now i know it might be daft but by reversing the layout towards croydon road bridge and moving main station area towards redhill a bit with say a up platform starting at the now entrance going 12 coach lengths in a redhill direction with the down platform matching and a further platform 3 a few coach lengths towards redhill on the old down side shunt neck goods shed side [now homebase side ] and again 12 coach capacity
with a further 1 or 2 sidings on the down side 8 or 12 in length with all point work towards the croydon road and perhaps a new or even main entrance and car park up that end
and with a facing crossover from down reading at the croydon road end to the up platform limit off shunt would give 12coach capacity with no road crossing down time
That is effectively the plan, without the sidings. It isn't funded. I wouldn't have thought that they will do anything with the current up platform.
You have to move the trailing crossover to somewhere near the bridge over Croydon Road and put in two long platforms where the car park and sidings are.
Do reigate trains need an obs
Is redhill part of the bml agreement?
Yes, Reigate trains run with an OBS. Prior to the most recent DOO changes, off-peak trains from London to Reigate (and Tonbridge) ran with a guard on board south of East Croydon or Purley depending on stopping pattern.
Redhill was fine for DOO under the bml agreement although in practice, as almost all of the services replaced former slam door operations almost all trains ran with a guard until the most recent changes.
If the new platform was to happen and Thameslink ran from Bedford to Reigate instead of Gatwick, there would need to be proper DOO at Reigate to fit in with Thameslink's method of operation.