Extending Crossrail to Reading - ongoing discussion, merged topic

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

Indeed, there is a tweet circulating quoting "The Minister" saying there'll be an announcement on "the electrification" "Soon, but not in the budget"....maybe be related, maybe not....

[Electric train]

We're on a promise"! Well, almost. Terry Morgan (Crossrail Chairman) is now saying we can expect an announcement of the continuation to Reading "soon".

Indeed, there is a tweet circulating quoting "The Minister" saying there'll be an announcement on "the electrification" "Soon, but not in the budget"....maybe be related, maybe not....

My wild guess on any announcement on extending Crossrail to Reading will be part of the formal announcement on the Greater Western franchise, the two are linked in the TV area

[stuving]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South Today just announced the extension to Reading as a news flash - seconds before the programme ended, so details will have to await finding where this came from.

(add) ... there's an item in newsnow that cites Richard Willis's blog. That's still jam tomorrow, but at least now it's literally tomorrow (Thursday).

[stuving]

And now ... from ITV news (Meridian):

BREAKING: Crossrail project could come to Reading
Last updated Wed 26 Mar 2014

The Government is expected to announce tomorrow that the Crossrail project will come to Reading.

The ^16 billion scheme would link the town with Central London and the east without the need to change trains at Paddington.

It is by far the biggest rail upgrade scheme ever in the Thames Valley.

A new tunnel is being built between Paddington and Reading aimed at relieving congestion.

The scheme when announced in the 1990s was meant to come to Reading, but was later cut to only go to Maidenhead to save hundreds of millions of pounds.

The original scheme had the route going to Ebbsfleet in Kent, but it is unclear if that will happen.

MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) and council leaders have long campaigned for the link which will almost certainly lead to a massive jobs and housing boost.

Did you spot that bit about the tunnel (underlined)? Now, would that make the groundwater problems better or worse?

And, of course, why would not changing at Paddington be worth so much if it took 20 minutes longer that way?

[John R]

I believe there is a short underpass at Acton being built for use by Crossrail trains, so at a stretch the statement that a new tunnel is being constructed between Reading and Paddington could be regarded as accurate. Though I doubt that was what they had in mind. 

[stuving]

And the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) late local news tonight has it back to "confidently expected" tomorrow, and also "imminent".
It's accompanied by a piece by Paul Clifton, as usual pretty factual. One thing he did say, however, was that there would be two TPH^▸ (trains per hour) Crossrail and 2 TPH FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services to Paddington. That's not the last RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy) proposal, so where has it come from?

[stuving]

Rob Wilson MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) (Reading East) quotes a letter from Stephen Hammond in " Welcomes extension of Crossrail to Reading but says more will be done to deliver right service" (also reported by Meridian).

The important bit is this:

In response, Transport Minister Stephen Hammond confirmed in a letter today that the Department for Transport will now order a detailed study of the benefits and costs of constructing additional loop facilities to enable faster Crossrail trains between Reading and Paddington. The findings of the study will be published alongside Network Rail^s draft priorities for rail routes in the west of Britain in October 2014. The Transport Minister acknowledged that Rob had already made a ^strong and powerful^ case for improved Crossrail services between Reading and London via such additional loop facilities.

Rail Minister Stephen Hammond said: ^Crossrail reaching Reading is further proof of our commitment to deliver a transport network fit for the 21st century. It will improve connectivity and deliver greater choice and convenience for passengers travelling into London. It will also make better use of the already congested Great Western Main Line, freeing up capacity for further improvements including potential direct services from Reading to Heathrow as part of the Western Access Scheme.  In addition I have requested Network Rail to look as the cost benefit analysis of increasing the number of faster trains between Reading and Paddington.^

Rob said: ...

"I am therefore pleased that the rail minister has announced that the infrastructure improvements needed to deliver a more rapid and direct Crossrail service with fewer stops and faster journey times will be fully analysed as part of the next investment review. The relevant infrastructure could be put in place as soon as 2020/21, just two years after Crossrail services to Reading start. If places like Watford can have fast and semi-fast services on their metro trains into London, there is no reason why Reading can^t have the same."

[NickB]

Confused.

We are consistently told that there is no further track capacity between Paddington and Reading, and thats why we can't have more trains on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) routes.
Yet, here we are being told that Crossrail will be delivering fast and semi-fast services from Reading.

