Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[stuving]

Of course there is a capacity issue, but that's not the one highlighted on the poster, with or without a re-write to makes sense of its details. The number of XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains does make half platforms worth having, so I can see that keeping P8 and P9 open while working on parts of them does make sense.

The current work does, however, appear to be a change of plan. It is true that the diagrams in these phasing plans are wrong in some areas - how P10 and P11 are shown as coming in and out of service is one, and the absence is the rebuild of P7 is another. However, the reason for changing the track past the west end of P7 (moving the P3-P7 link to before the bridge, stages 1 and 2 in S&TE's post ) is to allow the realignment of the line beyond the bridge (stage 4). This was planned for 2013, any work on the P8 track was planned for 2015.

I assume not doing this planned realignment means the P8 track can't be on its final alignment, and it looks as if that's so. However the plans are inherently unreliable for proportions at junctions, due to the transverse scale expansion, and our view and pictures are highly foreshortened and partly blocked by a gantry. So I can't be 100% sure of that.

The key point about this link is that unless it connects to the Down Westbury by points not in the final scheme, it will still channel P8 traffic to a choke point on the Up Westbury. Its value would thus have to be that it by-passes a short stretch of the Down Main, shared with P9. But it exists now, so why replace it, even if it has (for example) a low speed limit?

Ah well, we'll just have to wait and see (as usual) if some cunning plan reveals itself.

But going back to the point that anything put in has to be temporary, doesn't the final layout have the replacement for the P8 to P9 crossover on the west side of Caversham Rd bridge, so the section you have pictured being replaced to the east of that bridge is possibly permanent - even though the points at the end of P8 will still need plain lining in due course?
Paul

On that specific point - apart from whether the P7 realignment is needed first - the plan shows, if anything, the track turned a little counter-clockwise from its old line. What is being built is turned clockwise (all subject to the caveats noted above). Following the new line eastwards, it would stay closer to the P7 track than the old alignment does. That would at least fit with the way P7 isn't being widened right to the end,  but I can't believe they now intend to widen P8 at this end!

[paul7575]

Here's a picture of the current situation.  The track over Caversham Rd bridge appears slightly to the right of previous, hence the weave between the end of P8 and the bridge is not as pronounced as it was before plain-lining;  however the unexpected feature now (almost) visible on the bridge itself is a new set of points leading towards (but not connected to) the present Down Westbury.

I have a feeling though, that those points will eventually become the route of the Up Westbury, with the normal (straight ahead) route through them becoming the direct route towards the Festival Line.

Does that make sense, or is there a better explanation?

Paul

[SandTEngineer]

I have a feeling though, that those points will eventually become the route of the Up Westbury, with the normal (straight ahead) route through them becoming the direct route towards the Festival Line.

You are correct.  This will be part of Westbury Line Junction Part 2, Stages 6 and 7 remodelling.  There will also be a new parallel facing turnout leading from the Platform No.7 line to the Platform No.3 line (currently disconnected) just to the West of Caversham Road bridge which then be the route of the Down Westbury line via the current Platform No.1 line.  See my post #2215 above.

I'll post up the stage plan in a few days.

[stuving]

I have a feeling though, that those points will eventually become the route of the Up Westbury, with the normal (straight ahead) route through them becoming the direct route towards the Festival Line.

You are correct.  This will be part of Westbury Line Junction Part 2, Stages 6 and 7 remodelling.  There will also be a new parallel facing turnout leading from the Platform No.7 line to the Platform No.3 line (currently disconnected) just to the West of Caversham Road bridge which then be the route of the Down Westbury line via the current Platform No.1 line.  See my post #2215 above.

I'll post up the stage plan in a few days.

That will be interesting to see - taking what you both say as exact, it would be a change. Originally P8 straight on goes to join P9 as the Down Main, while the turnout goes to join P7 (after its turnout) before dividing onto the Festival Line and the Up Westbury.

The fact that it looks quite a squeeze to get that all in to fit that new turnout may be just the viewing angle.

[BerkshireBugsy]

It's been quite a while since I have used the train services through Reading but yesterday a fellow passenger told me that some north downs services leave from platform 15 and use the "new" tunnel to join the north downs line heading towards Wokingham  From a depot movements perspective this makes perfect sense but am curious to know when this entered service.

I have tried searching, honest !

[IndustryInsider]

The underpass entered service as of the new platforms opening back in April.  More services now use that route after the opening of the new depot, though there's still not too many which are mostly confined to the early morning when they are trains that are formed of sets straight from the depot.

[stuving]

Looking at today's timetabled movements, those three start-of-service trains do set of from P14/15, but later in the day I spotted at least one that went through to P5 to start there. I'm sure it's friendlier to passengers to use the normal platforms wherever possible, but most examples later in the day seem to be from P13-15.

I've been on a couple, which were replacements for late/failed trains. They were late platform changes, so passengers had to move across from P4-6. In terms of time, it's about 10 minutes for a train to do it and about the same for passengers to transfer the other way, especially as they may include elderly passenger with heavy luggage. In such a case there's actually a good reason to prefer taking the train through - but I don't see any sign of it being given priority.

It's not a very exciting underpass anyway, though it does make a change. Incidentally, does anyone know if there is a gauge restriction on it due to radius, clearance etc?

