Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[John R]

There isn't one. Since October employers cannot terminate employment solely because of age (unless they are in one of a small group of occupations where safety is deemed a paramount consideration). 

[Electric train]

Of little comfort to his family I know, but nice to read - if the article is accurate - that the company employs 69 year olds and doesn't send them packing at whatever age the retirement limit is this week.

There isn't one. Since October employers cannot terminate employment solely because of age (unless they are in one of a small group of occupations where safety is deemed a paramount consideration). 

Also he could have been self employed which is quite common in both the haulage and construction industries. 

Sad news, as all deaths are, on what has so far been a project with a very good safety record

[Boppy]

Took this quick photo as I was boarding train today.

Last view of the old platform 7 before it gets fully boarded up.

The gap where the tracks were has been filled in already.

[bobm]

Does anyone know if the new layout at Reading will cure the problem of a train being trapped on the approach to platform 7 (formerly platform 4) if a train fails or is otherwise delayed while at the platform?  It happened again today.  A three car unit came in the platform out of service at about 12:20.  I assume it had failed somewhere as it had a red tail lamp perched on the driver's desk in the rear cab.  It then sat there for 15 minutes before being moved.  In the meantime the 12:27 to Bristol Temple Meads and the 12:33 to Penzance were queuing outside the station with no where to go.  I assume the Penzance service could have been moved to another platform as it was before a crossover, but the 12:27 could only gain another platform by reversing which would have been very time consuming.  As a result it left 12 minutes late and only just ahead of the following Cardiff service which had been diverted to Platform 8.  It does seem a weakness that the final signal before the platform is effectively a dead end - there is only one way to go if/when it clears.

[SandTEngineer]

Some you Win some you Lose

The signal on the approach to P7 was installed over ten years ago and allows a shorter platform reoccupation time under normal working.  Unfortunately an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) stood at this signal has its tail end over the points leading from the Down Main to Up Main and so a train stood at the signal near the Gas Works will be caught as well.  This then blocks back to other trains on the Down Main which have no way out.  With five minute peak headways things can very quickly escalate when it goes wrong. The only way out then is to turn trains Down Main to Down Relief at Ruscombe Junction near Twyford.

The new Reading layout will be completly different (see earlier posts in this thread).

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Reading Cow Lane bridge opens to road traffic

A commuter route in Reading is due to reopen following the installation of a new 1,600-tonne bridge.

Cow Lane has been closed since early December for Network Rail to remove and replace one of two bridges and lay a new road under the structure.

The southern bridge was demolished on Christmas Day but work was held up because of water in the foundations.

Trains have already started using the bridge and Cow Lane is scheduled to reopen to traffic on Monday.

The concrete and steel structure was manoeuvred into place with a 66-axle vehicle on 27 December. Crowds of people turned out to watch the seven-hour operation.

The work has allowed for two lanes of traffic, a cycle lane and pavement under the new bridge and means double-decker buses can use the road.

Network Rail project director Bill Henry said the bridges were a "notorious bottleneck".

"We're very thankful to the patience of local residents and commuters who bore with us while we finished off this very important phase of our works," he said.

The work is part of the ^850m Reading Station redevelopment with work on the northern Cow Lane bridge due to finish in 2015.

That BBC article includes two and a half minutes of time lapse footage, showing how the 1,600-tonne bridge was installed: I found it absolutely fascinating, but slightly headache inducing (flash lighting effect). 

[paul7575]

Linked to already back in December, in post # 524. 

However, I think post # 537 includes a longer better version.

Paul

[Chris from Nailsea]

Sorry: I did think some of it seemed rather familiar. 

However, their 'latest' item is described by the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) as posted "29 January 2012 Last updated at 10:50".

The perils of believing the BBC, I suppose. 

[mjones]

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) story is new in that it is reporting the re-opening of the road, which took a few more weeks  work to complete after the railway bridge was installed. In doing so they linked to a newer version of the time lapse film than the one they had originally referenced.

[BerkshireBugsy]

I know that alot of Reading Station is a building site at the moment but one definate downside as far as I can see is there is no-where to "hide" from the cold weather like we have had this week. At the moment my travels only involve platforms 1-7 so I don't know if this is any different across the other sides of the station

When I am doing my normal commute there isn't much time to be affected by the bad  weather but last night I had the pleasure of sepnding nearly an hour at the station with very little respite from the cold - even on the main concourse through the barriers.

I know in projects like this sometimes things have to get worse before they get better but I do miss the waiting room, toilets and coffee shop on the old P4 !

Dave (hoping for a heatwave!)

[ellendune]

Its not just the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), I remember a similar wait on Rotterdam Central Station a couple of years ago.  That is undergoing a similalrly radical rebuild.

[Oxman]

There is always the Three Guineas - it has departure screens in there and a view of the platforms!

[Electric train]

There is always the Three Guineas - it has departure screens in there and a view of the platforms!

................. and beer 

[eightf48544]

Usually some quite interesting ones!

[Boppy]

Old platform 7 canopy is no more...