in latest annual station figures, virtually double the figure 25-30 years ago

Using Mr Jupps dataset it is highest year of the 25-30 years

If the park car is full by 7am (as BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) reports) then clearly isn't big enough, no debate.  If there is a debatable item it is why expansion wasn't started months (or couple of years) ago.

Yes people are going back to office (it was well known 6+ months ago that many companies demanded it no later than start of 2026), so is not a surprise.  After all staff continuity, training and mentoring grinds to a halt when staff can't learn from their colleagues.

This seems like classic case of someone taking their eye off the ball (for months)  and not reacting earlier to spot the impending problem.

[ChrisB]

.