Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

...The WTT^▸ (Working Time-Table) shows P8 and P9 still in use in September, though it looks as if P8 may be for turning XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains only leaving half being rebuilt. All very confusing.

That has always been the plan, and at roughly that period, as shown in the earlier engineering access statements when we were originally researching the dates.  The different ends of P8/P9 will have their edge copings and surfaces brought up to standard sequentially while remaining partially open for short trains at the opposite end.  Another point that's become clear is that XC services to/from Bournemouth are non-stopping on some weekends during the autumn, implying there's no room for them in the station on those dates.  This is shown in the current XC timetables.

Finally, what I had not realised is that a temporary P7 will be built over the track of P6, probably using the East end of P7 too, and that is the short one. That means working on the rest of P7 with trains using its track, which is something that has generally been avoided. I guess the track could be temporarily put a bit further out, but not all the way along, and again that has been avoided in other cases. No doubt there's a cunning plan - we'll have to wait and see!

That has only become clear recently, but it seems essential to do it that way to keep the track operational for the use of the down Westbury route, because as can be seen it is a main route for up direction freights from that direction.  But that doesn't mean they'll necessariy be working alongside the live line, they may just use overnight and weekend possessions.  But the track will be moved out to it's new alignment at the London end at commencement, and that will be its permanent position. (As you have probably seen the new sleepers have been positioned on the final alignment already, where clear of the existing track.)  I don't see why the temporary P7 will conflict with P6 though, unless they wish to build a large circulation space at the London end of the existing P7, and it will be over the P6 buffer stop. 

I also note that the new main line embankment is still being referred to in Issue 7 as a viaduct, presumably because that is familiar and the distinction is regarded as just a technical detail.

The majority of the new mainline elevated section does run on viaduct - built as a succession of 25m concrete spans.  There are some embankment sections as well, basically at either end of the nearly 2 km run, and concrete boxes where the lines pass underneath, but the planning drawings describe the whole thing as a viaduct.

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

The majority of the new mainline elevated section does run on viaduct - built as a succession of 25m concrete spans.

Some of those spans are now taking shape with the foundations in place and the reinforcing steel framework being installed.

[paul7575]

The majority of the new mainline elevated section does run on viaduct - built as a succession of 25m concrete spans.

Some of those spans are now taking shape with the foundations in place and the reinforcing steel framework being installed.

I noticed the progress earlier this week, I reckon a few viaduct piers will start appearing soon, I did see a concrete pump in action at one site.  I took a quick iphone video along the route, but it's pretty poor quality at the speed involved. (I must have a look at how to extract still pictures from it when I have time...) 

Paul

[stuving]

That has always been the plan, and at that time, as shown in the earlier engineering access statements when we were originally researching the dates.  The different ends of P8/P9 will have their edge copings and surfaces brought up to standard sequentially while remaining partially open for short trains at the opposite end.  Another point that's become clear is that XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services to/from Bournemouth are non-stopping on some weekends during the autumn, implying there's no room for them in the station on those dates.  This is shown in the current XC timetables.

I had always expected that the optimum way to upgrade five working platforms was to blitz one at a time. I don't see why it would take more than two months, even to do P11, if you tried. Evidently that's not the thinking here - there will be work on three platforms at once!

That has only become clear recently, but it seems essential to do it that way to keep the track operational for the use of the down Westbury route, because as can be seen it is a main route for up direction freights from that direction.  But that doesn't mean they'll necessariy be working alongside the live line, they may just use overnight and weekend possessions.  But the track will be moved out to it's new alignment at the London end at commencement, and that will be its permanent position. (As you have probably seen the new sleepers have been positioned on the final alignment already, where clear of the existing track.)  I don't see why the temporary P7 will conflict with P6 though, unless they wish to build a large circulation space at the London end of the existing P7, and it will be over the P6 buffer stop. 

To paraphrase the news sheet: a temporary P7 will be built in September, linked to P6 (which will be closed) by walkways. Once the West end of P7 has been built out it will be removed and work will start on the East end of P7.

So it sounds as if the temporary P7 will be mostly past the end of the present one. How else will both it and the length of P7 rebuilt in the first step be as long as 6 cars**?

The line that was painted on the ground, and the plans, show the track at P7 steadily diverging from that at P8 as it goes West - the sleepers can't be on the final alignment for much of their length. However, if the plan is to timeshare between working on the platform and running trains, it can all go to its final position at the start. It just extends the timescale, and surely it increases the scope for mistakes at handover of possession.

The majority of the new mainline elevated section does run on viaduct - built as a succession of 25m concrete spans.  There are some embankment sections as well, basically at either end of the nearly 2 km run, and concrete boxes where the lines pass underneath, but the planning drawings describe the whole thing as a viaduct.

You are right - I had either never spotted or (more likely) forgotten about the western viaduct. It's not obvious why that is viaduct, based on the design logic as explained - perhaps it helps to squeeze it into the limited width of the site. Arguably the viaducts are still less than 50% of the total length, if you do not count the box tunnels as well, but that's a bit pedantic - and in any case the various lengths given in the planning statement don't add up.

** PS: in theory it is, or was, long enough originally - so there must be some other reason.

[Sapperton Tunnel]

Lobstervision Camera site 6 appears to have become live on 26th July and shows the Viaduct construction from near Reading West Junction.

