Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[Adelante_CCT]

Yes, certainly an excellent job done on the station and the track layout in the surrounding areas. All done on time and budget as well which seems a rare thing these days.

Now, I know there have been legal problems and not sure if you could shed any light on this II but..... When on earth are they going to finish the Cow Lane bridge? There has been no progress made on this so far this year.

[BerkshireBugsy]

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.

...

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

I couldn't agree more II - it still amazes me that the station was kept operational (no choice,really) whilst this major work was being undertaken.

[SandTEngineer]

Agreed, a well executed project.  They just need to sort out Reading West to Southcote Junction now as that has become the remaining bottleneck. Personally I think a third track could be fitted in with some bi-directional working on the middle track

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

They just need to sort out Reading West to Southcote Junction now as that has become the remaining bottleneck.

I think anyone who commutes from Tilehurst, Pangbourne etc would say that the convergence of the Down Relief with Reading West curve at Reading West Junction is a remaining bottleneck. 

Too often you leave P12 at Reading and then slow to a crawl or stop while a freight precedes or crosses in front of you.

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, I guess no matter how much money you spend there would still be weaker links, though the number of times you get held and the length of hold are now less than they were.

[Adelante_CCT]

When on earth are they going to finish the Cow Lane bridge?

Appears my question has been answered:

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/cow-lane-bridges-work-start-10074949

[IndustryInsider]

Landowner being awkward by the looks of it then!

[eightf48544]

They just need to sort out Reading West to Southcote Junction now as that has become the remaining bottleneck.

I think anyone who commutes from Tilehurst, Pangbourne etc would say that the convergence of the Down Relief with Reading West curve at Reading West Junction is a remaining bottleneck. 

Too often you leave P12 at Reading and then slow to a crawl or stop while a freight precedes or crosses in front of you.

You also have the new Festival line from the Viaduct coming in just before the junctions with the West Curve so it could be Voyager to and from platforms 3 or 4 that holds you up.   

[TonyK]

Landowner being awkward by the looks of it then!

That could backfire in terms of costs and money offered.

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Yes, I guess no matter how much money you spend there would still be weaker links, though the number of times you get held and the length of hold are now less than they were.

You may be right, not least because (as I think you mentioned before) there are now higher speeds permitted through Reading West Junction.

The last time I came back from Birmingham on a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) we were checked approaching Oxford while a Freightliner in front of us drew up at the signal on the UM just south of Oxford station (which we then passed as we left Oxford on the Up Loop), and then when I hopped off at Reading and got the stopper to Pangbourne ^ blow me - we were checked by the same Freightliner crossing in front of us at Reading West Junction!

There^s more work to be done on improving the running of freights to the west of Reading.  I may have mentioned this before ^.

[Adelante_CCT]

You also have the new Festival line from the Viaduct coming in just before the junctions with the West Curve so it could be Voyager to and from platforms 3 or 4 that holds you up.   

You would mean Platforms 3 or 7 (and 8 ) as going from Oxford to Basingstoke (or vice-versa) via Platform 4 would require one hell of a diversion

[IndustryInsider]

The last time I came back from Birmingham on a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) we were checked approaching Oxford while a Freightliner in front of us drew up at the signal on the UM just south of Oxford station (which we then passed as we left Oxford on the Up Loop)

Yes, the 'Oxford Corridor' improvement works and preparation for the Chiltern link mean that the up passenger loop from Wolvercote to Oxford North Junction is currently not in use, so with most freights being too long to sit in the through lines at Oxford, quite a few get held south of the station with the passenger trains using the loop line to get round them.

[onthecushions]

Interesting to see the announcement of the re-opening of Manchester Victoria Station (BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)).

A modern overall roof was included at a cost of only ^20M.

What a pity such a cheap and useful piece of weather-proofing could not have been included in Reading's ^850M rebuilding.

There's more to a passenger station than tracks.

Wet and windswept,

OTC

[bobm]

Missed this post first time round

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:
 ..snip..
9) Two turnback signals at Tilehurst.

Wokingham also got a turnback signal to allow trains from Waterloo to go back to London in service and not run empty to Bracknell.  I think this was provided in the anticipation of the Reading blockades.

[stuving]

Wokingham also got a turnback signal to allow trains from Waterloo to go back to London in service and not run empty to Bracknell.  I think this was provided in the anticipation of the Reading blockades.

It was really for the series of weekend closures of the "Southern" platforms while they were rebuilt, which you would not call blockades as they are not on through lines. I think these platforms were always in use for the blockades qua blockades.

I also think it was on a wish list of small improvements, as useful in case of disruption, and could be combined with work to lengthen P2 to take 12-car trains.