Are they just going to fly over all of the stopping CR and FGW trains?

Also I note that this appears to be an announcement of a 'cost benefit analysis' rather than a commitment to change.  Is this just political speak for announcing the change, or have the media gotten carried away?

[stuving]

Confused.

We are consistently told that there is no further track capacity between Paddington and Reading, and thats why we can't have more trains on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) routes.
Yet, here we are being told that Crossrail will be delivering fast and semi-fast services from Reading.

Are they just going to fly over all of the stopping CR and FGW trains?

Also I note that this appears to be an announcement of a 'cost benefit analysis' rather than a commitment to change.  Is this just political speak for announcing the change, or have the media gotten carried away?

The press have yet to get going on this one, so we'll have to wait for that.

Rob Wilson is exhibiting "Watford envy", which may be a medical first. But what he actually says is not specific about how trains might be faster, though he does mention "loops".

Ages ago, my "Plan A" was for some on what are now planned as fast Paddington-Reading trains to go into the tunnel instead. That does not mean extra capacity on the Main Lines, but less platform use at Paddington. The RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy) said that's not possible due to the lack of a direct link (branch tunnel).

Alternatives using only the Relief Lines might be these loops (or passing tracks in or between platforms). There is already a short length of an extra (fifth) track. You can also get some benefit by phasing the short-turning services to leave a gap for a semi-fast to run into (which is common enough).

Crossrail is primarily a new London underground line. Its extension at each end is accepted as necessary so people can get to work, but seen as secondary and hence never really taken seriously.

[paul7575]

If the Crossrail alterations at Maidenhead remain as planned, (which seems highly likely) faster relief line trains will be able to overtake slower trains there anyway; simply by putting the slower train in the 'inboard' platform line.

Paul

[lordgoata]

As long as it doesn't effect me, I don't care what they do! If I have to change at Reading to get to Maidenhead, or my 30 minute journey becomes longer, than i will not be happy... I get really confused how all these services run on the same lines...

[ChrisB]

Sounds to me as though they'll be investigating Crossrail taking over the relief lines from Reading....would make sense to me.

Yes, those travelling from West of Reading to a station intermediately East of Reading may have to change trains somewhere....but that's a small % of those travelling through Reading right now

[paul7575]

From the detailed written statement:

Once operational, Crossrail services are expected to serve Maidenhead on a 4 trains per hour basis as originally planned, with 2 of these services continuing to Reading via Twyford.

In addition, the planned future Great Western franchise service pattern from Reading to London will not change. Twice hourly semi-fast services and existing fast mainline services will continue, calling at the same stations as today.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/extension-of-crossrail

That answers stuving's earlier doubts about Paul Clifton's news item I think, and also means ChrisB doesn't need to worry about changes at Reading...


Paul

[ChrisB]

As long as these trains continue to commence from stations west of Reading as they do today. No guarantees yet.

[stuving]

There are two strands to this, which DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) are trying to keep separate. The written statement to Parliament is solely about what is now to happen in 2019, with two TPH^▸ (trains per hour) going on to Reading and two TPH still stopping at Maidenhead. The DfT "News story" has that in brief, plus:

In addition I have requested Network Rail to look at the cost benefit analysis of increasing the number of faster trains between Reading and Paddington.

Now, the service pattern in Stage 1 was, I thought, to have FGW^▸ (First Great Western) only running to Slough. Perhaps that has already changed in franchise discussions? (There may also be nearly-fasts that swap to the Main Lines, which would have to wait until paths could be reclaimed from Heathrow Express.)

But the statement says:

In addition, the planned future Great Western franchise service pattern from Reading to London will not change. Twice hourly semi-fast services and existing fast mainline services will continue, calling at the same stations as today.

Passengers will continue to benefit from the service frequency enjoyed today between Reading and Hayes & Harlington, maintaining connectivity with Heathrow and to Ealing Broadway, for interchanges with the Central and District lines.

The Reading extension will also generate some cost savings from reduced infrastructure enhancements at Maidenhead and Slough, and only minor works will be required at Twyford and Reading to accommodate Crossrail services.

If the West-facing bay at Slough is to be scrapped only now, how does that not alter the services? And how were and are the post-2019 FGW services to be the same as now, but terminating at Hayes & Harlington?