Reading Station improvements

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

One question I forgot to ask, is whether the East tunnel (old goods link) will have enough clearance for OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") and where the change over to third rail will be?
The problem is that it used to realtively easy, take Farringdon for instance trains raise and lower pans in teh station many time a day. However, the new arangements at Highbury and Islington whereby teh old power suppy has to be switched off and then the new switch on, seems to be unnecessarily complicated and not conjucive to a regular service.
Although they regularly swith the O/H in Aachen station from DC^▸ (Direct Current) to AC on a regular basis depending on whether a DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) or NS train but the train stays native.
O/H to Redhill? with dual through to Wokingham and Ash to Shalford Jn.

Not sure where the equipment will be located, the change over more than likely will be in platforms, not point in having a change over on the move as it is likely all trains will stop at Reading.

There is a number of ac dc interface systems, the most common is 25/25kV isolation transformers and a sectioned dc conrail, running rails have insulted block joints (IBJ^▸ (Insulated Block Joint)'s) in both rails with voltage limiting devices across them.  Thameslink at Blackfriers uses a contactor change over system with a large number of rectifiers (at Ludgate Cellars S/S there is 8 2MW units and associates switchgear although only 4 are needed for service they have built in 100% redundancy)

[Chris from Nailsea]

... running rails have insulted block joints (IBJ^▸ (Insulated Block Joint)'s) in both rails ...

Sorry, Electric train, but you're beginning to lose me on the technicalities now ... 

[Electric train]

... running rails have insulted block joints (IBJ^▸ (Insulated Block Joint)'s) in both rails ...

Sorry, Electric train, but you're beginning to lose me on the technicalities now ... 

Electrification is soooooooooo complex esp ac/dc    S & T hate us we keep blowing their stuff up 

[paul7575]

One question I forgot to ask, is whether the East tunnel (old goods link) will have enough clearance for OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") and where the change over to third rail will be?

The problem is that it used to realtively easy, take Farringdon for instance trains raise and lower pans in teh station many time a day. However, the new arangements at Highbury and Islington whereby the old power suppy has to be switched off and then the new switch on, seems to be unnecessarily complicated and not conjucive to a regular service.

Will they bother with electrifcation through the underpass initially though?  Surely no electric trains off the 'Southern' will need access to the reliefs, they'll have their three lengthened platforms to play with - and those are supposed to provide enough capacity for Airtrack too.  If there's a need to run trains through the underpass routinely to find platform capacity, wouldn't they be the Gatwick DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)?

Regarding Highbury, AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) there is no intention to run any through passenger services between the ELL and the NLL , the prospective use is only to allow dual voltage units to gain access to the depot at New Cross Gate when necessary.  So stopping on the transfer track while changeing over will not be a delay - indeed the OHLE doesn't make it past the footbridge into the platform IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), so a platformed changeover cannot happen.

Paul

[paul7575]

After all the discussion a while ago about the new station layout, the latest (Feb) Modern Railways has a 6 page article about the Reading project, and at last it includes a reasonable scale map of the area, including the surrounding streets and buildings, which gives a pretty good indication of the relative positions of the new through platforms.  The three Southern platfoms seem very long, going well past Vastern Rd as you'd expect.

Also repeats that track plan showing all the flyovers and stuff to the west, so may be worth a browse in Mr Smith's library even if you don't normally buy it...

Paul

[Electric train]

There is I believe "passive" allowance for ac/dc change over at Reading, which basically means that what is built must allow space for future equipment.

[paul7575]

There is I believe "passive" allowance for ac/dc change over at Reading, which basically means that what is built must allow space for future equipment.

That makes sense - and I suggest that economics will come into it, as it may be better to accept a change on a single track section than fit out four separate platform lines?  Although I also think that the Gatwick trains would probably be on DC^▸ (Direct Current) all the way on the Southern, indeed I'm pretty sure the electrification strategy recommended DC infill on the route, ie Wokingham to Ash and Shalford to Reigate.

OT stuff now...   Am I right in thinking that the Thameslink changeover will be about as complex as it gets, I've read (in the rolling stock ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender) stuff) that they want an option of the changeover to be automatic under the control of ATO^▸ (Automatic Train Operation). I also believe (from something linked to online a while ago) that the contactor system effectively changes the return current set up as the trains progress through the various signal sections between Farringdon and City Thameslink.  The AC/DC changeover positions are normally to be Farringdon southbound, and City T/L northbound, but various fallback options will also be possible to deal with changeover failure on the train, ie to continue to the next station in either direction and reverse, while remaining on AC or DC as appropriate.

Simple it aint...   

