Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

Timetables for the Easter period are now available on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website Reading Station Improvements page:
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Your-journey/Rail-improvements/Reading-station-improvements

Well thats a good start.  Page 4 in the West of England timetable is blank

[bobm]

Timetables for the Easter period are now available on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website Reading Station Improvements page:
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Your-journey/Rail-improvements/Reading-station-improvements

Thanks - booked my Good Friday trip from Swindon to Westbury via Banbury and Waterloo!!

[paul7575]

Rails installed overnight alongside P12, at least west of the existing footbridge - be interesting to hear how far towards the London end they go if anyone is passing through the station later?

I changed trains there yesterday morning and did have time for a quick look. As far as I could see (it was raining hard at the time) it is connected in at the London end.

Thanks for checking.   

I also had a look today from the footbridge, and I've attached a quick phone picture, which also shows how well the future down relief 'lines up' with P12.  In my (totally unqualified) opinion, the P11 track does seem to get quite close to it - I doubt a train would be allowed through P12 yet.  Having said that, it was also a rumour about the new P4 and P5 at one stage during that construction, but it turned out not to be the case.

Paul

[Southern Stag]

There's been a lot of talk about the escalators on the new footbridge on here so I got a quick photo from 8/9 yesterday of the new escalators in place, looks like two escalators and stairs on this side.

[paul7575]

That's right, as per the plans P8/P9 is the only island with four escalators and two staircases.

What I thought when on P8/P9, is that with the views available at the moment behind the hoardings you really do start to get an idea of how much circulating space there is?

The open space along the length of the platform, both in the two areas between the foot of the escalators and the platform buildings, and under the transfer deck around the lift shafts, will be huge.  It also occurred to me that when P9/P10 is complete it too will have more than enough space for waiting passengers.

Paul

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I do agree: I too was at Reading yesterday afternoon having come non-stop on an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) from Bristol Parkway (but that's another story).  Whatever I've said about the uncanopied areas (which I stand by), there are indeed large and spacious canopied areas on P12/13 and P14/15 under the new footbridge and adjacent to the escalators and stair wells. 

Just hope that trains stopping outside the canopied areas are the exception rather than the rule. 

[lbraine]

Observed this AM: the new lines laid across the new Cow Lane bridge by the new depot have been removed. Includes ballast and membranes laid. Bare concrete of tunnel roof once again visible.

Anyone know why ?

Signalling on London side looks energised, including North South link.

Platform roofing panels going up both side of escalator/stairs on P10/11 are advanced, P12/13 has started country end.

[eightf48544]

Picked up printed timetable at Taplow for Easter and following weekend.

If you travelling locally East of Westbury or Didcot you will basically be on a bus for part or even all of the journey.

We are  marroned in both directions at Taplow with just a shuttle train  with buses West of Maidenhead and East of Slough over Easter.

The following weekend we can't get West of Maidenhead

[paul7575]

There was quite a major change to the roofing progress last night, a significant section of the sloping roof over the P12/13 country side staircase and escalator has been installed, and many of the gaps in the P10/11 roof cladding are nearly all closed as well.

I wonder if the rest of the roof will start appearing quickly now - there's also more of the main steelwork support structure appeared recently on the London side of the same areas.

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Observed this AM: the new lines laid across the new Cow Lane bridge by the new depot have been removed. Includes ballast and membranes laid. Bare concrete of tunnel roof once again visible.

Anyone know why ?

I noticed that, too.  Not sure why.

[ellendune]

A very large crane has appeared and large escalators for the London side of platforms 10/11, 12/13 or 14/5. Could they deliver and lift all in in one session?

[paul7575]

I think that might be a reasonable assumption - I doubt they'd want to hire a crane like that too often if at all possible.  When I saw it at first I wondered if it would be to take down the tower crane - that will need a mobile eventually I imagine.

I still expect that one of these weeks there'll be a sudden surge in activity! As I noted in that earlier post ^^ the roof sections can go on quite quickly once the frame is complete...

Paul

[BerkshireBugsy]

I have decided to take leave the week after Easter but I imagine I will see quite a difference when I restart my daily journey through Reading the week after!

[ellendune]

I think that might be a reasonable assumption - I doubt they'd want to hire a crane like that too often if at all possible.  When I saw it at first I wondered if it would be to take down the tower crane - that will need a mobile eventually I imagine.

I still expect that one of these weeks there'll be a sudden surge in activity! As I noted in that earlier post ^^ the roof sections can go on quite quickly once the frame is complete...

Paul

I expect they wanted to lift all the escalators in on the London side before they started doing the roof sections, so once they have done that they could get on quite quickly.

[paul7575]

Looking at the scene just now, it looks like only the P14/15 escalators can be lifted whole, further lifts seem to be of sections of escalator.  That would imply the next island is still out of reach for that mobile crane once the greater load of a whole machine needs lifting.

Presumably every ground level delivery or crane lift is given its own cost analysis dependent on distance etc - I remember it being pointed out that some of the escalator sections for P8/9 were delivered across the tracks from the south entrance during overnight line closures.

Paul