Yes it is...Station Road, left into Wellington Road, right around the Elms Road or Carnival Pool roundabouts, back along Wellington Road - simples!!

Fantastic planning by NR^» (Network Rail - home page)/SWT^▸ (South West Trains)/WokinghamBC (don't know which).  Could they not foresee the additional parking required when they planned the station and the revised car parking which was completed not that long ago.

The additional housing currently going up around the town was in the pipeline for ages so that cannot be the reason - surely??


Sorry to say this, but this is one reason I am not sad about moving from Wokingham - now use Farnborough (more trains per hour, longer trains, less stops on the route)

Thanks Fourbee

Reckon I might have to pay for a FC^▸ (First Class, or Fat Controller, or Football Club, depending on context) ticket (= Fair Chance of getting a seat)

Hi.  Assuming a house move takes place (fingers crossed), I will soon be commuting several days a week from Farnborough to Waterloo.

Any advice on car parking and best ones to use (around 7.30)?

I am aware there are the Union St car parks in addition to the main one.  Do these fill up early?

I also saw somewhere that the main car park is only available to season ticket holders before 9am - is that true

Also what is the seat availability like morning and evening?

Thanks in advance

James

A quick query

I am looking to purchase an open return from Wokingham to Winchester via Reading (out 7 Aug return 11 Aug)
The outward journey is (ideally) to start during the peak period.
Using TheTrainLine.com I cannot see an option to purchase an open return for an outward journey starting before 09.00

Is this true.  Is my only option to buy two singles?

What am I missing?

Thanks for any help in advance

James

Thanks - just what I thought.  Worrying.  Very glad I live on the Reading side of town

And I expect "opening summer 2014" will mean the first week of September

Is anyone aware if the road layout plans have altered significantly from the plans available on the Wokingham Council website

http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/transport/roads/stationlinkroad/documents/

Having recently started to use Wokingham station regularly to commute to London I am amazed at, what appears to me, to be the counter-intuitive plans for traffic.  I appreciate I may be late to the party however is anyone able to explain the planners thinking?

Considering the morning peak

• All traffic from the south (Finchampstead and Barkham) will need to use the link road to get to the Reading Road therefore this will be permanently busy as it will not just be station traffic
• All station traffic from the town centre and the north will use the link road and (other than buses or taxis) will need to turn right into the car park, across the flow of traffic mentioned above (unsignalled) and across any buses or taxis exiting.  This will include drop off traffic as there appears to be no other facility for drop off from the north
• How exactly do car park season ticket holders (using the car park opposite the station) coming from the north get to that car park (presumably down Station Road, left into Wellington Road to the Carnival Pool roundabout then back along Wellington Road?)

Interested in others' observations

When all the flooding shenanigans began I took the decision to de-camp to SWT^▸ (South West Trains) from Wokingham to Waterloo.  Takes longer and costs more (but does have nice 8 coach trains  )

Been keeping an eye on this thread to see when things are back to normal and I can return to Twyford.

Think I'll stay away a while longer.

Does anyone know if, given the general conditions, tickets will be allowed on SWT^▸ (South West Trains) trains Waterloo to Reading or do we need to wait for an official announcement.

By my way of thinking, if there are fewer services which are likely to be overcrowded, those who can should use SWT (or Chiltern for that matter) - call it a pre-emptive strike

I travelled in this morning on the 07.09 stopper from Twyford...after Burnham it would be fair to say the train was FULL.  Fascinated by the human nature of those who still think they can try to squeeze in and don't understnd why the doors won't shut

Out of interest, does the diagram change on Fridays?

The 18.12 is typically 3 car on a Friday (and therefore overcrowded to Slough)

Will the new service similarly be 3 car on a Friday

Thanks BBM.  Useful to know.  Several years ago I had a car park season which did not specify the car park but I think it was pre APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area).  Seems stupid that there are season tickets not being used or maybe APCOA can't count the number of available spaces.

And thanks bignosemac.  Didn't know it had changed.  By my thinking if I pay the daily rate APCOA would receive more than the theoretical daily equivalent of the season ticket and if the car park is never full...jobs a good 'un!

However, not sure I can go through with the aggro.  The longer walk will keep me fitter 

 

Can someone please confirm the current usage and status of the 'season ticket' car park or CP1 as APCOA^▸ (Car parking company used at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) - controlled stations in the area) refer to it.

