Reading improvements milestones

[BananaRepublic]

More photos here - bottom of the page - taken yesterday (Good Friday).

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

More photos here - bottom of the page - taken yesterday (Good Friday).

Good pictures. Didn't take them long to smash up the old bridge, did it?
It doesn't look like the Reading I knew in the 90s.
The new bridge looks rather clinical and, well, airport-like.
Complete with forbidding gate-line.
No doubt it will look more homely when a few coffee bars have been installed!

 

[swt_passenger]

And how is the "big slew" going?

If you check out webcam 02 tab 2 and zoom in to the top of the page you can see much of what's happening to the east end layout:

http://www.lobstervision.tv/nrreading02#

Quality isn't that brilliant but I'm sure it will give a reasonable idea of progress - I'm assuming that slewing and connecting the relief lines is the priority over the next couple of days, as they have the rest of the week to realign the mains across to the route through P9/10.

I believe the work at the far west of the site is not so much a slew across as bringing into use a temporary running junction beyond the new depot, (Whitehouse Jn?). The up and down mains will be using the existing relief lines all the way along past the viaduct worksite for the next year or so.

 

[jimm]

Some video shot on Friday mostly of the new bridge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSxqqqVcZ2E

[youtube]gSxqqqVcZ2E[/youtube]

 

[swt_passenger]

Earlier in this thread there was some discussion about whether or not the eastern underpass could be double tracked.

I happened to pass it at slow speed yesterday and noticed that at trackbed level they have installed fairly substantial concrete reinforcement along both sides, extending out from the bottom of the walls, which suggests that the width achievable at track level might have been seriously reduced in comparison to the original width.

 

[LexyBoy]

Just been through the station and it's amazing how much has changed since Thursday! The old bridge is all but gone, all the bridge supports, stairs and brick structures on the platforms have been levelled. At the eastern end of the station so much track is gone it looks more like a roadworks! A veritable hive of activity.

Also suprised to see the north entrance open- thought this would be on Tuesday.

 

[TEW]

Very strange using the new bridge today, likely to be the quietest it will ever be. Only a handful of people around, all of them just having a look round, and engineers looking at the squeaky escalators.

 

[Andrewlong]

Very strange using the new bridge today, likely to be the quietest it will ever be. Only a handful of people around, all of them just having a look round, and engineers looking at the squeaky escalators.

Is it me or were the escalators on south side very slow?

 

[swt_passenger]

Is it me or were the escalators on south side very slow?

Standard setup on most new escalators seems to be that they run at a slow speed and increase to full only when someone steps on.

 

[Andrewlong]

Standard setup on most new escalators seems to be that they run at a slow speed and increase to full only when someone steps on.

We will soon see from tomorrow when the commuting public start using the escalators in anger. North side escalator even taller and when I used it yesterday it took an eternity to get to the top!

 

[swt_passenger]

Some video shot on Friday mostly of the new bridge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSxqqqVcZ2E

Odd that it's referred to as a 'sneak preview'. It was open to the public on Friday morning...

 

[SigTester]

Was there yesterday and witnessed the last of the red-brick 1920's buildings being demolished between the old 5-8 Platforms. The remainder of the footbridge comes down next weekend. I understand the widening of platform 7 (i.e. to face the current through road) is not happening until late summer.

 

[David Goddard]

Been up to Reading this evening having been away for the weekend and was amazed by the progress. Hard to recall how it was, and only been changed for three days!
Had a good walk round but light failing quickly so only got a few decent photos. All being well will be one for the first train at about 0330, then the up sleeper just after 0400. Too cold to venture out again for the first train but will get down later in the week.

 

[TEW]

Is it me or were the escalators on south side very slow?

