Theale station - services, facilities / improvements, incidents (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[hornbeam]

noticed the other night there is work going on by the side of the fright siding as it passes the back of the platform. Seem to be casting a load of concrete anyone know what^s going on?

[grahame]

noticed the other night there is work going on by the side of the fright siding as it passes the back of the platform. Seem to be casting a load of concrete anyone know what^s going on?

Platform to allow long trains to be terminated there at the time(s) of Reading blockade(s), I heard.  Did I hear right?

[signalandtelegraph]

See here

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=472296

[amiddl]

Metal bolt together structure taking shape and looking like a real platform now.

[chineseJohn]

lately in the evening, people rather than parking up are now waiting for people in the hashed area in the station car park. creating very little space for people to walk past to get to their cars...

I struggle to get my bicycle past the stream of people.

[EBrown]

Well, many (not all) motorists have a hard time understanding yellow box (junctions), "Keep Clear", "Bus Lane" signs and also the bright red flashy things on level crossings (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10162811).

Different people interpret the rules in their own unique way - It's obvious to me that you shouldn't stop there, unless you are in the process of dropping off/picking up. Someone else thinks that it's acceptable to wait and in some cases block the area.

Personally, I'm a relaxed motorist, so don't really care if I have to wait due to some low-level ignorance or a long hug & kiss etc

[inspector_blakey]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvdNCDVmRPo

 

[chineseJohn]

I've written to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (about 2 years ago) and had messages with them via twitter but nothing has been done about this.

The machine can't be used in the follow weather conditions:

Sunny/Bright Light - screen so reflective you can't see any of the options very well, nightmare if you're sight impaired or elderly

Very Cold - for some reason in the cold the middle part of the screen stops working, I discovered this when I had to try and retrieve a ticket I had purchased online and found the letter in the ticket reference was in the middle of screen

Rain - because the machine is not under a shelter, the screen gets wet and cannot be used at all with extensive wiping down and drying, fine if it's stop raining but no good if it is raining.

[Oxman]

According to the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

A £2.9m redevelopment of a Berkshire railway station has been announced.

First Great Western has revealed plans for a new ticket office, footbridge, lifts, car park and pedestrian entrance at Theale station near Reading.

Work is due to commence in October, with the project scheduled for completion by February 2014.

Most of the funding has come through a joint bid by West Berkshire and Reading council to the government's Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-22646396


Edit by Four Track, Now! to correct font

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Newbury Weekly News:

Views sought over Theale station upgrade



Commuters^ views are being sought on the upgrades to Theale station.

The station is set to benefit from a ^2.9m upgrade, which includes a new footbridge, booking office and food unit, with work expected to begin next month.

The plans for the station will be displayed in a large vehicle in the station car park and representatives from West Berkshire Council and First Great Western will be at the station from 4pm to 8pm to discuss the proposals.

The consultation will be held from 4pm to 8pm on September 26.

The image they've used is of Thatcham level crossing, but never mind ... 

[Thatcham Crossing]

I am quite impressed that you can tell those lights are at Thatcham!

A pity that the ^2.9m couldn't be put towards replacing our crossing, the delays at which must have cost our local economy many times that over the years.

[paul7575]

If work is starting next month why are they 'seeking commuter's views'? 
Highly paid designers and architects failed to do the job in time?

Paul

[JayMac]

I am quite impressed that you can tell those lights are at Thatcham!

The url for the image is: http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/36-0812G-Thatcham-Rail-Crossing-345x230.jpg 

[Thatcham Crossing]

Fair enough, bnm 

This seems like quite a major upgrade for Theale, but to be fair the Ticket Office has been in a Portacabin for as long as I can remember!

I'm sure I also read somewhere that this is part of a scheme to make Theale into some kind of Park & Ride into Reading.

[stuving]

The picture in the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) report shows the extra platform on the goods loop looking as permanent as the others. I thought it was only temporary, for use during Reading blockades. Was this just the work of an impressionable artist, or is it likely to be kept?

The drawings here show it as temporary and modular, while two other platforms are modular but to be rebuilt solid. I can't find a planning submission, but of course that would not need to show railway-specific design details anyway.