Thames Valley infrastructure problems causing disruption elsewhere - 2018

[whole diary]

[eightonedee]

They are wide in comparison to the old Platforms 4a and 4b (especially at the far ends), with a reduction of clutter on the platform, such as vending machinges, which is what I was getting at.  They also have a much larger waiting area at the concourse end - the Twitter photo shows that being used to good effect.  Much better.

As someone who uses these platforms almost daily during the week to commute, and have done so since 2001, I am not impressed. "Less clutter" means fewer seats -actually now benches - and an inadequate roof that's too high to provide shelter.

The former adequate platform signage was replaced by new smaller dot-matrix signs that are so far apart that even my quite good distance vision struggles to read when on much of the platform, compounded by the ones at the inner ends being half hidden behind a transverse beam, with the added problem that the curve on platform 5 means you cannot even see all the width of the half-hidden screen.

Yes, there is a little more room at the inner end of the platforms, but this doesn't seem to done much to alleviate the crush shown in the pictures of today's problems.

When the reconstruction was underway, a member of staff told me not to worry, once the project was complete Gatwick trains would depart from the main platforms, which bearing in mind that we the taxpayers kindly spent (I guess) £100,000s on reopening the underpass seemed credible. However, we end up with those the industry is (presumably) trying to encourage to use this service having to struggle all the way down the length of platform 7 with their luggage, and if they have the misfortune to have a platform 4 departure experiencing the problem referred to in my last post. Even if they have a platform 5 or 6 departure, until recently early evening departures were often on a Turbo parked behind another adding further to the distance the poor traveler had to haul their luggage.

Sadly, these are just some of the poorly thought out (from the passenger's point of view) ergonomic details that spoil the experience of using the new station, taking the edge off a project that was completed on time and within budget in a very challenging location. Perhaps there's a new thread looming here - Improving the Reading experience? - where issues such as the dreadful signage and inconvenient platform allocation and use, could be aired!

 

 

[onthecushions]

All through the 90's and 00's I travelled daily under the HEx wires and can't recall them ever coming down. Headspans seemed to work fine when competently maintained within their performance envelope.

What are they poking up into the Over-Head Line Equipment (OHLE) these days?

OTC


Edit: VickiS - Clarifying acronyms

[Incider]

All through the 90's and 00's I travelled daily under the HEx wires and can't recall them ever coming down. Headspans seemed to work fine when competently maintained within their performance envelope.

What are they poking up into the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") these days?

OTC

A 387 today.......   
 For years the wires only had light use, now the 387’s and 800’s are causing a significant increase in wear and tear.

[sikejsudjek3]

Not surprised the staff disappear when anything goes wrong, their managing director is leading from the front in this respect...

[IndustryInsider]

As someone who uses these platforms almost daily during the week to commute, and have done so since 2001, I am not impressed. "Less clutter" means fewer seats -actually now benches - and an inadequate roof that's too high to provide shelter.

Yes, there is a little more room at the inner end of the platforms, but this doesn't seem to done much to alleviate the crush shown in the pictures of today's problems.

I take your points about signage and so on, but the following two photos show the much better passenger flow that is now achieved - as you say a few benches have since been added, but nothing like the clutter that was there before with vending machines, trolley stacks and awkwardly placed seating (as well as, not in the picture, the old ticket check booth which got right in the way with everyone having to funnel into almost single file).  And the canopy was doubled in length, even if maybe not the perfect design.  I dread to think how 4a and 4b as was would have managed with today's number of passengers.

[TaplowGreen]

Not surprised the staff disappear when anything goes wrong, their managing director is leading from the front in this respect...

…….but surely in order to disappear, firstly you have to appear? 

[SandTEngineer]

As someone who uses these platforms almost daily during the week to commute, and have done so since 2001, I am not impressed. "Less clutter" means fewer seats -actually now benches - and an inadequate roof that's too high to provide shelter.

Yes, there is a little more room at the inner end of the platforms, but this doesn't seem to done much to alleviate the crush shown in the pictures of today's problems.

I take your points about signage and so on, but the following two photos show the much better passenger flow that is now achieved - as you say a few benches have since been added, but nothing like the clutter that was there before with vending machines, trolley stacks and awkwardly placed seating (as well as, not in the picture, the old ticket check booth which got right in the way with everyone having to funnel into almost single file).  And the canopy was doubled in length, even if maybe not the perfect design.  I dread to think how 4a and 4b as was would have managed with today's number of passengers.

Yes.  And before that the single, very exposed and narrow Platform 4A.

[broadgage]

All through the 90's and 00's I travelled daily under the HEx wires and can't recall them ever coming down. Headspans seemed to work fine when competently maintained within their performance envelope.
What are they poking up into the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") these days?
OTC

Exploding pigeons ?

[Electric train]

Is the head span system due to be replaced? The 2 track issue goes back to my previous post about when will PAX be expecting to see a weekend without renewal or maintenance work going on?

It doesn't help on a Sunday having a two track railway due to engineering work (for both maintenance and renewals).  Don't know how you could easily solve that one.

Lets hope that the work to upgrade the existing headspan areas gets more priority (and funding).

I feel you will always see sections of the 4 track between Reading and Padd closed on Sundays for maintenance / renewals, week day and weekend nights just do not give enough time.

