Reading station redevelopment

[Cavershambles]

Great pics as always, RG.

The new staircase at the end of the new platform 4 will be for regular use IIRC (probably ticket holders only); the old entrance at Vastern Road was closed when the redevelopment began. I was impressed at how quickly the track went in for the new electrics platforms; most of the laying was completed over a weekend.

The relief lines between P9/10 have been brought closer together (there used to be a run-around loop down the middle, which was removed a few years ago), and P9 widened partly so that the old buildings can be demolished and the new "footbrigde" (as it says on the massive posters) installed, and partly so the new platform will be wide enough for the increased traffic once it becomes an island platform rather than a single line platform.

Before:



After:





In this image you can see P10 from the side; I'm not sure if it's unfinished or just a temporary extension. You can also see the new staircase down onto P10 from the overbridge, ready for when the buildings are being demolished and the original stairs will not be accessible:

[reading general]

haven't had alot of time recently but here are some photos from the pst couple of weeks

cow lane bridges
new southern bridge on the reading avoiding line

bridges on the northern side of the main line. access to the new depot




northern station entrance and footbridge works








from the south looking across the station






and finally a shot of former oxford facing bay platform 7 with track removed. i thinnk it's now been filled in

[Cavershambles]

The new north entrance is coming on apace, and what I guess are the foundations of the new footbridge are in place, showing where the two new island platforms will be.



What I assume to be supports for the footbridge can just be made out either side of the blue crane:


Here you can see some of the building work on P10 as well:


The canopy over P8/9 is now mostly gone, and the former p7 pictured in the last of RG's photos has been filled in for several weeks - there are a couple of gaps in the hoarding to allow folk to cross between P8&9.


The Cow Lane bridge seems to be nearing completion (from above at least, I understand the road won't be open for some time). The work on the new train depot area has come along quickly, with the area levelled and supporting walls, piping (drains I suppose) etc installed. Over the last week the trainshed has popped up (hidden behind piles of ballast somewhat):

[reading general]

Cheers for the update cav. I haven't been near the station for a while, work has moved on quickly. The layout is starting to become clearer. It's going to be a proper hauptbanhof when it's finished.

[Vulcan's Finest]

A nice set of photos showing recent works at Reading can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_iliff ... 205370658/

After the first ten or so photos are a lot that it seems were taken last weekend, including the old platform 6 being demolished.

[peterson]

I have seen the illustrations of what's being built, and have seen it under construction. How long will the new relief platforms be? Aren't the crossrail platforms being built to 240m? These new reliefs at Reading don't look like they can be that long, do they??
The implication being, can crossrail come to Reading?

[lasdun]

Crossrail should be 240m, thought trains will be 200m initially.

I presume they are planning to use the northern four platforms on the reliefs, and presumably they are long enough?

[sotonsi]

IIRC from when I saw the plans a couple of years ago, they are long enough.

[neuphin]

Originally Posted by Vulcan's Finest

A nice set of photos showing recent works at Reading can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_iliff ... 205370658/

After the first ten or so photos are a lot that it seems were taken last weekend, including the old platform 6 being demolished.

Thanks for posting those, good to see the progress they've made over the time frame of that album.
I'll be changing at Reading on Saturday, so I'll know what to look out for....not that I'll probably get any time to sit and gawp.

[Vulcan's Finest]

Originally Posted by peterson

I have seen the illustrations of what's being built, and have seen it under construction. How long will the new relief platforms be? Aren't the crossrail platforms being built to 240m? These new reliefs at Reading don't look like they can be that long, do they??
The implication being, can crossrail come to Reading?

I know what you mean, the artist impressions and station plans I've seen imply that the two new island platforms will be somewhat shorter than the main station platforms. However they must (?) be designed to be long enough to take a 2+8 HST, which is about 220m long, or indeed a pair of 221 units (over 230m long). There is certainly enough room - the Caversham Road and Vastern Road bridges are about 520m apart, so even allowing for the tracks to narrow & join at each end 240m is available.

I'm certain Crossrail will come to Reading from day one, although I suspect it will only be 2TPH - so it may only require one platform.

[peterson]

Or maybe more than 2tph if some come via Heathrow.
http://wrath.thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk/

[Vulcan's Finest]

Originally Posted by peterson

Or maybe more than 2tph if some come via Heathrow.
http://wrath.thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk/

Thanks for that, very interesting when I finally found the proposed route on the pdf: http://wrath.thamesvalleyberkshire.c...ation-Form.pdf

I've seen something similar proposed many years ago before Airtrack became the favored Western access scheme. The route is pretty obvious and will certainly annoy the Ritchings park golf club!

