Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

I'm sure that it would have been very desirable to alter both platforms at the same time, but there needs to be two southern platforms available for use at all times.  With both platforms getting straightened out (especially 4b) to fit into the new track layout, which of course has to be altered to allow their length to be extended to 12 carriages, that would not be possible to do all at once without closure of both platforms for a considerable amount of time.

[paul7575]

I've an idea that much of the extension of what will become platform 5 and 6 may well be done while the first of the two platforms is out of use, ie when platform 5 reopens it might include the furthest 4 car length of platform 6 as well, because the significant section over the Vastern Rd bridge will presumably be prefabricated like the section of new platform 4 already completed.

What I'm thinking. IYSWIM, is that the eventual P6 closure might not take as long as the P5 closure...

Paul

[ellendune]

Cow Lane Bridge Work Delayed


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-16142664

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) is reporting that the installation of the new bridge is delayed untill 18:00 because of water in the foundation holes.  Is that a full 10 hour delay or less?  Will it be possible to recover this time by Wednesday morning?

[EBrown]

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) is reporting that the installation of the new bridge is delayed untill 18:00 because of water in the foundation holes.  Is that a full 10 hour delay or less?  Will it be possible to recover this time by Wednesday morning?

I was there between 0030 and 0100 and the bridge was still being moved into place. I then went to do some work (that's what I am being paid for). When I left 35 minutes ago it was finished. I was very pleasantly surprised at the number of people who were watching given the time.

[Chris from Nailsea]

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

Reading Cow Lane bridge lifted into place after delay

A new 1,600-tonne bridge has been installed in Reading.

One of two bridges in Cow Lane was demolished on Christmas Day but the installation of its replacement was delayed because of water in the foundations.

It was finally manoeuvred into place with a 66-axle vehicle on Tuesday morning. Crowds of people turned out to watch the seven-hour operation.

Cow Lane will be closed until 30 January and diversions are in place.

Trains are due to start running over the new bridge, made of concrete and steel, later this week once the tracks are replaced.

The work will allow for two lanes of traffic, a cycle lane and a pavement under the new bridge.

It will mean double-decker buses can use the road.

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

The new bridge structure has been built at a nearby site and is part of the ^850m Reading Station redevelopment.

[ellendune]

The Live departure board at Reading seems very confused at the moment:

The 19:56 Paddington to Weston Super Mare is shown as Platform 4 (Has to be the old number 4)

The 20:06 Paddington to Plymouth is shown as Platform 7 (Has to be the new number 7)

So thats two successive trains leaving from the same platform (old 4 becomes new 7), but the departure board give two different numbers!

No wonder they need extra staff to direct passengers!

PS Not just a one off - P4 seems to crop up regularly and at least one p5. 

[EBrown]

Time lapse footage of Cow Lane's bridge being replaced has been released.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-16367565

[ellendune]

Time lapse footage of Cow Lane's bridge being replaced has been released.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-16367565

Thanks for that.

Not clear where the delay occured though. Also not sure why it is under Hampshire.

[EBrown]

It doesn't appear in the Hampshire part of the website, I'd imagine it was just human error.

[IndustryInsider]

A couple of photos of the new layout at Reading station.

Firstly the realigned platform 10 (old platform 8 ) with the temporary platform sections and a dramatic kink in the old track layout at the western end mean a 25mph speed restriction is now in force whilst the platform is rebuilt into island platforms 10 and 11.  Platform 11, the old platform 10, will then be converted from a bay to through platform.





And here's the new shiny platform 4 ready for business and looking very nice I have to say.  Track for platform 5 has also been re-laid ready for platform 5 to be rebuilt in a straighter formation over the coming months.  Note the position of the buffer stops, now a good coach length away from the physical end of the platform.  Modern safety standards I expect, though how many thousands of people will just miss their train over the coming years with that extra distance to go I wouldn't like to guess!
 

[Jonathan H]

I rode to Wokingham from the new platform 4 (1234 Reading to Redhill) and back into platform 6 (1134 Redhill to Reading) to have a daytime ride over the new formation.  I was a little suprised at how far down into the dip the new junctions are.  Traversing the new junctions is however a lot smoother than before and should save a few seconds in the future.

From the car park, you can see clearly that trains in platform 4 stop almost a whole class 458 carriage length (20 metres) further east than in platforms 5 and 6.

Is any further trackwork planned or is the final formation now in place?

[Electric train]

Firstly the realigned platform 10 (old platform 8 ) with the temporary platform sections and a dramatic kink in the old track layout at the western end mean a 25mph speed restriction is now in force whilst the platform is rebuilt into island platforms 10 and 11.  Platform 11, the old platform 10, will then be converted from a bay to through platform.

Am I wrong? the photo is the old 9 taken from the old 8 at the old 6 (new 16) end, so is the old 9 the new 10?

Boy I thought KX was complex with its plat 0 and 9 ³/₄   

[IndustryInsider]

Yep, sorry, I should have said 'realigned platform 10 (old platform 9)'

[paul7575]

I rode to Wokingham from the new platform 4 (1234 Reading to Redhill) and back into platform 6 (1134 Redhill to Reading) to have a daytime ride over the new formation.  I was a little suprised at how far down into the dip the new junctions are.  Traversing the new junctions is however a lot smoother than before and should save a few seconds in the future.

...Is any further trackwork planned or is the final formation now in place?

The new junctions are significantly longer, to allow for various parallel moves in and out of the new platforms (ie at the same time), but without using any 'diamond' crossovers at all, as per current standards.  So an up train from new P4 has to weave across to the up line in two stages, rather than using a crossover straightover the down line.   

It is also seems current best practice is to avoid S&C^▸ (Settle and Carlisle ) components on any sort of gradient - so that also extends the whole layout.

From what I've seen previously I think the track layout is probably now complete.

Paul 

[IndustryInsider]

It is also seems current best practice is to avoid S&C^▸ (Settle and Carlisle ) components on any sort of gradient - so that also extends the whole layout.

Some of the new crossovers are very much on a gradient!