Wokingham - Pick Up/Set Down Only - 7th May?

[whole diary]

[dmacw]

I'm trying to get the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) iPhone application to give me times from Wokingham to Reading for this Saturday (7th May). It insists on putting me on a replacement bus. But, journeys from North Camp to Reading are coming up. I know SWT^▸ (South West Trains) aren't running past Wokingham but it seems FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are. The FGW trains seem to be platformed into platform 6 at Reading as 4a/b are out of use for works.

Thoughts?

[Louis94]

Whenever I look online NR^» (Network Rail - home page) seems to show FGW^▸ (First Great Western) operating an hourly service from Wokingham at xx44 using platform 4A, which suggests Platform 4B could be closed to allow construction of the new platform 4C(?). I'd imagine SWT^▸ (South West Trains) are running buses perhaps because the 3rd rail needs to be turned off for the work to happen.

[bobm]

It also shows the replacement buses going from platform 4a too!

There's something not quite right with the planner. For one journey to Wokingham it suggests getting the 08:34 from Reading and travelling through to Blackwater before doubling back. Even though the planner shows the 08:34 as calling at Wokingham at 08:45!

[Jonathan H]

The printed timetable on posters suggests that the pick up / set down restriction at Wokingham for North Downs Line trains on Saturday is to avoid overcrowding.  Passengers from Reading to Wokingham and vice versa are to travel by bus.  Waterloo trains operate east of Wokingham only.

Traveline North East shows platform 6 for all North Downs Line trains on Saturday and retimings for pathing reasons.

Jonathan

[dmacw]

The printed timetable on posters suggests that the pick up / set down restriction at Wokingham for North Downs Line trains on Saturday is to avoid overcrowding.  Passengers from Reading to Wokingham and vice versa are to travel by bus.  Waterloo trains operate east of Wokingham only.

Traveline North East shows platform 6 for all North Downs Line trains on Saturday and retimings for pathing reasons.

Jonathan

So if I boarded the train, would I be liable for a new ticket from Blackwater or Crowthorne to Reading?

Can restrictions be introduced for a weekend only?

[bobm]

It just says revised timings on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website. It is stretching it to say this includes pick up/set down only. 

[Louis94]

All Gatwick Services to/from Reading are appearing as Pick up only towards Gatwick, and Set down only going towards Reading. Redhill services are only showing pick up only toward Redhill, and are showing no restriction going towards Reading.

[grahame]

No restriction as I read it in the SLC^▸ (Service Level Commitment) as to whether services call to pick up, set down, both, or purely for operational purposes. I think this is left totally up to FGW^▸ (First Great Western).

1.1 Services shall be provided between Reading and Gatwick Airport calling at Wokingham, Blackwater, North Camp, Guildford, Dorking Deepdene, Reigate and Redhill.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/publicregister/current/fgw/fgwcommitment2.pdf

[bobm]

The live departure boards do seem to have got confused over the engineering work. Services from Waterloo are being shown correctly as terminating at Wokingham. However the return services are being shown as starting from Reading. Also at 09:20 there's a bus replacement scheduled to do the seven mile journey from Reading to Wokingham in eight minutes!

[mjones]

Does anyone know what work was done while the platforms were closed? I couldn't see anything obvious from the 0820 this morning, but there was a Waterloo train in 4b, so I wouldn't have seen much behind it.

[paul7575]

There was an engineering train sitting on the single line section just over the Vastern Rd bridge on Saturday around midday, didn't look much different to what you'd see for routine ballast deliveries though.  Machinery was working between the main and Waterloo lines. Difficult to tell from the footbridge unfortunately...

Paul