This will also give many airport workers an attractive alternative to cheap but slow bus services.

[peterson]

Not sure whether all crossrail to Reading would go via Heathrow if that link gets built, or whether there would be a mixture.

[Rational Plan]

If it goes like the RUS plans, there will be more trains extended from Liverpool street, with 10 trains an hour to Heathrow. 2 will terminate 4 go to Staines and 4 towards Slough and beyond (assuming the various links are built).

[Vulcan's Finest]

Originally Posted by peterson

Not sure whether all crossrail to Reading would go via Heathrow if that link gets built, or whether there would be a mixture.

There's lots of scope for a mixture. Heathrow is quite an important destination, but I suspect that the proposed 4TPH from the West (40 Crossrail carriages) would cart around a lot of fresh air. Probably better from Reading to have 2TPH formed of Crossrail stock calling all stations, then continuing to Paddington and 2TPH formed of something like a single 319 or 360 unit. These could alternate from Newbury and Oxford, running Reading -T5 - T123 with just one stop at Slough. If the line from Basingstoke to Reading is electrified that might be a better starting point than Newbury.

I can imagine that diverting the Night Riviera sleeper via Heathrow might be a good idea too.

[peterson]

So the new relief platforms at Reading could be home to:
Crossrail not via heathrow
Crossrail via heathrow
Separately branded heathrow shuttle
East west rail to mk
East west rail to Bedford
Extended north downs gatwick to Oxford service.
Plus some remaining locals not transferred to crossrail.

If all that happens they could be pretty busy.

[mr_jrt]

All somewhat fanciful, but I'd prefer to see the tube services extended west rather than Crossrail.

There's far less impetus to return to the GWML corridor for a start, meaning that more communities can be served. The ultimate aim would still be Slough station, but taking a direct line to it under the main roads serves the local communities much better. Hooking up the Windsor branch to the end of tube also just seems to work for me.

...even more fanciful would be for the route to be re-gauged to SSL standards so the District could run Windsor-Heathrow then semi fast to Earl's Court...(with the Picc providing the stopping service) ...but that's something else entirely.

[ill tonkso]

Originally Posted by mr_jrt

All somewhat fanciful, but I'd prefer to see the tube services extended west rather than Crossrail.

There's far less impetus to return to the GWML corridor for a start, meaning that more communities can be served. The ultimate aim would still be Slough station, but taking a direct line to it under the main roads serves the local communities much better. Hooking up the Windsor branch to the end of tube also just seems to work for me.

...even more fanciful would be for the route to be re-gauged to SSL standards so the District could run Windsor-Heathrow then semi fast to Earl's Court...(with the Picc providing the stopping service) ...but that's something else entirely.

Also the complete opposite of what was supposed to be. The Picadilly in WL was supposed to be an express route for the District.

[mr_jrt]

Originally Posted by ill tonkso

Also the complete opposite of what was supposed to be. The Picadilly in WL was supposed to be an express route for the District.

Only in so far as Yerkes abandoned their express District plans when then bought the Picc. and sadly munged it into a compromise arrangement. The bigger SSL stock is much better suited to longer fast runs - just like the Met. Admittedly TPTB seem to dislike the idea at the minute but there's always hope someone in power comes to their senses

...but I think this ain't the thread for it

[Vulcan's Finest]

Originally Posted by mr_jrt

All somewhat fanciful, but I'd prefer to see the tube services extended west rather than Crossrail.

There's far less impetus to return to the GWML corridor for a start, meaning that more communities can be served. The ultimate aim would still be Slough station, but taking a direct line to it under the main roads serves the local communities much better. Hooking up the Windsor branch to the end of tube also just seems to work for me.

Travel between Hammersmith and Hounslow on the Piccadilly in the late afternoon / early evening and you'll see just how unsuitable and unpleasant tiny tube trains are for air passengers carrying heavy luggage and even local passengers are impeded. It would not be an attractive alternative to the railair coach for long-distance rail passengers or tempt car drivers, not mention the fact that Reading is a far more natural interchange point than Slough for most rail passengers.

Space for passengers isn't the only consideration - tube trains ride more roughly, are slower, have less capacity and probably can't have functioning aircon. They were a quick fix solution based on the primitive tunnel boring technology available in the late 19th Century - in the early 21st Century we can do far better.