Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[ellendune]

Looks like that crane won't reach P10/11 so they will have to be lifted in the same way they did P8/9

[paul7575]

There's an escalator fit progressing in the P10/11 housing just now, (seen on webcam 1/2 about 1400 on 10th) and working back through the webcam history it looks like it was delivered in bits yesterday, using tracked lifting devices moving along the P11 trackbed.

Paul

[lbraine]

Escalator going into P14/15 London side today

[lbraine]

Nearly done...

[ellendune]

Distinct lack of progress this afternoon.  They put one piece of the P12/13 escalator, lifted the next piece up, then left it hanging there for a long time before putting it down and have done nothing with the crane since.

If they had finished with the crane I am sure they would have taken it away, so I guess something is not going to plan.

[paul7575]

Weather problems?  Might just be the wind speed, especially if they are trying to accurately position stuff?

Paul

[ellendune]

No much wind here, but am 45 miles to the west.

[paul7575]

Seem to have started lifting again now (with another truck load of gear) as at 2050...

Paul

[ellendune]

Yes do now seem to be off loading the truck that has been waiting there since lunchtime. I am sure the driver is most relieved. There is another one queued up on camera 3 though.

[Electric train]

Could they have exceed their time under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 Section 61

[ellendune]

Or might just have run out of drivers hours. Perhaps not - still unloading trucks at 23:20.

[paul7575]

Having watched them on the webcam history craneing bits of escalator onto P12/13 this morning, I think my supposition last night about windspeeds being a problem may have been reasonable.  The escalators for this island appear to be being lifted in three parts, and joined together in situ while hanging off the crane.  With workers in close proximity (presumably doing up nuts and bolts) they wouldn't want any unexpected movements at all.

Paul

[ellendune]

Having watched them on the webcam history craneing bits of escalator onto P12/13 this morning, I think my supposition last night about windspeeds being a problem may have been reasonable.  The escalators for this island appear to be being lifted in three parts, and joined together in situ while hanging off the crane.  With workers in close proximity (presumably doing up nuts and bolts) they wouldn't want any unexpected movements at all.

Paul

You may be right I was not aware that was any wind but it may be local.

[IndustryInsider]

Changing the subject slightly, but just to clear up a couple of points that we've discussed in the past which have now become clearer:

1) Method of working for Platforms 12-15
They all have 'Closing In' signals at either end of the platform and are split into an 'A' and 'B' end.  Trains of up to 5 carriages in length that are terminating and heading back out in the same direction will stop at a 'Rear Clear' stop board located approximately mid-way along the platform in either direction ('A' end is London, 'B' end is the Country End).  That will then allow the signaller to route another train (again of up to 5 carriages) into the other part of the platform using permissive working arrangements at the Closing In signal (i.e. a red aspect with two white lights).

Trains of more than 5 carriages will stop at the relevant stop car marker further down the platform, as will through trains of any length.  Regarding concerns over canopy lengths, the canopies are long enough to shelter a train of roughly 6 carriages long, but any train that has stopped at the Rear Clear marker at the 'A' end of the Platform will have most of its length out in the open.

2) Cross Country trains
We've covered the lack of flexibility for through Cross Country services in the past and apparently it's also a concern for NR^» (Network Rail - home page) and XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)).  As we suspected, their through reversing services will generally use Platform 8, though they could also use Platforms 9 or 10.  Should a problem develop with the critical set of points at Westbury Line junction (or indeed the route on the Up/Down Main to or from those platforms) then that will leave no simple option, but there are still three options available to the signaller to keep those trains running.

• A train could use platforms 12/13/14 or 15 and be sent out of the east end of the station into what is now Kennet Bridge Goods Loop.  That loop is being upgraded to passenger status, so, for example, a train from Manchester to Bournemouth could be routed into Platform 14 at Reading, depart from there and be signalled into Kennet Bridge Loop, before reversing and then being routed through Reading's Platform 7 and on towards Basingstoke.
• As above a train could be signalled into 12-15 and then be sent back to Tilehurst station's new reversing signal before being sent via the West Curve through to Oxford Road Junction
• As has happened in the past, trains could just miss out on the stop at Reading and be routed via the West Curve stopping at Reading West.

If anyone has any other questions, now is the time to ask!

[swrural]

Operationally I would go for the last option - but -  unless Reading West is updated, it has poor access and step free only on the up side.  Other facilities are pretty miserable too.  Good bus service to town centre outside. A free shuttle to General (or whatever it is now called) would be helpful (unless local buses now go there anyway - it's 44 years since I lived there    ).

Perhaps it could be suitably updated with lifts and decent waiting facilities.  It's a good station for the west side of Reading and  no mistake.  How many pax^▸ (passengers) from (say) Oxford or Eastleigh want to change at Reading General who could not have taken an alternative service to get there?