All through the 90's and 00's I travelled daily under the HEx wires and can't recall them ever coming down. Headspans seemed to work fine when competently maintained within their performance envelope.

What are they poking up into the Over-Head Line Equipment (OHLE) these days?

OTC

A 387 today.......  
 For years the wires only had light use, now the 387’s and 800’s are causing a significant increase in wear and tear.

There have been a few incidents involving the Over-Head Line Equipment (OHLE) but as this used to only effect HEX and Connect most GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) passengers never noticed.

Even with the low number of trains that used the first 12 miles originally in the last years gaining access to maintain the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") in amongst the upgrade works would not have been easy, also the Route may have decided not to renew certain items due to planned project work.


Also lets bare in mined the rip down the other week was not due to and OLE defect, it was caused by a train, I don't know what Sundays event was caused by it could be Over-Head Line Equipment (OHLE), train or a bird strike (not birds are not members of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)    )

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronyms

[IndustryInsider]

I heard on Sunday it was failure of a cross-span wire on the side of the structure where it connects to the counterweights.  That caused everything, including the contacts wires, to sag.

[eightonedee]

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Re: Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption elsewhere - ongoing, since Oct 2014
« Reply #3071 on: October 28, 2018, 10:55:03 pm »
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Quote from: eightonedee on October 28, 2018, 07:26:17 pm
As someone who uses these platforms almost daily during the week to commute, and have done so since 2001, I am not impressed. "Less clutter" means fewer seats -actually now benches - and an inadequate roof that's too high to provide shelter.

Yes, there is a little more room at the inner end of the platforms, but this doesn't seem to done much to alleviate the crush shown in the pictures of today's problems.

I take your points about signage and so on, but the following two photos show the much better passenger flow that is now achieved - as you say a few benches have since been added, but nothing like the clutter that was there before with vending machines, trolley stacks and awkwardly placed seating (as well as, not in the picture, the old ticket check booth which got right in the way with everyone having to funnel into almost single file).  And the canopy was doubled in length, even if maybe not the perfect design.  I dread to think how 4a and 4b as was would have managed with today's number of passengers.

Point also taken that there is some more room, and what was a bad experience might have been worse, but the passenger experience, especially for the unfortunate ones who have done the right thing and decided to go to Gatwick by train via Reading remains poor. If II has colleagues who decide such things, please try to persuade them to put Gatwick semi-fasts on parts of the station that are convenient for lifts, changing platforms, etc etc. I fear that someone may have a mind set that still thinks these are Southern Region trains that should use Southern Region platforms!

Even with the greater capacity, it is also clear that Reading remains a difficult interchange for large numbers of passengers when GWL closes east of Reading. Platforms 4-6 struggle with regular peaks during Royal Ascot and Welsh Rugby internationals at Twickenham, when special control arrangements are put in place. Presumably any use of the two connecting lines is stymied by capacity issues, train types not being cleared for use and the two different types of electricity supply.

[IndustryInsider]

If II has colleagues who decide such things, please try to persuade them to put Gatwick semi-fasts on parts of the station that are convenient for lifts, changing platforms, etc etc. I fear that someone may have a mind set that still thinks these are Southern Region trains that should use Southern Region platforms!

I think it's more a case of operational resiliance. You make a fair point that platform 7 has periods where it has quite large gaps in services, but there are fairly sound reasons why the majority use 4, 5 or 6.

1)  Ideally you would want to avoid putting anything other than through services into through platforms, and most of the Gartick/Redhill services have layovers of between 10-15 minutes. 

2)  When a train to Gatwick departing from platform 7 (or 8, 9 or 10) it blocks all arrivals from the Down Main Line whilst it heads to and through Reading New Junction.

3)  Both departures and arrivals take longer to get from 7, 8, 9 or 10 to Reading Spur Junction with its 25mph speed restriction.

4)  You can't get to or from Gatwick from platforms 11 or 12.

5)  In the case of platforms 13, 14 an 15 they are already pretty well used.  If you use platform 15 you restrict the abillity for freight as well as the current xx:03 and xx:33 departures to Paddington that use it for most of the day clashing with the Gatwick/Redhill departure times of xx:04 and xx:32. 

6)  13 and 14 are slightly less used currently, but either one is generally occupied from around xx:08 to xx:18 and xx:38 to xx:48, with usually a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service every other hour occupying the 'B' end of either platform from xx:08 to xx:45.  That does give a little scope to put anything up to 5-cars in the 'A' end of one of the platforms at the times the Gatwicks/Redhill's would occupy them, but doesn't solve the problem with departure times clashing with those stoppers to Paddington from 15 which can't both depart at the same time.

[TonyK]

I feel you will always see sections of the 4 track between Reading and Padd closed on Sundays for maintenance / renewals, week day and weekend nights just do not give enough time.

25 years ago, when there hardly any trains to be had on any Sunday, it didn't matter so much.

[TaplowGreen]

Alterations to services between Ealing Broadway and West Ealing


Due to a speed restriction over defective track between Ealing Broadway and West Ealing fewer trains are able to run on some lines towards Reading.
Train services running through these stations may be delayed or running non stop between London Paddington and Southall. Disruption is expected until 10:30 07/11.

[Jason]

Due to a broken down train between Slough and Hayes & Harlington the line is blocked.
Impact:
Train services running through these stations may be delayed. Disruption is expected until 07:15 12/11.