The escalators did seem to be slow, but then so did the lifts.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Small blip on the horizon this morning...

from NRE:
Over-running engineering works and a signalling problem are causing disruption near Reading. There is also a broken down train near Goring & Streatley

 

[Blindtraveler]

Standard setup on most new escalators seems to be that they run at a slow speed and increase to full only when someone steps on.

and by the sound of it equally standard in as much as in the last 12 to 18 month Notwork Rail seam to have purchased a job lot of dodgy ones from some shonky supplier and they give endless bother from day one! See multiple comments on recent installations at KGX and EDB for proof!
It would appear if these are already squeeking that a similar situation exists here and doubtless at Bam New Street too?0given how much these projects cost and given the qualitty of other equipment e.g. The now standard Stanna lifts appearing everywhere youd think they could get this correct?

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

We will soon see from tomorrow when the commuting public start using the escalators in anger. North side escalator even taller and when I used it yesterday it took an eternity to get to the top!

fiver says theyl all be opperating as fixed staircases by 19:00

 

[SigTester]

Small blip on the horizon this morning...

Chaos this morning at the station. Not because of the overrunning problems BUT because even though there is a new CIS (Customer information System) on the platforms and on the new passenger bridge, the information conflicts between the two and also the automatic - announcements. Why don't they turn off the auto generated displays on the platforms and just have manual announcements, with the correct summary screens working, I do not know. The station may be new, but there is still no co-ordinated back-up when things go wrong. There are platform staff who have not been briefed and just look up at the platform indicators the same as everyone else, even though they display trains long since cancelled.......FGW GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER....It is not your fault the trains are distrupted....BUT IT IS YOUR FAULT YOU DO NOT RELAY THE INFORMATION TO YOUR PASSENGERS....!!!!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Small blip on the horizon this morning...

Chaos this morning at the station. Not because of the overrunning problems BUT because even though there is a new CIS (Customer information System) on the platforms and on the new passenger bridge, the information conflicts between the two and also the automatic - announcements. Why don't they turn off the auto generated displays on the platforms and just have manual announcements, with the correct summary screens working, I do not know. The station may be new, but there is still no co-ordinated back-up when things go wrong. There are platform staff who have not been briefed and just look up at the platform indicators the same as everyone else, even though they display trains long since cancelled.......FGW GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER....It is not your fault the trains are distrupted....BUT IT IS YOUR FAULT YOU DO NOT RELAY THE INFORMATION TO YOUR PASSENGERS....!!!!

 

[Matt Taylor]

I was rather lucky this morning that my flight from Thailand arrived from the west of Heathrow and I had a window on the right side to get a picture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40172673@N03/8613423822/in/photostream/


That was around 0650 this morning from around 5000ft above Reading.

 

[dysonsphere]

Nice Pic Matt really shows of the new parts

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I was rather lucky this morning that my flight from Thailand arrived from the west of Heathrow and I had a window on the right side to get a picture.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40172673@N03/8613423822/in/photostream/
That was around 0650 this morning from around 5000ft above Reading.

That's an amazing picture at an angle through layers of plastic!
It's similar to one I took on a September evening in 1993 on a balloon trip over Reading (see attachment).
That has archive value now with all the changes.

 

[dysonsphere]

That's an amazing picture at an angle through layers of plastic!
It's similar to one I took on a September evening in 1993 on a balloon trip over Reading (see attachment).
That has archive value now with all the changes.

Bet you were popular with White Waltham and Heathrow theres not much height around there for ballons and a lot of PPL follow the railway to White Waltham. Sorry about the thread drift.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Bet you were popular with White Waltham and Heathrow theres not much height around there for ballons and a lot of PPL follow the railway to White Waltham. Sorry about the thread drift.

There was a light northerly.
We took off from King's Meadow just north of the main line, crossed the railway and town and ended up in a wheatfield in Hampshire!
I took pictures crossing the M4 but they are just boring.
I didn't notice any planes so maybe LHR was landing from the east at that time.
What was especially lucky for the railway picture was that the westerly sun lit up the layout through the station and way out west past the triangle.
At one point there was a bright flash as all the polished rails reflected the sun as we passed the critical angle.
People on the other side got good pictures of the prison...