[paul7575]

That will be interesting to see - taking what you both say as exact, it would be a change. Originally P8 straight on goes to join P9 as the Down Main, while the turnout goes to join P7 (after its turnout) before dividing onto the Festival Line and the Up Westbury.

The fact that it looks quite a squeeze to get that all in to fit that new turnout may be just the viewing angle.

I'm not so sure of what I posted now, having in the meantime blown up the 'Corus' track layout, it does look like those points (the set I've marked with a red arrow on the attached extract) are still providing a route to both the Up Westbury and the Festival line as you say, and the straight ahead route is still direct to the Down Main (or P9 route) as you thought.   What threw me for a bit is that the down main will have to eventually be slewed significantly further south than it is now, to come into line with the viaduct approach...

Anyway no doubt it will become clear once SandTEngineer can check his plans.

Paul

[stuving]

 What threw me for a bit is that the down main will have to eventually be slewed significantly further south than it is now, to come into line with the viaduct approach...

I don't think that's true. The plans I was looking at show the same as that clip - but with less clutter, worse resolution, and as the end of the phasing sequence. If the superposition of the phases is accurate, the new Down Main, where P8 and P9 join, is almost on top of the old Up Main.

I've also found a scale drawing of a newer layout that looks like what's going in, though it needs enormous magnification so it too is short of resolution. (It's the "location plan - central viaduct" from the planning application 11-01885-FUL.) While the viaduct is south of the old mains, the new mains touch down well to the north - the new Down Main is even a little north of the old Up Main. However, it still shows the track over the bridge as turned a little anticlockwise when the wiggle is taken out (the remnant of the old turnout off the through line to P5 as as).

This plan does not distinguish old tracks that are kept unchanged from ones that are taken out. However, it looks as if the track from P3 across the bridge may be removed, rather than joining P1/2 sooner or joining the P7 to Down Westbury link (which is now further east). Maybe.

[paul7575]

 What threw me for a bit is that the down main will have to eventually be slewed significantly further south than it is now, to come into line with the viaduct approach...

I don't think that's true. The plans I was looking at show the same as that clip - but with less clutter, worse resolution, and as the end of the phasing sequence. If the superposition of the phases is accurate, the new Down Main, where P8 and P9 join, is almost on top of the old Up Main.

I was just trying to compare the position of the eventual new Down Main with its 'current and temporary' position though.  What I originally thought was that a straight line projected over the latest position of those points on the Caversham Rd bridge was likely to be leading towards the Festival line, and the route from there to the final Down Main would be tending to bear to the right (as viewed) - implying another set of points further on - but that was obviously mistaken.   

However, I've found a better drawing this morning, that seems to show that the eventual route from P8 to the point where it joins the 'new Down Main' is basically a straight line.  It's the eighth file on page 1 of the results page on the planning site, I've attempted to post a clip from it below.

This plan also shows the four separate tracks over that part of the Caversham Rd bridge all retained,  I think it would be necessary for instance if you wanted parallel moves of an up XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service into P7, and then reversing towards the Festival Line, and a simultaneous down departure from P3 towards Basingstoke.  That could be a useful facility.

Paul

[stuving]

However, I've found a better drawing this morning, that seems to show that the eventual route from P8 to the point where it joins the 'new Down Main' is basically a straight line.  It's the eighth file on page 1 of the results page on the planning site, I've attempted to post a clip from it below.

This plan also shows the four separate tracks over that part of the Caversham Rd bridge all retained,  I think it would be necessary for instance if you wanted parallel moves of an up XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service into P7, and then reversing towards the Festival Line, and a simultaneous down departure from P3 towards Basingstoke.  That could be a useful facility.

Paul

That plan is a useful find - much easier to follow - but the tracks are not the reason it was included, so need not have been up to date. In fact, there is at least one known change since - the added crossover from the Up Feeder Main into P12.

I still don't think that track on bridge 4 (from the south) is at the right angle for that nice straight run from P8 onto the Down Main. And the turnout there - it just doesn't look as if there is room for the track over bridges 2 to swing left, then that over bridge 3 to have a crossover to the Down Westbury too. I know, it's very foreshortened, but still...

[stuving]

I was in Waterstones in Reading yesterday, and I found a new book about Reading Station.

It was published in August, and comes from a very local little publisher so it may not be on sale elsewhere.
It's a very slim volume - only 100 pages (though the publishers list it as 150!) for ^10 - so not very detailed.
The author is a local historian not a railway expert, and it is based mostly on local newspapers.
I found it interesting - but then I'm neither.
It's largely made up of yearly accounts of the main news stories, plus some 1- or 2-page pieces on tangential topics.

So, if it's the kind of thing you just can't resist buying, despite the cost per page  ...

All Change at Reading The railway and the station 1840-2013)
Adam Sowan, Two River Press.
ISBN: 978-1-901677-92-8

[bobm]

It is also available on eBay from a number of sellers.

[SandTEngineer]

OK.  Continued from Post #2257 above.  Here is the final track layout over Caversham Road bridge:


Image (c)2013 SandTEngineer

[AMLAG]

Can anyone please advise how long the present temporary unsatisfactorily totally open to the elements platform 7 (constructed on top of the former Down through track) is likely to be in use??
A recent downpour saw several dozens of passengers waiting for an Express to the South West drenched !
Possibly the simple provision of a temporary Scaffold structure with a covering to keep people dry was considered...or not ?