Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[Oxonhutch]

Thanks for that info II.

I do remain surprised that the flexibility for true bidirectional running wasn't implemented with this resignalling as it would appear to give one more potential up path for a Basingstoke stopper or XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) at the same time as a west country up fast or stone train.  No doubt there is a good reason.

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

I have to say that, having done a few hours on Adelante^s Reading signalling simulator, the layout in the Oxford Road Junction area works fine.  I^d commented earlier that it looks a bit odd and operationally limiting, but movements on the Feeder Main are usually in the Up direction so the lack of a parallel crossover for Down trains off the Feeder Main to the Down Westbury is no big deal.

Movements through P1 ^ P11 are relatively straightforward - it^s movements through P12-P15 that need the most concentration, especially if there are moves to/from the depot.

[stuving]

There are adverts in the local press for engineering and project management posts with Spencer, working on the "extension and upgrade" of the Reading Train Care Depot. Which seems very odd, given it was only finished two years ago.

It's not for SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)), though Spencer did do the fitting-out of all the SET stabling sites with Hitachi's support equipment (e.g. refuelling with metered Adblue). This is another contract they got afterwards.

Now there have been changes since RSAR was committed, notably Crossrail coming to Reading.  But why would that call for more than a little stabling? And electrification was far enough back for the depot design to reflect it, so switching from DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) to EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) is a pre-planned development. In any case wouldn't that be more a case of shipping diesel-specific kit out west following the trains?

So what's to upgrade - and where can it expand to?

[stuving]

It's not for SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)), though Spencer did do the fitting-out of all the SET stabling sites with Hitachi's support equipment (e.g. refuelling with metered Adblue). This is another contract they got afterwards.

Having re-read this from Railway strategies, Spencer's SET contract was only for East Coast. So this new contract might include that element, though as the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) needs its SET depots earlier the timing seems odd.

[paul7575]

So what's to upgrade - and where can it expand to?

It could be a simple matter of extending the maintenance sheds or tanking/CET^▸ (Controlled Emission Toilet)  facilities by a short distance to allow for a different length of the typical trains, or multiple trains, now that the EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) fleet is known to be based around 4 x 20m units.  Other possibilities, perhaps they need to have more clear distance to allow a 12 car train through the wash plant, or maybe they need a longer space beyond the wheel lathe building?

I too cannot see much needing to be added due to Crossrail, if they were to need stabling at Reading overnight, it wouldn't be more than a couple of units, but perhaps they need minor alterations to make economical use of the sidings, as Crossrail are somewhere just over 200m long, I've seen 205 m quoted.

Perhaps there'll be another planning application online - shall have a look.

Paul   

[SandTEngineer]

I have seen an early plan that shows a number of IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) sidings in the Reading depot area.  I'll see if I can dig it out..........

[SandTEngineer]

I have seen an early plan that shows a number of IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) sidings in the Reading depot area.  I'll see if I can dig it out..........

Found it.  Health Warning: This is a very old concept drawing for the Reading Remodelling Project and should not be taken as gospel 

[stuving]

I have seen an early plan that shows a number of IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) sidings in the Reading depot area.  I'll see if I can dig it out..........

Found it.  Health Warning: This is a very old concept drawing for the Reading Remodelling Project and should not be taken as gospel 

That just confirms that this use was known when the depot/sidings area was designed. The long sidings hold 15 26m carriages, which is either suitable or impossible to change. I understood this to be just some extra parking space as there's not enough close to Paddington - does it need more "depot" built for that?

[stuving]

For those friends of Reading Station who were wondering how the neighbours were doing, here's a belated update.

First, Thames Tower. You may recall it was going to be gutted, reclad, and heightened by a few storeys, and this is well under way. You can't see a lot, as they started by scaffolding it, then wrapped the scaffolding, and have now partly scaffolded the wrapped scaffolding. The picture below is not recent; now there is a lift up its side and a friendly tower crane is gazing fondly down on it.

