Reading Station Changes - update summary for users

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Reading Station is undergoing a transformation programme as part of the wider ^850m Reading Improvement scheme. While Reading Borough Council is delivering improvements to public spaces at the front and rear of the station, Network Rail is delivering the station and track upgrade that began in 2010 and is due to be completed by summer 2015, one year ahead of schedule.

From http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Your-journey/Rail-improvements/Reading-station-improvements

We have a detailed, and fascinating, thread running about the ongoing works - it's at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=6405.0 and already boasts 2,300 messages.  Long may that thread continue - there's still about 2 years to go, and no doubt we will end up with various "wash up" items as to how the new Reading is working out.

This thread is intended to be a user's overview / summary.  I'm not a regular user of Reading - would someone care to stand up for the challenge of posting where we have come from, where we stand, and where we are going paragraphs, with a short summary of what effect the works will have on travel over Christmas and the new year.   Thanks!

[BerkshireBugsy]

11/11/2013 - my first trip through reading in over a week and noticed that the "roof" is now over p1/p2 and looking good. Doesn't seem to have changed much on. P3 but I did notice that to get to p4-6 and the old concourse the route had changed slightly.

[Thatcham Crossing]

The roof may be up over P1/2, but it doesn't go very far out. If it's raining and you need to go more than 2 carriage-lengths away from the start of the platforms, you will be getting wet. I know this from walking to the front coach of a 3-car Turbo on P1 last Friday evening.

Not very good when you consider that these are 5 coach (max) platforms and post-electrification trains will be 4-coach at least (AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know)).

[stuving]

Following the Christmas/New Year work, we now have:

• The new P7 is open, and just long enough for an HST^▸ (High Speed Train), though its canopy is still work in progress - watch out for the leaks.
• The temporary P7 has gone, but work on extending P7 to the east has not started.
• P6 is open again.
• The canopy in front of the old station, and around the end of the Brunel Arcade, has not bee started.
• P8/P9 east end canopy and waiting rooms etc. are still being worked on.
• P8 is edged apart from two carriages at the west end, but has extra length at the east end. It can't be finished until the track is finalised after the viaduct opens.
• P9 is still not finished at either end.
• P10 and its track still need quite a bit of of work.
• P3 is out of use, though the scaffolding on it appears only to be a barrier that's there because it is out of use ...
• And the transfer deck is draughty and still leaks in the kind of weather we've been having, but there's plenty of dry (if chilly) space in there. The sweeping canopies, of course, are no use as shelter at platform level.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Many thanks for that excellent summary of all the present works here, stuving. 

[Jonty]

Hi Stuving, I didn't know they planned to put up a canopy in front of the old Station building - is there a link anywhere to the plans for this?

[paul7575]

I think he meant the P7 side, i.e. against the back of the 'heritage' building.

Paul

[stuving]

I think he meant the P7 side, i.e. against the back of the 'heritage' building.

Of course - I should have said ... what? From P7, I would not call that side the "back" of the station. So does it has two fronts?

The best I can think of is "platform front".

[stuving]

We've not been keeping this summary up to date - very remiss, sorry about that.

In fact, during 2014 the layout has changed little. The platforms and fittings being worked on a year ago have all been finished, and are now in use, while the viaduct and the earthworks on the "triangle" for the new Feeder Lines have been constructed. Not long before Christmas some of the track between P7/8 and the viaduct was removed, and new track put in the space that was cleared. Finally, during the blockade across the new year the rest of the new trackwork between the station and the viaduct was put in place.

That gives the following new features:

• P3 is now in use, for turning Cross-country services. These also use P7 & P8.
  
• The viaduct only provides grade separation with the West Curve, as the Festival Line and Feeder Lines that will also pass under it will not be finished until Easter.
  
• That means that, until Easter, up trains from the Westbury Lines can use P7/8 only.
  
• There is a small part of the Festival Line in use, but it is in effect just a third running line down the eastern ramp of the viaduct.
  

From Now until Easter 2015 (apart from lots of minor fettling tasks):

• The now disused Main Lines will be lifted, the old Cow Lane bridge demolished, and the ground regraded for the Feeder Lines.
• The two feeder lines will be laid down the slope beside the eastern ramp and under the viaduct to join the track across the triangle.
• The relief lines further west will be shifted southwards, and the junction with the West Curve renewed.
• The space cleared here will take a new extended loop and access track for the depot.
  

Then at Easter all the new bits go live. The timetable will not use the extra capacity at once, and possibly not much until the big timetable upheaval when Crossrail starts in 2019. But before that there is a whole load of electric knitting to do.