Great Western Coffee Shop

There appear to be a new fly in the ointment of Reading remodelling.

Should the West of England lines go over the mainlines (current plan) or under.

Over the mainlines involves two flyovers one Eastbound one Westbound. If the mainlines go over then one long bridge is required over the two legs of the triangle.

However over means it would mean a steep start from the station for Westbound trains up and over and a steep descent to a stop in the station for Eastbound.

One of the best schemes I saw for Reading some years ago left the Traingle intact and put the flyovers at the end of Sonning cutting and Tilehurst. Either the Relief can cross the  Mains or vice versa. This means that stopping trains West of England trains (with suitable crossovers) can come into platform 4 whilst Bristol trains come into 8/9 and the new platforms on the goods lines. this also puts Reading New Junction on the Relief line side. You could still use the flyunder to get trains off the Southern onto the mainlines. More XCs from Guidford?

Logic? Railways? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.