Further down Station Hill the bus station has gone, and the demolition of Western Tower above that has just begun in earnest. Again it has been scaffolded and wrapped, and a tower crane erected. I expected that the plan would be to crane something like a JCB with a hydraulic breaker onto the roof, to knock a hole in it. Then the crane can drop an elevator/loader and the breaker vehicle through the hole and so on.

However, last week I could hear something much lighter - handheld pneumatic breakers - and see lengths of concrete beam being craned to the ground. So it was interesting to see the set of pictures getReading have just put on line, showing something rather heavier on its way up and, here, on the job.


In between the two towers the shops have all gone, and if the plan is still to create an interim public space there's not much in the way of that.

[TonyK]

I would guess that once it is down to 8 storeys or so, the big  nipper, such as was used at Bristol's New Bridewell police HQ^▸ (Headquarters), will finish the job off.

[IndustryInsider]

Looks like the electrification team have pretty much finished wiring the western end of the depot.  The eastern end was completed a couple of years ago, but the western end couldn't be finished until the final track layout was installed.

[stuving]

Ooh, look! The OHLE fairies have been back to Reading again!

When the portals were put up (last spring), some were quite visibly out of true. Then in the autumn they were all adjusted to vertical, and the two-barred ones (for line termination) got one stay each (apart from those closest to the station).

Now I don't know whether the stays are for strength, rigidity, or both, but one is obviously not much use. Today I see that most of the missing second stays have been fitted. There are still a couple with just one, and one in the station with none, but the others do look ... well, happier, don't they?

[ellendune]

Now I don't know whether the stays are for strength, rigidity, or both....

Without changing the verticals altogether of the material it is difficult to have strength without rigidity! So both!

[ironstone11]

Ooh, look! The OHLE fairies have been back to Reading again!

Now I don't know whether the stays are for strength, rigidity, or both, but one is obviously not much use.

The stays transfer the catenary tensioning forces to the ground. Thus reducing the bending forces on the uprights.

In the picture shown, assuming the stays are in compression, the OHL^▸ (Over-Head Line) will be coming from the left of the picture to be terminated on the portals.

Yes, two stays are needed otherwise the structure will twist.

[IndustryInsider]

Stage Q has now been implemented in full as per the diagrams on the previous page (post #3251).

That pretty much finishes the job as far as alterations to the operational infrastructure are concerned, bar the 'knitting' going up.  'Stand back from the edge of the platform' announcements might be wise on platforms 9 and 10 as trains have never roared through Reading at 95mph before!

I'm sure the thread will rumble on with the remaining work to be done on the station forecourt, but this strikes me as the best moment to offer my congratulations to the whole team who have delivered such a magnificently flexible and enlarged station on time and on budget whislt the station remained open pretty much throughout.

If anyone's forgotten, the following alterations have happened since the first major work on the ground started in August 2010 when the goods lines were lifted:

1) Platforms 4a/4b replaced by Platforms 4/5/6 with longer and wider platform faces.
2) Platforms 4-10 replaced with Platforms 7-15 meaning instead of four through platforms and three bay platforms, there are now nine through platforms.
3) The overbridge and subway replaced with the massive new transfer deck with lifts/escalator/steps linking all platforms.
4) A new northern entrance to the station, with bus and taxi ranks.
5) Reinstatement of the underpass line east of the station.
6) More flexible signalling and track layout at the eastern end of the station, including a new passenger loop/turnback.
7) A new maintenance depot with three separate entrances for trains equipped with modern facilities and able to deal with electric trains.
8 ) Grade separation at the western end of the station with a viaduct reducing hugely the number of conflicting moves.
9) Two turnback signals at Tilehurst.
10) Additional passenger loop line at the western end of the station.
11) General modifications to track and signalling with many more routing options now available and increased linespeeds.

And the biggest grumbles of the whole project have been that the transfer deck leaks a bit when it's wet and windy and that the canopies could have been longer!

Perhaps others on the forum can 'like' this post in order to express their own appreciation to those involved?