Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

There appears to be some foundation work taking place in the compound behind P1/2/3 as well.

That section should be capable of fairly swift completion, as far as the plans suggest it is just a few columns and a similar overall roof over a large open space (with an ETFE skylight as on P8/9).  I assume that waiting room on P7 will have its windows 'unblanked' and it will open out onto that area as well.

Paul

[paul7575]

Noticed a couple of XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyagers in the London end of Platforms 13 and 14 this afternoon.

Checking 'realtimetrains' shows that since the timetable change a couple of the terminating services from Newcastle (the 1510 and 1707 arrivals) are now diagrammed to run as far as Kennet Bridge loop and back, rather than sitting in the platform for half an hour.

I wonder if this has been done in response to capacity issues discovered in the few weeks since the new platforms opened?  As far as I can see these are the only trains it applies to - perhaps there's a need to  get them out of the way as the number of trains towards London increases for the evening peak?

Paul

[Network SouthEast]

Noticed a couple of XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyagers in the London end of Platforms 13 and 14 this afternoon.

Checking 'realtimetrains' shows that since the timetable change a couple of the terminating services from Newcastle (the 1510 and 1707 arrivals) are now diagrammed to run as far as Kennet Bridge loop and back, rather than sitting in the platform for half an hour.

I wonder if this has been done in response to capacity issues discovered in the few weeks since the new platforms opened?  As far as I can see these are the only trains it applies to - perhaps there's a need to  get them out of the way as the number of trains towards London increases for the evening peak?

Paul

I suspect that the trip to Kennet Bridge and back is to help retain route knowledge for Cross Country drivers. The benefit of this is that when things do go wrong at Reading, or engineering work means fewer platforms are available, there is somewhere to put their terminating trains without hogging a platform at the station.

[stuving]

That's what I thought - some kind of test or familiarisation exercise -  because these trains are only away for 10 minutes, and nothing is timetabled to go through the platform during their absence. Quite why there are just these two late afternoon trains  is less clear.

[ellendune]

An REB (Relocatable Equipment Building or large grey box thingy) appeared in the yard outside the Northern Entrance on Monday.  It looks like it has been outside as it is dirty. (Camera 1 Tab 3)

Is it on the way out or on the way in?

Where has it come from/ going to?

[Visoflex]

From New Junction to Tilehurst (I think) eventually

[ellendune]

Does anyone know when the new Train Care Depot will be finished/opening? It must be quite soon now?

[IndustryInsider]

Does anyone know when the new Train Care Depot will be finished/opening? It must be quite soon now?

Final touches now being applied - including surfacing the new walking route to/from the station.

Friday 21st June is the planned handover date to First Great Western, with a gradual and staged transfer of maintenance and stabling from the old depot leading up to full commissioning on Sunday 14th July.

[johoare]

I was there for the first time in a long time on Thursday and I can't believe how different it is, or certain parts of it at least..Some of the platforms look the same obviously.. The new overbridge though is even better and bigger than I thought it would be...

[paul7575]

That's what I thought - some kind of test or familiarisation exercise -  because these trains are only away for 10 minutes, and nothing is timetabled to go through the platform during their absence. Quite why there are just these two late afternoon trains  is less clear.

Test or familiarisation exercises don't go on for a whole WTT^▸ (Working Time-Table) period, although driver route retention might. 

Don't forget though, that within the next few months we have the DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) depot move over to the new premises, so any ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) moves needed for the afternoon/evening peak will be heading through the relief side, rather than going through P7/P8 as now.  So for general flexibility of operations it may be useful to have XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) units out of the way.

Paul

[stuving]

Well, I guess now we know how far P7 is going to be extended outwards ... though perhaps not yet how long it will be at the London end.

[paul7575]

I see no evidence on the planning drawings of any increase in length at the London end, and the width increase shown is as previously drawn with a 'taper to zero' at the west end, because the P7 track has to stay lined up with the Caversham Rd bridge section as it is now.

Paul

[ellendune]

Anyone know if this is a bridge that is already removed or one that is still there?

I did not think there was a bridge with a long enough span at Reading.

Great Central Railway to 'bridge' the gap between Leicester and Nottingham within five years (Using Bridge from Reading)

GREAT Central Railway is hoping to ^bridge^ the gap between the Loughborough heritage line and the Nottingham section to the north with the news a connection is to be built over the Midland Mainline.
GCR^» (Gloucester - next trains) has launched a ^1m Bridge To The Future fund-raising appeal after forming a parnership with Network Rail to build a bridge over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough.
Design work is underway and the new structure made up of two reclaimed rail bridges from Reading is expected to be in place running over the four tracks of the Midland Mainline by mid-2015 - allowing the demolished 500m link between the two sections, rejoining Leicester to Nottingham via an 18 mile heritage railway.
GCR managing director Bill Ford said: ^We are delighted to announce this incredible step forward.
^Building this bridge unlocks the rest of the re-unification project which will create an attraction with truly international appeal.^
Following the bridge^s construction, other elements of the overall project include repairing an existing canal bridge, building a new bridge over Railway Terrace Road in Loughborough and replacing a missing embankment.
The estimated cost for the complete scheme is ^8m, and it is hoped trains will be running within five years.
Mark Fowler, of Great Central Railway Nottingham, said: ^There is huge interest and excitement amongst both railway enthusiasts and the general public in seeing this project succeed.
^It is vitally important to us that the local communities join us in this vision too. It will drive economic benefit during construction and in the longer term too.^
Phil Verster, route managing director for Network Rail, said: ^Our electrification teams are already making significant changes to the infrastructure in this area so it^s the ideal opportunity to get the bridge in place, with minimal disruption and cost.
^Once the full scheme is complete it will bring significant economic benefits to the region as well as reinstating a piece of our railway heritage.^
Loughborough MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Nicky Morgan has worked to bring about reunification. She said: ^This is an incredibly exciting project for Loughborough, Leicestershire and beyond and I am delighted to give it my whole-hearted support.
^We have all seen the bridges lying next to the GCR station in Loughborough. To realise that, with the support of Network Rail and other key parties, their re-use to bring together the two parts of the Great Central Railway is now within sight, is a thrilling prospect.
^I am convinced that reunification will bring big benefits to our local economy and I do hope everyone locally will support this important first step.^Nigel Harris, chairman of Great Central Railway Development, said: ^This agreement is the start of the Great Central^s most exciting adventure yet; the delivery of a vision of an intercity heritage railway.
^It^s been a very long haul to get to this point, especially over the last 20 years, but what has unlocked the problem has been Network Rail^s willingness to work in partnership with GCR, Charnwood Borough Council, Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan and other stakeholders.
"The whole community is invited to participate. If you^ve ever wanted to see this happen, now is the time to act!^
To support the appeal, or for more information about building the bridge and the rest of the reunification project, visit www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify

[Red Squirrel]

Doesn't this, from the article you quote, answer the question?

We have all seen the bridges lying next to the GCR^» (Gloucester - next trains) station in Loughborough. To realise that, with the support of Network Rail and other key parties, their re-use to bring together the two parts of the Great Central Railway is now within sight, is a thrilling prospect.

[paul7575]

Yes, this refers to a couple of sections of girder bridge removed from the original Caversham Rd set up - before they replaced it with that massive concrete structure there were a number of track spans, some for separate single tracks, in fact I think one or two sections were removed in advance of the Christmas closure?

Paul