Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[inspector_blakey]

Would be nice to think that the RA indicators could be used for driver/guard working as well, since they are interlocked with the signalling and won't allow a "ding ding and away" SPAD^▸ (Signal Passed At Danger). There are certainly precedents elsewhere, Birmingham New Street for example where all trains are despatched with an RA despite driver-guard operation.

Or are the CD^▸ (Capital Delivery)/RA indicators in the Thames Valley a different design that means they're not suitable for driver-guard working? Clearly the CD serves no purpose if the guard is closing/locking the doors rather than the driver: does the interlocking mean that CD has to be displayed before RA will pop up?

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 do a lot worse than visit Birmingham Moor Street, where a superb job has been done of providing a busy station with excellent, modern facilities at the same time as retaining a very heritage, GWR feel.

[Southern Stag]

Presumably the sleeper is despatched at Reading using RA indicators because of the lack of driver-guard communication, the CD^▸ (Capital Delivery) indicators wouldn't be needed then either.

[IndustryInsider]

Or are the CD^▸ (Capital Delivery)/RA indicators in the Thames Valley a different design that means they're not suitable for driver-guard working? Clearly the CD serves no purpose if the guard is closing/locking the doors rather than the driver: does the interlocking mean that CD has to be displayed before RA will pop up?

No, direct to RA is possible - and occasionally used in the case of faulty Driver<>Guard comms on HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) or 180s.  Personally I think on non-DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) trains the Guard giving two on the buzzer is a better system than using a RA indicator as it doesn't rely on the driver continually observing the RA box, they just wait for buzz-buzz and go.  Delays can occur when using the RA if the driver isn't on the ball all the time.

[inspector_blakey]

Presumably the sleeper is despatched at Reading using RA indicators because of the lack of driver-guard communication, the CD^▸ (Capital Delivery) indicators wouldn't be needed then either.

Never seen the sleeper despatched at Reading so I'm not sure, but the RA indicators would make sense as I don't *think* there's a driver-guard buzzer on that stock. However it's also possible that it's despatched in the time-honoured way with the guard giving the driver a green flag (or green light, during darkness, fog or falling snow...). That is still the fallback method of despatch in the event of a buzzer/RA indicator failure, and all guards (should...) carry flags and a handlamp in case of need.

No, direct to RA is possible - and occasionally used in the case of faulty Driver<>Guard comms on HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) or 180s.  

Thanks, had often wondered about that! I ended up travelling on one of Chilterns 67-hauled sets the other day which *seemed* to have a weird method of despatch going on. The guard had a two-way radio and from the tit-bits I overheard it sounded as if she was in radio contact with the driver and despatching that way: common enough in the US but I'm not aware of it being used in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) ever. Not even entirely sure if it's covered by the rule book. The disclaimer is that it's entirely possible that I misinterpreted what was going on though!

[Southern Stag]

Presumably the sleeper is despatched at Reading using RA indicators because of the lack of driver-guard communication, the CD^▸ (Capital Delivery) indicators wouldn't be needed then either.

Never seen the sleeper despatched at Reading so I'm not sure, but the RA indicators would make sense as I don't *think* there's a driver-guard buzzer on that stock. However it's also possible that it's despatched in the time-honoured way with the guard giving the driver a green flag (or green light, during darkness, fog or falling snow...). That is still the fallback method of despatch in the event of a buzzer/RA indicator failure, and all guards (should...) carry flags and a handlamp in case of need.

Definitely no driver-guard on the MK3s or the 57s. Despatched using green flag, or green light in the winter, throughout Cornwall. Not sure if the RA indicators are used where installed at the bigger stations though. They use RA indicators at Redruth in the up direction because the 57 is stopped in the tunnel and it wouldn't be particularly easy for the driver to see a flag or light.

[paul7575]

Meanwhile back with the track laying, as I write this the webcams show the Balfour Beatty new track machine is sitting in P13, and there's a ballast train in P15, so as I thought might happen, progress has been swift...

Paul

[swrural]

I've been dying to ask this.  Is the kink in the main down platform to go?   Has it gone?

It's a wonder it was not listed, being Brunel's bright idea (?) to send trains in and out of two halves of a single platform.

[Oxman]

The dispatch process for sleepers at Reading is:

Dispatcher gives the first tip to guard, who then locks the doors.
Dispatcher gives second tip to guard to show all doors locked safely.
Guard gives green light to dispatcher.
Dispatcher gives RA to driver.

All done without a single whistle - wouldn't want to wake the passengers!

By the way, the lift and stairs from platform 10 to the overbridge are back in use. Apparently, the lift has been suffering significant rain water ingress since the canopy was cut back. A temporary fix has been made to the canopy to rectify the problem.

[BerkshireBugsy]

When I walked through Reading from P4 to P1 last night I was suprised with the amount of rain water that was coming through the round holes in the bottom of the overbridge. This suprised me because (a) I though the roof was on the overbridge and (b) I thought the round holes were for lights!

Lets hope I am wrong on both counts!

[paul7575]

I've been dying to ask this.  Is the kink in the main down platform to go?   Has it gone?

Platform 7 is to be built out from the middle of its length by about one track width towards P8.  It will have a completely new platform edge, and be significantly straighter than it is now, so I expect there'll be little or no evidence of any original details.

Paul

[Southern Stag]

The first schedules for the diverted trains this Easter have started to appear online. Some links for the 29th March for anybody who is interested:
London Paddington: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced?location=London+Paddington&date=29%2F03%2F2013&tocs=All&timespan=1&show_schedules=11&schedule_type=0&show_wtt=1&show_var=1&show_stp=1
Exeter St Davids: http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced?location=wat&date=29%2F03%2F2013&tocs=All&timespan=1&show_schedules=11&schedule_type=0&show_wtt=1&show_var=1&show_stp=1

Service is broadly similar to Christmas 2010. 1tph London Paddington-Swansea and 1tph London Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads via the Chiltern Line, Banbury and Oxford. 1tph London Waterloo-Plymouth/Penzance via Westbury. This time the services to London Waterloo are running along the main lines from Basingstoke-London Waterloo. The result is quicker journey times, only roughly 1 hour longer than normal journey times to Paddington. Reading has the standard service in to the Southern platforms (4/5/6) and out of platform 2 there is 1tph to Basingstoke and 1tph to Bedywn, with every other train extended to Westbury. This will mean a very rare visit of Turbos to Westbury station.

[John R]

Thanks SS. I'm travelling back from Gatwick on the 30th March, but notice that services from London still appear to be via Reading. Do I assume that they have not yet reloaded the amended services yet?

[Southern Stag]

Indeed, I'd expect the rest to be uploaded over the next couple of days.

[anthony215]

Well I will be at Reading to get some pics of the class 165/166's at Westbury since its not something we see usually although after 2016 I think it will be more regular providing they can be cleared to work services from Bristol to Weymouth once they are displaced from the Thames Valley region

[EBrown]

Just to clean up those links a little and make it a tad easier to read by removing other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) (Only GW^▸ (Great Western) displays)
Services from:

• London Paddington
• London Waterloo