Does it mean rail season ticket or car park season ticket.

I am returning to travelling to London some days per week after a few months not having to do so. Financially I will be better off with a season ticket over daily for rail but not parking.

If I properly pay the daily charge by phone can I park in Station Road CP (or even the road spaces) or must I use the Gas Lane one?

I ask because when I was travelling regularly last year, the Station Road CP was only half full at around 7.30 when Gas Lane was almost already full. I also looked online today to check the season ticket charges and APCOA reckon there is a waiting list on that car park.

If the APCOA jobsworths slap a ticket on me. What would be the 'offence'? (I use that term loosely, I played the ignoring the threatening letters game once before for parking just on a white line. Don't really want to do it again.)

Cheers

I agree with Stuving the old footbridge (and current ticket office) are hardly historic or lovely buildings

As a Wokingham resident I am amused by the comments made in the local press from the Wokingham Society wanting something that reflects the character of the market town (what do they want, something made of oak?) and the Society's Chairman who "had not been down to the station, but knew what to expect" (I wonder which newspaper he reads?)

If the artist impression of the new building is correct then I think it will be a massive improvement (currently much more "Bracknell" than "Wokingham") and given most views of the station will be from Station Road/car park side, the station and the new footbridge is totally in keeping with the light industrial units in Oxford Road (which can be seen in some of the photos in this thread).

If Wokingham were still a picture postcard market town with twee tea rooms and "ye olde gifte shoppes" then they might have a point.

I may have my own views on whether we really need a Premier Inn (and associated chain Pub/Restaurant) and ANOTHER supermarket, but the town certainly needs regenerating and if market forces mean that's what it takes to pay for it...so be it.  It is a market town after all!

Now if SWT^▸ (South West Trains) could also see their way to laying on fast or semi fast trains to Waterloo I would be inclined to use my bicycle and travel from WOK rather than drive to TWY^▸ (Twyford station) each morning.

I do think the black socks and shoes are rather fetching!

This does pose an interesting discrimination question.  Take most offices where the dress code (no pun intended) is smart business.  Guys will be wearing suits and women either skirts/dresses or trousers - you know the score

Assuming we get one of those really hot summers (remember them?) - can guys wear shorts?  I doubt it (this isn't Bermuda).  Given their female colleagues have the option to wear a skirt/dress, could an emplyer deny the men the same option?

Just needs a few to start the trend - who's first? the rest of us will be right behind you.

Do the barriers not count as a ticket check?
Or is the question more aimed at first class carriages?

I agree that it is highly unlikely to see a ticket inspector on the "full and standing" trains in the peak periods and I would share your view that many in FC^▸ (First Class, or Fat Controller, or Football Club, depending on context) are possibly not paying for it.

There was a ticket check on a peak time turbo last week (I couldn't believe it) although it didn't happen in the front carriage until the train was between Maidenhead and Twyford so the train was reasonably empty by then.  Inspector went into FC, one passenger there, checked ticket and told him to move to Standard. No penalty or difference paid.
 

Thanks Brucey

So we are saying that if I genuinely got there with moments to spare because I was, say, delayed getting out of the house by family issues or en route because of traffic to station, and unluckily for me a revenue officer was on board not a train guard then I pay penalty fare without any discretion?  I daren't miss the train as there isn't another for half an hour and would otherwise be late for work/college.

You say "otherwise everyone would chance it", however if there was a consistent approach (train manager on every train or manned stations with barriers) then people would know there is no chance of "chancing it".

The above is a real example (involving my son on the Reading/Guildford route) however on my normal commute to Paddington for several weeks around Christmas the barriers at platform 11-14 bridge were unmanned and open in the morning peak every day.  The station I leave from has free access to the platform.  I could have avoided paying for the outward part of my journey (and sometimes the return too) everyday.  Never a guard, inspector or revenue officer on peak turbo trains into or out of London.  For the record, I did not avoid paying for any journey  
 
Andy W - how do I know if/whether there's a train manager on board and if so where to find him/her? Surely better to wait until he/she arrives.

BNM - Sounds reasonable


This is not a rant against anyone here, merely a rant at the system from a genuine rule abiding passenger/customer/client who is also trying to explain the rules to a beligerant teenager who couldnt get up early enough!