Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

Darn!  Don't suppose you could provide a link to the 2013 EAS?  I can only find the 2012 one the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) website.

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/Rules%20Of%20The%20Route/EASyearYY/70wrYY.pdf

Thanks, Paul.

Maybe, though from previous discussions on this P4 and P5 share an approach track (just like the old 4a/4b used to), whereas a train could depart from P6 at the same time as one arrives at either of P4 or P5. I'm not sure what the benefit has been of the extra platform- other than a longer walk to P4 and more missed connections!

The benefit will be that future timetables will be able to make use of the flexibility of the three platforms (the current timetable is configured around two platforms, because that's all there there was when it was introduced in May), and there will also be room for more and longer trains in the future.  There is also more scope to limit the delay damage of a failed train.  Platform 6 is used several times a day, but Platforms 4 and 5 cope with most of the current trains with no risk to the PPM^‡(resolve) figures.   If you have any comments about passenger crowding on Platform 4, then suggest your alternative workings to FGW^▸ (First Great Western), though as a passenger I would be far more annoyed at the lack of any seating on the new southern platforms!

It is good news that the rebuild is giving more capacity than is currently needed, so that in the future Reading is able to cope.  I expect you'll find that when all the other platforms open there will be long periods off-peak when there is no train using, say, Platform 14, but that is far better than having to knock the whole lot down and rebuild it again in 15 years.

[BerkshireBugsy]

Also, P4 gets rather crowded, which is more of a problem for North Downs trains, which arrive and then leave very quickly, so passengers wanting to board conflict with passengers alighting, than for Waterloo trains which lay over for half an hour so passenger flows are one way.  One approach would be to put Waterloo trains on P4 and P6, with North Downs on P5, benefiting from the greater space available on P5/P6.

I totally agree.

The situation on the platforms which serves the North Downs line is not helped by the fact that passengers waiting to board the services will not give passengers leaving the service much space. Although this is a problem on most platforms it is made worse on p4/5/6 by the number of passengers with suitcases.

[danners]

I drew those diagrams! :-D

[Chris from Nailsea]

Excellent work, danners - and a warm welcome to the Coffee Shop forum! 

[Southern Stag]

Looking at timetables from December it appears that in the off-peak periods FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services will use Platform 4, and SWT^▸ (South West Trains) services 5 and 6.

[BerkshireBugsy]

Tonight (Friday) I notice some blue markings have appeared on the west end of p7 they say "prop base" - anyone know what is about to happen? And they going to be temporary or new roof supports? It's certainly alll happening !

[Super Guard]

A notice has gone up that says the stopping position for HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) on Platform 8 will be bought further back due to the demolition of the roof canopy in due course.

[Electric train]

I do not use Reading as part of my normal travels, this morning I was heading West from plat 7 (the old 4) it was very congested with many waiting for a West Country train and others making their way to Plat 3 (the old 3  ) for a Bournmouth I would hate to use it in the week day peaks

[paul7575]

Tonight (Friday) I notice some blue markings have appeared on the west end of p7 they say "prop base" - anyone know what is about to happen? And they going to be temporary or new roof supports? It's certainly alll happening !

In terms of timing I'd expect the canopy between current P7 and P3 to be removed as advance work some time before next Easter, as that is when P3 goes out of use and work starts to rebuild it.  At that time you'd probably expect P3 to be behind hoardings of a similar style to those elsewhere on the station, in which case the vertical supports are secured by large concrete blocks behind the hoardings.  Perhaps 'prop base' defines where these blocks are positioned?

Alternatively, when they were demolishing the canopies alongside the old P7 west end bay (ie between the current P8 and P9), which were of similar construction, they surrounded the uprights with additional scaffolding support. AFAICT^▸ (as far as I can tell) this was probably to reinforce the uprights if the roof load became unbalanced during demolition, but don't quote me.

Paul

[BerkshireBugsy]

Many thanks Paul...your logic seems sound:)

Those old platform numbers seem so long ago now!

[Jason]

Tonight (Friday) I notice some blue markings have appeared on the west end of p7 they say "prop base" - anyone know what is about to happen? And they going to be temporary or new roof supports? It's certainly alll happening !

As of this morning there were a number of upright girders sunk into the platform 1/2 concourse with the usual plastic safety surround. So it looks like the canopy there is about to go.

In other news, major steelwork has been going up on the western side of the new transfer deck on platforms 8/9 and 10/11, presumably for the escalator housing.

[ellendune]

Are they looking to do the new canopy on 1/2 soon then?  If so is a closure likely or will they be doing it at night?

[paul7575]

Are they looking to do the new canopy on 1/2 soon then?  If so is a closure likely or will they be doing it at night?

Comparison with the other end, (the old P4A/4B Southern platforms) would suggest that the old canopy removal can be done overnight, with no train cancellations.

Paul

[paul7575]

A couple of interesting milestones gleaned yesterday by quizzing one of the project management, (who made the mistake of standing still on the footbridge).   

There is a mid-October deadline for the 'civils' contractors to be off the new P12/13 and P14/15 islands east of the transfer deck, as that is when the east end track layout starts being installed by the trackwork contractor (Carillion).

In February the section of the existing footbridge north of the P10/11 island will be taken out of use and removed.  Access to the station from the car-park and the north of the station area will be via the new public subway, which will open then.  (BTW^▸ (by the way) I don't think it's been mentioned yet that at some time over the last few weeks the support girders under that footbridge section have been modified as they were in the way of the P14/15 construction.)

A second tower crane will be installed in due course west of the new transfer deck, that will reduce the need for mobile crane movements on the site because access space will reduce when the platform islands start being built west of the transfer deck. 

Paul   

[ellendune]

Soem information from Costain

http://www.costain.com/news/news-releases/2012/10/4/bridge-move-at-reading-station.aspx

4 October 2012

The final stage of work on a new transfer deck at Reading Station is now underway, after what is believed to have been Great Western rail region^s first jacking into position of such a structure over a live railway.

The transfer deck, part of Network Rail^s ^80million upgrade of the busy Berkshire station, will replace the existing passenger bridge across the tracks, providing considerably enhanced capacity and escalators down to the platforms.

The second section of the bridge was constructed beside the station then moved into position over five nights in the period between the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The first section was launched before the Olympics got underway.

Leading the team of around 30 personnel behind the bridge slide was Site Agent, Dave Forbes, who revealed that it took two nights to slide the second bridge section 18 metres over the tracks^then a further three nights to lower it just 100mm into its final position.

The 1100-tonne section was lowered 25mm at a time in a series of steps to ensure it fitted exactly onto its bearings.

^A lot of surveying was necessary, together with a lot of work to get the bearings into the right position and get the section exactly level,^ he said.

^There were no real problems during the slide. This was a Great Western ^first^ in that it was carried out  over an operational railway and wasn^t done in possession [when rail services are suspended]. This demonstrated both Network Rail and First Great Western^s confidence in the team after the earlier bridge slide,^ commented Dave.

Stage three of the deck is now being built in situ, between the two sections. ^From a structural point of view, we^re working towards completion at the end of October,^ said Dave. ^For fit-out and completion, we^re looking at early February 2013, with the bridge commissioned and open to the public by late March.^