This sort of thing, along with other practices such as sending Heathrow Express stock all the way to Reading for servicing, does seem a poor use of fuel/energy and rather detracts from rail's green credentials even if overall rail is more environmentally friendly despite this. It's a pity a way can't be found to do it without so much empty running; some sort of turntable or crane perhaps?
There must be a lot of easier alternatives than a turntable that big!
First, you could just change the operating procedures for boarding so it didn't matter so much which end was which. After all, it's the other way round at Penzance.
Or you could split the rake and move the day coaches to the other end, most likely in the depot. Only a minor change in operation should be enough for that.
Didn't this manoeuvre used to be done round the loop via Greenford? That's now severed at Old Oak, but there is still a triangle at West Ealing that could do the trick (but not if you believe Traksy, which shows the wrong line taken out in singling that junction). If reversing on the branch is too unsignalled, I think you can still go up onto what's left of the Wycombe Line to do it there. Then you can continue straight on to the depot at Reading.
I'm assuming here that the consist ran/could run with a loco and driver at each end, so no walking is called for, let alone running around. Or was there only one driver on Saturday, which might explain why the reversals were done at platforms. Even that doesn't explain why it went to Didcot first, then Newbury - the other order would have avoided the third reversal at Reading.
In reality, it makes most sense to not worry too much about a tiny part of the diesel used in running the sleeper, let alone the railway as a whole. Unless it becomes important to up the greenness of the railway's image, of course.
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