 

[mr_moo]

fiver says theyl all be opperating as fixed staircases by 19:00

Two of four on the south side were closed off at lunchtime today (all four were operating this morning). Broken or just switched off due to light footfall I do not know, but not a good omen!


As for progress, here's some more pics, taken this morning. It's a huge change!

 

[Omega Point]

Some more photos I took this morning, amid the chaos. Some very helpful staff there (the 'Project Manager' on Platform 14 was very helpful)


Reading Station South Entrance by OmegaPoint, on Flickr


New Reading Station Footbridge by OmegaPoint, on Flickr

I've got a whole set on Flickr.

 

[SigTester]

This is an email sent to FGW today......any comments welcome....... "As a regular user of Reading Station I would like to congratulate you on the wonderful new facilities opened today. However, I have an observation about the new platform A / B designations on 12-15 and the corresponding ( or not) Customer Information provided for departing trains. This morning I awaited a local service to Maidenhead on platform 15 at the "B" end only to find the three car train stop in the "A" end and this evening on return there were many passengers waiting on the "A" end of Platform 13, but we stopped all the way down at the "B" end. On closer inspection, and talking to a FGW driver, I note that there are 2,3, 4 etc "car stop" indicators along the platform, which would imply this will always be the case. i.e. London bound "local" trains (not HST which is spread over the whole platform, although the re is the opportunity to announce First class at the "A" end and Standard class at the "B "end) will always leave from the "A" end and Oxford bound trains will always leave from the "B" end. If this is the case why not announce it or indicate on the screens, that way you would avoid a lot of passengers having to unnecessarily hike up and down the platform. Previous Reading only had one staircase, so this was not an issue, but required additional sign age regarding GOLD, PINK and BLUE areas on the platform. But now a passenger needs to make a choice "A" end or "B" end and the CIS should direct them to the correct end. This can only improve your on-time running and also make better use of the facilities for passenger dispersal. I await your response eagerly. As an aside I note the the platform staff booklets do show A or B.....So why don't they tell people that...my experience today, was they did not know. I would appreciate a reasoned response."

 

[Domeyhead]

If it is purely a passenger aid (with no implication to run two services in opposite directions simultaneously) it sounds sensible and easily implemented.

 

[TEW]

The A and B end issue was resolved today. When I passed through at around 10:00 the staff had just altered all Turbo services so they were shown as departing from A or B ends as appropriate. The CIS was going a little crazy announcing all the platform alterations.

 

[Surreyman]

Surfing the 'Net, have read confusing & contradictory info on when the various platforms are due to re-open.
Initially I thought P8-11 were due to re-open early on monday 08/04/2013.
Have found some (confusing) info which says variously that 8 & 9 only re-open on this date, 10 & 11 to be rebuilt and not re-opening until sometime in summer? or all of 8-11 rebuilt?
P7 I think, is due to be rebuilt extended out, completion date??
Another source says 'All track in and around Reading station will be replaced except P1 & 2', so presumably P3 track replaced?
Would appreciate any accurate info if you have it!

 

[aleph_0]

Based on this map:
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/...ion Improvements/FGW-Reading-Station-Map.ashx

I thought that from Monday all platforms, except 11 and 3, would be in use. I'd assume that work on other platforms would be done systematically (so once 11 opens, they'll close, say, platform 10 instead).

Platform 7 is indeed scheduled to be built out. My understanding (not the best source, but based on the comments to this article: http://www.therailengineer.com/2013/01/08/reading-remodelling-takes-shape/ ) is that platform 7 will reopen on Monday, and close at a later point, when platforms 8-11 are all in use.

 

[mr_moo]

All platforms except 3 and 11 are due to re-open next Monday.

Platform 11 will remain out of use until the August bank holiday when P10 will close and P11 will open. It will then be re-built to the new alignment and re-open at Christmas 2014.

P7 will also go out of use in the August bank holiday for the widening to start. It will re-open sometime in Nov/Dec 2013. I don't know the exact date.

Re renewals, yes, P3 is to be replaced. It's already out of use. It will be relayed late this year and recomissioned at Christmas.