Further OT stuff.  One of the main issues with dual electrifcation schemes seems to be track circuit intereference (for anyone still reading this is  because the DC Area generally uses AC track circuits, and the AC area DC track circuits).   Presumably this issue goes away (or is reduced) if axle counters are adopted, especially in an area which is being resignalled anyway?

Paul

[eightf48544]

Paul thanks for the reference to Modern Railways I get a copy through RSA^▸ (Rolled Steel Angles) membership.

It doesn't mention the Eastern tunnel connection specifically certainly not whether it will have clearance for O/H wire. I would imagine that everyone would want condutor rails confined to new SW platforms and not have it in the main station, hence my query as to where the changeover might be.

Going back to Modern Railways there is an intersting sub article on Reading and Crossrail. Which implies that after the enlargement and wirng to Oxford and teh new depot that Crossrail could get to Reading and be cheaper overall because things like the turnback sidings at Maidenhead would not be required.

Especialy as there is another article which says tunnelling won't be finished until 2018 because of new way of doing the central portion. It's to do with making the staions boxes from below via the TBM bored running tunnels rather than down to meet them. Not sure I've expalined that correctly, but it probably means the wires might well be at Reading by then.

Maybe Networkrail have learnt the old BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) trick of doing things down the line and then linking them up eg starting West Coast electrification in Manchester and Liverpool and working South and trialing 25Kv between Colchester and Clacton and then linking to Shenfield and converting the DC^▸ (Direct Current) to 6.25/25Kv.

[Electric train]

Maybe Networkrail have learnt the old BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) trick of doing things down the line and then linking them up .........

Not so much learning old trick NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have employed many of the BR electrification engineers that were about in 95, the office has many old friends in it

[Boppy]

On my way to the station this morning I saw that new scaffolding has gone up on the South side of the East bridge.

I take it this is the beginning of the new structure for the bridge widening for the extended Waterloo line platforms?

Boppy.

[mjones]

As I mentioned earlier, they seem to be digging up the recently laid new embankment on the Eastern side of Vastern Rd, where the new bridge span will join the Waterloo lines. It looks like they've even removed the new retaining wall that separates the pedestrian route and the new embankment. I suspect a problem has been found, perhaps the ground under the new embankment isn't stable enough and needs to be underpinned with further concrete piling?

[mjones]

As I mentioned earlier, they seem to be digging up the recently laid new embankment on the Eastern side of Vastern Rd, where the new bridge span will join the Waterloo lines. It looks like they've even removed the new retaining wall that separates the pedestrian route and the new embankment. I suspect a problem has been found, perhaps the ground under the new embankment isn't stable enough and needs to be underpinned with further concrete piling?

Looking this morning it appears that even more of the recent work is having to be re-done! The new embankment has been completely dug up for several metres back from Vastern Rd, I can't believe this is all going according to plan. Anyone else seen it?

[IndustryInsider]

Can't say that I've noticed too much - I don't think the embankments had ever been fully built up to the new rail level (even accounting for ballast), so perhaps it's more a case of minor surgery than anything more calamitous?

Meanwhile, work on the other side of the tracks with supports and embankments for the re-instated underpass leading to the southern lines, is proceeding at quite a pace with soil dropped and compacted and much work going on underneath the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) bridge.  The materials and offices area to the east of this underpass is also being quickly developed with more cabins and facilities cropping up all the time.

[mjones]

Can't say that I've noticed too much - I don't think the embankments had ever been fully built up to the new rail level (even accounting for ballast), so perhaps it's more a case of minor surgery than anything more calamitous?

Meanwhile, work on the other side of the tracks with supports and embankments for the re-instated underpass leading to the southern lines, is proceeding at quite a pace with soil dropped and compacted and much work going on underneath the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) bridge.  The materials and offices area to the east of this underpass is also being quickly developed with more cabins and facilities cropping up all the time.

Well they did have a new block-built retaining wall between the footway on Vastern Rd and the end of the new embankment, and the infill had got very close up to the level of the existing tracks before the recent work started. This new wall does now appear to have been knocked down, and the carefully compacted aggregate dug out for several metres back, the digging out apparently following what looked like an attempt to put in some concrete piles.  I'd guess it is a bit more than minor surgery!

[IndustryInsider]

and the infill had got very close up to the level of the existing tracks before the recent work started. This new wall does now appear to have been knocked down, and the carefully compacted aggregate dug out for several metres back, the digging out apparently following what looked like an attempt to put in some concrete piles.  I'd guess it is a bit more than minor surgery!

Possibly, I'll take a wander down there on foot sometime to see the extent of the work/dismantling - though the infill had only got anywhere near it's final height for only a very short section when compared to the overall length of embankment that will be required.