Reading Station Upgrade

[whole diary]

[FlyingDutchman]

This may be the wrong place to post this.

Can someone tell me what the status of the project please.


I notice the birmingham railway station project have there own web site
Guy

[Electric train]

Reading is progressing as planned, there is a lot going on that is not in the public gaze such as the building of the Thames Valley Signaling Center at Didcot with work ongoing to transfer signals from Reading Box.  Contracts have been awarded for the bridge widening on the west and east side of the station.

From a NR^» (Network Rail - home page) program point it has or is being merged into one program directorate with Crossrail and Great Western Electrification

[paul7575]

These are the current milestones, from NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014) enhancements plan, as updated Jun 2009

Key output 0:    Dec. 2010
enabling works complete
Signalling enabling works
Install temporary crossover in Goods lines

Key output 1:    Dec. 2012
All station platforms commissioned
Southern platforms remodelling
Relocate driver academy, Rail Gourmet etc.
Station mains works
Construction of platforms 12-15
Commission of new platforms 12-15
Station south side works
Station western bridge
Platforms 7, 8, 9 and 10
New station entrance platforms 1-3 [renumbered SWT^▸ (South West Trains) platforms]
Station upgrade follow-up works
Platforms 10 face extension
Relief lines east remodelling
Relief lines west and temporary/final depot
connections
Southern tunnel civils works
External station works
Vastern Road (George Street) bridge widening
Caversham Road bridge widening

Follow-on works: Sept. 2013
non key output 1 deliverables
Bridge demolition
Platform 11 works
Canopy works

Key output 2: Dec. 2013
FGW^▸ (First Great Western) depot fully operational
FGW civils enabling works
Depot facilities
FGW new depot familiarisation
Northern embankment depot
Main lines east remodelling
Cow Lane bridges
Wigmore Lane bridge
Little John^s Lane bridge

Key output 3: Sept. 2015
Reading West Junction grade separation
Reading West grade separation part 1
Construction of new HOBC^▸ (High Output Ballast Cleaner) depot
Westbury Line junction remodelling part 1
Reading West grade separation part 2
New mainline civils work
West Country grade separation (part1)/ Oxford
Road Junction re-modelling

Key output 4:    March 2016
West Country grade separation
Westbury Line junction remodelling part 2
Construction of final depot connections
West Country grade separation part 2
Southern viaduct

Paul

[JayMac]

I'm not too clued up on what all that means but one aspect I had heard of for the Reading re-modelling was the reinstatement of a dive-under off the 'Southern' lines to the east of Reading and thus moving the Waterloo/Ascot services to the north side of the station. Is that the case?

[paul7575]

The FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Guildford/Gatwick line services may move to the north side, (there are rumours they may be linked to Oxford services) but there is no suggestion that the Waterloo services will run through the underpass that I can find anywhere.  Don't forget part of the work is to provide 3 12 car platforms for Waterloo services anyway, the new platforms 1-3, that extend and add to 4A and 4B.

Paul

[FlyingDutchman]

Am I right in thinking the London bound trains will go under a rail pass and go in to platform 9 or 10. Train Heading for Exeter use platform 7

[willc]

As Paul says, the reinstated diveunder is intended for use by FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Guildford and Gatwick services, to get them out of the Waterloo bay platforms area.

I don't think there are any plans to electrify it at present. That would probably depend on whether third rail is fitted to plug the diesel-worked gaps on the way to Reigate, which seems in turn to depend on Network Rail fighting off plans for a Tesco supermarket on land where a proposed avoiding line at Redhill would go. This line would allow direct running by freight from Kent and the Channel Tunnel to Reading, cutting out the need to cross London.

Were third rail laid, you could use the 319s' dual-voltage capability to work Oxford-Gatwick, changing between AC and DC^▸ (Direct Current) power at Reading. But a fully third-rail electrified route would surely be handed to SWT^▸ (South West Trains), as a better fit operationally with their network and trains.

Network Rail has an area on its website for all major projects here http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/689.aspx and the Reading page is here http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/4664.aspx with links to assorted information and documents and information about tenders for the work.

[Electric train]

To 3rd rail electrify the easter under pass at Reading would require an AC / DC^▸ (Direct Current) traction supplies isolation interface these are not cheap and are quite complex to achieve, Ludgate Cellars (Blackfriers Stn) for Thameslink has 8 rectifiers 8 DC switch board which have a complex control system which operates them by track circuits as a train progress through the sections other areas use isolation transformers on the OHLE typical 2 track system needs 2 in each direction plus other sundry plant.  The gap infill for the Reading Gatwicks is not in CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014) or even projected for CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019), is a direct Gatwick Oxford service warranted?

[paul7575]

Electrification of the North Downs is just one of those many gaps covered in the Electrification RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy), listed as
"Wokingham to Ash and Shalford to Reigate."

So it is definitely on the radar, but as you say undated. One of those 'we'll get round to it eventually' projects, I susupect, as it is given a status of Tier 4 (where 1 is high and 6 is low).  I reckon as the conventional Route Strategies get updated, these gaps will be transferred into them as appropriate.

Going back to cross Reading stopping services - iit depends a lot on possible Crossrail extensions. It has been suggested that Oxford - Reading could be a standalone service - but there's a lot of other possibilities. 

Paul

[Lee]

From Network Rail:

CONTRACT AWARD ROUNDS OFF GOOD YEAR FOR NETWORK RAIL^S READING RAILWAY UPGRADE

Network Rail awarded the latest contract for its redevelopment of the railway at Reading this week, capping a successful year that has seen substantial progress on the scheme. The contract, awarded to Jacobs Engineering, is for the design of a new train depot on railway land to the north west of the station.

The train depot is a key part of the scheme, which will also see improvements to Reading Station, including five new platforms and a new footbridge with lifts and escalators. Network Rail^s plans will also untangle the railway lines to the west of Reading, improving the reliability and frequency of trains serving the station.

Robbie Burns, Network Rail major programme director, said: ^The award of the train depot contract rounds off a successful year for the Reading scheme in which we^ve seen our plans approved by the transport secretary, awarded contracts to design the new station and widen Caversham and Vastern Road bridges, and fitted out site offices at the old Caversham Road Royal Mail depot ready to move in next year. We^re going to be twice as busy in 2010 as we publish detailed designs for the scheme and get started on construction work in earnest.

^The work we^re doing at Reading is one of Britain^s largest railway upgrade projects both in terms of investment and complexity. We^re expecting to see twice as many people using the railway at Reading in 20 years time and this major upgrade will enable us to meet this demand, providing more frequent and reliable trains and a bigger, better equipped station for passengers.^

Over the past year, the Reading scheme has achieved the following milestones:

Contracts have been awarded to design the station and new train depot, and to widen Caversham Road and Vastern Road bridges to make space for additional platforms

Project offices to provide joint accommodation for Network Rail staff and contractors have been set up in the old Caversham Road Royal Mail depot

Preparatory work to resignal the railway at Reading has got underway

The transport secretary has given the green light to the scheme, awarding a transport and works act order for the project

During 2010, detailed designs for the project will be produced and Reading residents, businesses and community groups will be given the chance to have their say on the plans. Work to upgrade the signalling in Reading will continue, and Caversham and Vastern Road bridges will be widened to make space for the new platforms at the station. Further contracts to design and build the scheme will be awarded, ready for work at the station to begin later in the year.

[Electric train]

Good news with contracts

Project offices to provide joint accommodation for Network Rail staff and contractors have been set up in the old Caversham Road Royal Mail depot

  You have to laugh or you'd cry old Royal Mail depot formally know as Reading Signal works.