Login is nrreading06 with the same password as per usual.

Came across it in an idle moment of experimentation

Sapperton Tunnel

[paul7575]

Well spotted - I only checked up to 3, 4 and 5 earlier this week with nothing found...

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Very well spotted that man.  Camera 2 shows the support pillars for the viaduct I mentioned earlier.  Back to my daily Lobstervision visits...  

[paul7575]

The line that was painted on the ground, and the plans, show the track at P7 steadily diverging from that at P8 as it goes West - the sleepers can't be on the final alignment for much of their length.

They are aligned with the yellow line down the middle of the sleepers just about as far as the transfer deck, extending on that alignment towards the Caversham Rd bridge, once the track alongside the platform is lifted, is probably something they can do easily during a weekend possession.

Paul 

[James]

I haven't been to Reading Station in a while, however since I was last there, are they going to cover the opening parts of the roof or do they just stay like they do?
Apologies if this has already been covered.

[stuving]

They are aligned with the yellow line down the middle of the sleepers just about as far as the transfer deck, extending on that alignment towards the Caversham Rd bridge, once the track alongside the platform is lifted, is probably something they can do easily during a weekend possession.

Most of the line we are referring to has disappeared - ballast is hardly the most stable medium for painting on. The sleepers that have been set out are aligned to a new blue line along their northern ends. Looking down, the old yellow line does not seem to point to the centre of those - but then there is a break in the curvature under the deck, so it's hard to see. As you say, it should all be sorted out one weekend soon. I'm sure someone will be there who knows where it should go.

The WTT^▸ (Working Time-Table) shows P6 out of use only before this new arrangement comes into use - from 7th September, and by 23rd it's back in use. So I now suspect the temporary extension to P7 will be short: maybe only up to the signal gantry? That's quite a big obstruction for a platform, and avoiding it may be why the temporary one can only take 6 cars. So P6 will then still be more than 8 cars long, and the staging across its station end should be highly "frangible"!

Another way to see that is from the lengths: the old P4 is a bit less than 300 m, and this short HST^▸ (High Speed Train) (power car + 6 carriages) is about 155 m. So an extension of 20-30 m makes it just possible to do two halves and still have one of the 1st class carriages platformed.

Looking at the WTT (i.e. in realtimetrains) it seems the timetablers are relying on the services of an illusionist to help them to operate without P6 - this is from 20/9/13:

WTT    1754    Redhill                    5    2V67    GW^▸ (Great Western)    Terminates here       
WTT               Starts here             4      1C52   SW    London Waterloo     1753   
WTT               Starts here             14A 2P71    GW    London Paddington  1754   
VAR    1758    London Waterloo     5     2C91   SW    Terminates here   
WTT    1756    London Paddington 12   1D53    GW    Oxford                    1757   
WTT    1754    Hereford                11   1P65    GW    London Paddington  1756   
WTT    1754    London Paddington  9    1C24    GW    Taunton                  1756   
WTT    1759    London Paddington 13A 2R54    GW    Terminates here       
WTT    1800    Basingstoke            2    2J52     GW    Terminates here       
WTT    1800    Swansea                11  1L76     GW    London Paddington  1801   
VAR    1758    London Paddington   8  1C91     GW    Paignton                 1804   
WTT                Starts here             5   2O49    GW    Redhill                    1804   
WTT                Starts here            2     2J55     GW    Basingstoke           1807   
WTT    1757    Oxford                   15   2P74    GW    London Paddington   1808   
WTT    1805    Cheltenham Spa    11    1L80     GW    London Paddington  1807   
WTT    1803    Bournemouth         9      1M66    XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))    Manchester Piccadilly 1810   
WTT                Starts here            1      2K80     GW    Newbury                1812   
VAR                Starts here            5      2C60     SW    London Waterloo    1812

[SandTEngineer]

Well it would appear that somebody is listening.............
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewiping/9478695498/in/pool-1945836@N21/

[IndustryInsider]

Well it would appear that somebody is listening.............
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirewiping/9478695498/in/pool-1945836@N21/

Good - that's much better looking!  Just the water ingress to deal with now then - and possibly some further minor tinkering with the signage, escalators and CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) screens.

[James]

You know, since i last visited Reading, the platforms i used to arrive on, seem to be quiet, as i dont hear the HSTS or adelantes breaking which is a nice change from the old. Btw i arrived on platform 14 and departed platform 15 on my return home, before anyone questions it
Also was thinking why crosscountry dont have their known platforms and if trains travel through reading at high speed in the future (as part of the intercity timetable), why arnet they going to be fast tracks that are not near platforms. It makes me think that if trains travel at 140mph will their be a risk of those trains striking a platform?

[IndustryInsider]

Platforms 9 and 10 are the only platforms at Reading where anything approaching a high-speed movement might ever take place and even then that would be at a maximum of 100mph - that wouldn't be until the advent of in-cab signalling and until then 50/60mph will be the maximum for the next decade or so, which is rather less than the 75mph that was permitted through the old Platforms 8/9 until the late 90s.

Places like Didcot, Slough and Maidenhead regularly have trains running alongside the platforms at 125mph.  Special arrangements are needed for speeds over 125mph, which (I feel) might be the biggest hurdle to overcome with regard to 140mph IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) workings over the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) in the future.

[James]

Thank you. Indeed. We will just have to wait and see what happens