Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[Jeff]

Jeff's suggestion only applies to the London end, because the platform length is not centred around the transfer deck.  Hopefully not too many people will interpret them that way, and they will use the normal way out signs to find the exits...

Paul

Ha ha elegantly done, Paul! Yes, I do have admit that my layperson's interpretation was rather simplistic. Thanks for gently putting me right. 

[paul7575]

Ha ha elegantly done, Paul! Yes, I do have admit that my layperson's interpretation was rather simplistic. Thanks for gently putting me right. 

What made me realise the signs were probably offset towards the London side of the transfer deck, was that Oxman's picture which is alongside an escalator box, seems to show the back of a similar sized round plate for the other direction just a few feet away... 

Paul

[lbraine]

Lights on tonight on the new platforms.

Seems on the southern side of the lift shafts a row of passenger information displays is going to be resident.

Signs up on waiting rooms at country end say toilets are at the other (London) end of the platform

Does any one know if the closure will be used as an opportunity to clear away the remainder of the old buildings on platform 8/9 and 10.
I think it was discussed that the lift shaft on P10 will go to allow track laying for P11 - but what about the rest ?

Also - I presume old P16 closes during the blockade?

[paul7575]

I'd be somewhat surprised if the demolition of the remaining buildings, escalators and lift shafts etc was to be done over the coming week.  The planned work sequence that is already known has the current platform 11 out of use until mid August - so there's no obvious urgency there, and when new P11 opens P10 then closes for a few months.  There are also various sequential closures of P7/8/9 with a completion deadline of spring 2014.

What I would expect to happen during the 10 days of this closure is removal of the remaining sections of the old footbridge, but only because that would otherwise involve work above the tracks, so doing it now avoids an extra closure of the main line.

P16 closure is a given - the track diagrams posted a while ago no longer show it after this blockade.

Paul

[ellendune]

Demolition of buildings is not that straightforward these days. The buildings must be stripped out carefully particularly to remove any hazardous materials (e.g. asbestos) before the bulldozers can move in.  The might not be a problem with the bridge pier on P11 (as it was built after asbestos was banned I think), but the station buildings will need careful stripping out over a couple of weeks.

[CheekyPaul]

Thought you may want to see this piece of news about the station - it has some views from the new platforms which makes the station looking like it was reported from a wrong station! (As in it doesnt feel like its Reading station)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-21962629

[SandTEngineer]

Quote From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Report: No trains will run from the south's busiest station from 23:45 GMT on Thursday until 04:00 BST on Tuesday as engineers get to work.

There will be trains to/from the station throughout the blockade.  Haven't they read the Blockade Timetables

[bobm]

Hmmm.. got a lot of respect for Paul Clifton but it isn't true no trains will use Reading over Easter.  Waterloo and North Downs trains will use the bays to the east of the station and trains from the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) and Basingstoke will be using the west bays. Wouldn't have been too hard to check that.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Meanwhile, thanks for posting that link, CheekyPaul - and a warm welcome to the Coffee Shop forum! 

[Jason]

The wrappings were very much coming off this morning. The wooden hoardings along P7, 8, 9 were replaced by metal fences and various waiting rooms and lifts were in evidence. A large arrivals and departures screen was operational in the south entrance opposite the stairs.

[paul7575]

I noticed one odd aspect to the new signage.  Above the lift doors at platform level, the relevant platform numbers are prominently displayed. (As an example, webcam 01/3 shows these above the lift doors on the P14/15 island as 15B and 14B.

Surely when standing looking at a lift it should be labelled with where it is going to, not where someone is coming from?  Or am I reading too much into this?

Paul

[paul7575]

Also just noticed there's a giant sized Ainscough crane present again, positioned by the car park. 

So how about this for a theory? 

Build a temporary working surface over the tracks and new platforms, using all that timber and polystyrene blocks that have already been delivered, and then use the massive crane to lift a normal mobile crane up there, and/or other suitable machinery, that will then be used to dismantle the old footbridge...

Paul

[CheekyPaul]

I was wondering if anyone knows what will happen to the 1989 Brunel station building long term once the new development is completed?

Only its gonna be looking weird to have a 2014 building standing next to the 1860 & 1989 buildings, all in three different designs. The 1860 building is grade listed and cannot be redesigned etc but at least if the Brunel station is going to stay, wouldn't it be good to have the exterior re-clad etc so that it actually matches the 2014 station designs and have the older building looking grand between the two older buildings in matching designs?

I'll personally would rather they get rid of the 1989 building, and replace it with something to cater those railway passengers, such as more cafes, shops etc, as in better design, more space etc.

[IndustryInsider]

I'll personally would rather they get rid of the 1989 building, and replace it with something to cater those railway passengers, such as more cafes, shops etc, as in better design, more space etc.

There's an interesting question about how much the station concourse will be used after the new transfer deck opens.  I predict it will be a much quieter place, and the existing cafes and shops might find it difficult to survive.  The usual rush hour crowds will, in the majority of cases, filter out of the station through the new south gateline at the base of the transfer deck, with only passengers arriving on platforms 4, 5, 6, and the London end of platform 7 likely to filter through the concourse as everyone has had to previously do.  I also wonder how many passengers will choose to wait for their train in an area which will become quite far removed from where they have to go to get a connecting train?  I have a feeling the existing concourse will become a bit of a ghost town comparative to how it is now.

[swrural]

One of the non-chain firms has already complained, I can't remember their name but they make their own ice cream.  Apparently they have been frozen out of a pitch on the 'new' side.