Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Those photos cetainly give the impression of a 21st century rail station. I wonder what the old GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) entheusiasts think about it.

[Electric train]

Those photos cetainly give the impression of a 21st century rail station. I wonder what the old GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) entheusiasts think about it.

They could go here http://www.broadwaystation.co.uk/ where they are building a new GWR station.

[bobm]

Saw this on Journeycheck

Reading Facilities: Lifts out of order At Reading station.
The lifts will be out of order between Platform 10 and Overbridge from 15/12/2012 08:04 until further notice.
Message Received :15/12/2012 08:05

Is this a breakdown, I wonder, or part of the station redevelopment work.  If it is the latter it could be problematic for those who can't use the stairs, particularly as Platform 10 is the main London bound platform on Sundays and between Christmas and New Year.

[Jason]

However, the last picture shows a mysterious package, marked Kone,  being transported across the ML's.  Kone make escalators, so it looks like the first bit of escalator is being moved across to the new platforms. 

As of yesterday evening, a large pre-fabbed escalator is sat in one of the wells on the east side of P8.
It's not in final position yet, it's at more of a reclined angle.

[Oxman]

Yesterday the normal stairs and the lift between the overbridge and platform 10 were both taped off and passengers were being directed to use the temporary stairs on the east side of the overbridge to access platform 10. Altogether not a very good arrangement - not a lot of signage and not the most customer friendly access. I don't know how long this will persist, or if it is permanent? Has to be some issues re access for the disabled to/from Platform 10.

[IndustryInsider]

A couple of other things to note:

We now have track partly laid by platforms 13/14/15.  Ballast is down but still waiting sleepers by the looks of it though! 

Also if you look on Camera 4 of nrreading01's webcams you can see a door in the side of the transfer deck leading to the walking route to the new depot and sidings.  I understand that this walking route won't require staff to be PTS^▸ (Personal Track Safety) (Personal Track Safety) trained and won't involve walking over the viaduct with a lighting system to tell you it's safe to keep walking.  Much safer!

[paul7575]

Perhaps they'll use the Balfour Beatty 'new track construction machine' to lay the sleepers and clip the track, within a few days from now?  Dropping the rails in roughly the right position, cutting them to length and temporarily joining them takes place before the machine appears, I found a YouTube video here that shows the machine in operation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhVu7jQZXy0

A photo of the current situation alongside P14/15 attached below, and also a picture of a gantry that's appeared at the west end of the new platforms some time over the last fortnight or so...

Paul 

[IndustryInsider]

Cheers, Paul.  Anybody else got neck ache though?   

[paul7575]

Cheers, Paul.  Anybody else got neck ache though?   

Sorry about that - thanks to using an iphone to take the photo, and a mac to upload it, unfortunately Apple's software
hid the fact I had the phone upside down.   

I think it might be OK to look again now...

Paul

[John R]

I'm intrigued by the heavyweight looking gantry. I thought NR^» (Network Rail - home page) was installing much lighter constructions now.

[stebbo]

With reference to Electric Train's comment, go to Winchcombe on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) where there's a working station albeit much of it transported from Monmouth. But I think station design has evolved - like airports we need to have more retail outlets so you can buy your dinner, a new suit, tie, bra, knickers, mobile phone etc.

[John R]

And in the case of the Severn Valley Railway, there are some rather controversial plans to "update" Bridgnorth with new visitor attractions and a new footbridge with lift access, which many members don't think will be in keeping with the historic ambience of the station. Maybe they could go the whole hog and put a gateline in as well.

[paul7575]

I'm intrigued by the heavyweight looking gantry. I thought NR^» (Network Rail - home page) was installing much lighter constructions now.

Thinking about this, although there definitely are lighter varieties of lineside signals that have been recently fitted, (e.g. on the Salisbury - Exeter route), I suspect there's much more complexity about Reading, especially in the station area.  If that gantry has to carry the 'full monty' for 4 platforms, and in both directions, ie two heads for the four main aspects, and any necessary feathers or theatre box route indicators, and calling on lights (for two train working), and CD^▸ (Capital Delivery)/RA indicators [1], then it all gets significantly heavier and on top of all that you have to add OHLE safety cages to allow for maintenance staff to get to the signalling equipment while the juice is on.  They may also be fitting various aids such as shades and back boards to improve signal sighting.

[1] Close doors and 'right away' indications for one person operation - which if Basingstoke is any precedent, could be fitted even if they are not normally ever used...

Paul

[bobm]

[1] Close doors and 'right away' indications for one person operation - which if Basingstoke is any precedent, could be fitted even if they are not normally ever used...

Are the existing CD^▸ (Capital Delivery)/RA ever used at Reading these days?  I have not seen them used in many a long year.

There's a small handbill going round giving pre-warning of the Easter blockade.  It mentions a total of 100 new information screens being installed.  Seems a lot but spread across 15 platforms and entrances/exits and walkways I suppose it soon mounts up.  Details of the revised service over Easter will be published next month according to the leaflet.  I fancy a trip via Banbury - missed out when the Christmas block was on.

[IndustryInsider]

Are the existing CD^▸ (Capital Delivery)/RA ever used at Reading these days?  I have not seen them used in many a long year.

They are used on all DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) services that depart from Platforms 11 and 16, and on all platforms if Driver<>Guard equipment isn't working.  Next Easter would be an ideal time to try to standardise all the method of working on all DOO services so that CD/RA is always used.  We'll see if that opportunity is grasped.