Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[ellendune]

Platforms 2 & 3 had what appeared to be timber supports holding up the platform edges. It appears to me that platforms 1 & 2 appear to have been resurfaced now. Can anyone confirm this and has this timber now been removed from the platform edge?

[paul7575]

Platforms 2 & 3 had what appeared to be timber supports holding up the platform edges. It appears to me that platforms 1 & 2 appear to have been resurfaced now. Can anyone confirm this and has this timber now been removed from the platform edge?

Still there this morning (as seen on the P3 side which is visible on the magnified web cam view).  I was told a few months ago it is a precaution where the existing coping overhangs the support by more than a small amount, in case a heavy impact or load placed right on the edge pivots the back of the slab and loosens it.   There are a few short lengths of the main P8/9 island that had the same precaution taken.

P1/2 is not fully finished, there is much patching still to do in the block paved areas, but IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) the tactile strips are continuous along both sides.  It was thought a while ago that the copings themselves were not going to be replaced.

Paul

[paul7575]

Blue hoarding going up along P11 now, in readiness for the Bank Holiday switch over from P10...

Paul

[eightf48544]

Will Reading Staiton be open over the Bank Holiday?

[paul7575]

Only various partial closures with reduced through platforms available it seems. The Monday morning looks like 1-6 and 12-15 only, using realtimetrains; but it looks fully open by BH Monday evening.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced?location=Reading&date=26%2F08%2F2013&tocs=All&timespan=4&show_schedules=11&schedule_type=0&show_wtt=1&show_var=1&show_stp=1

I wouldn't expect a long closure, there's relatively little involved in re-routing trains from P10 to P11 I think.

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

I wouldn't expect a long closure, there's relatively little involved in re-routing trains from P10 to P11 I think.

Not much work at all - should just involve installing the western end connection and commissioning that and the eastern end connection already installed and associated signalling (which is also already installed).

[paul7575]

There's a pamphlet on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) site:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/~/media/PDF/TicketsAndTrainTimes/TrainTimes/PlannedChanges/Reading%20Bank%20holiday%20Monday%20leaflet%20V5.ashx

So not much at all, finished by 1200.

I might be too optimistic here, but I really can't see any full closures for long periods (ie on a par with the Waterloo and Banbury diversions week/weekend) being needed again, they should always have part of the station available for some services.

As we know XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) through services are using Reading West for some Sat and Sun during the autumn period, but I don't see any massive alterations over and above recent Sundays, where they often run with platform closures with no fanfare... 

[IndustryInsider]

I might be too optimistic here, but I really can't see any full closures for long periods (ie on a par with the Waterloo and Banbury diversions week/weekend) being needed again, they should always have part of the station available for some services.

I might have got a little mixed up, but I thought there was one more lengthy possession involving diversions planned for Easter 2015, when track and signalling for the flyovers/unders are fully commissioned along with the extra western entrance to the depot and realigned relief lines and reinstated goods loop?  Then it's job done.

[paul7575]

I hadn't heard of that lot all happening at the same time, but I suppose some details will appear in the 2015 EAS towards the end of the year? 

What I'm thinking though is that even with all that going on you might still be able to have some trains running to/from the east? 

What you are describing probably wouldn't take more than a couple of days, I'd have thought.  I've always thought that the predictions of 'endless chaos for years' were a bit of an exaggeration though.  So far I think there's only been the two full blockades, and even then the Caversham Bridge one allowed a small number of through trains during the shortened working week...

Paul

 

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, it was more that I remember being told that there were three blockades which would involve HST^▸ (High Speed Train) diversions via Banbury, only one of which would affect Christmas, and a little bit of me putting two and two together, but that was many years ago so the details may have changed.

When you check what's in the Engineering Access Statement I'd be interested to know - I'd check myself, but I know you love scanning through that sort of document over supper, Paul. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Some further posts, which were originally made in this particular topic, on the subject of specific timings of posts, have now been split off to form an interesting discussion of their own, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=12807.0 

[ChrisB]

There's this on their website -
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Your-journey/Rail-improvements/Reading-station-improvements

which points to this....
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/contents/reading-station-improvements

Monday 23 September to Friday 22 November The following services will not call at Reading:

 0745 London Paddington to Swansea
 1745 London Paddington to Swansea

Let's hope they DO get communication of this out there!

[ironstone11]

A couple of lorry loads of platform roofing sections have been delivered today, they are stacked outside the north side office entrance;  visible on webcam 1/3 (that doesn't normally show much nowadays...

I reckon they look about the right size for P10/11;  assuming they would deliver P1 and P2 stuff to the south side, once they can get a crane into the vicinity.

Paul

Three canopy panels delivered to station south entrance. Look like P8/9 size. Placed on wheelable steel frames, one taken through old station entrance and empty frame returned. How are they placed on the supporting structure? Assume rail mounted crane. Cam 01/1 out of action so not able to view.

[stuving]

Three canopy panels delivered to station south entrance. Look like P8/9 size. Placed on wheelable steel frames, one taken through old station entrance and empty frame returned. How are they placed on the supporting structure? Assume rail mounted crane. Cam 01/1 out of action so not able to view.

The two sections sitting outside can be seen on camera 02/2. Judging by the two little skylights(?) in them, they can only be for P8/9.

[paul7575]

Three canopy panels delivered to station south entrance. Look like P8/9 size. Placed on wheelable steel frames, one taken through old station entrance and empty frame returned. How are they placed on the supporting structure? Assume rail mounted crane. Cam 01/1 out of action so not able to view.

The two sections sitting outside can be seen on camera 02/2. Judging by the two little skylights(?) in them, they can only be for P8/9.

They definitely look about the right length/cross section for P8/9, (comparing with the end view of the sections already on P8/9 visisble on webcam 1/1 from last week), but I don't think those are skylights showing; they look to me as if sections of the access walkways have been pre-assembled.  There are similar devices attached to the smaller sections (presumed for P10/11) sitting outside the north entrance.  However when I saw one of those through the over-bridge window the other day it looked as though some sections of walkway were fixed in their final position, but others were just lashed on for transit - perhaps to go over the joints IYSWIM?

Surprising that they are being delivered through the station when it's open, or did this happen yesterday - even though just been posted?

PS, just backtracked through the webcam pics, the move through the station was in the middle of the night.  One way they could get over to P8/9 is with those large polystyrene blocks that they place in the gap between the platforms, didn't someone report a while back that some escalator sections had been delivered like that?  Then once on the island I think they've got a 'spider crane' over there, that can probably lift that sort of load quite easily.

For example one of these sort of things:  http://www.ggrrail.com/mini-cranes/urw-094

Paul