Reading improvements milestones

[mr_moo]

Some awesome pictures to be had this week with the renewals and major works happening close to the station and people walking about very nearby.

 

[mr_moo]

And a few more pics...

 

[swt_passenger]

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.

Your dates for P11 reopening and P10 closing for rebuild have been in the public domain for about 18 months in fact, they are fairly well described in the Engineering Access Statement (formerly Rules of the Route), and I've posted them in earlier threads. I would ask though if your Christmas 2014 is right for P10 - is that not Christmas 2013/NewYear 2014 maybe? (No criticism intended - it just seems a long time to do a platform edge...)

And yet the same document has always been a bit lacking in detail when it comes to the exact dates for P7/8/9.

I think the confusion around the interweb that Surreyman has seen might be because there are so many different phases, and then different amounts of work involved depending on the individual platform. For instance the current closures of P7 - P10 are obviously because trains cannot get to them this week. But as you rightly say they all reopen on Monday in roughly the same condition as far as the platform edges go, just with repositioned access via the new transfer deck, rather than the old footbridge.

Then P7 and P10 have to be 'rebuilt' later but on completely different alignments. On the other hand P8 and P9 also have to be 'rebuilt', but it's generally on their existing footprint - so their rebuild is more of a resurfacing to match the bits in the middle already completed behind the hoardings. So a lot less involved there than on P7 or P10.

By the way I did see something suggesting that P8/P9 could be closed at one end or another while part remained in use for use short trains, such as terminating XCs at their 'B' ends?

 

[mr_moo]

Your dates for P11 reopening and P10 closing for rebuild have been in the public domain for about 18 months in fact, they are fairly well described in the Engineering Access Statement (formerly Rules of the Route), and I've posted them in earlier threads. I would ask though if your Christmas 2014 is right for P10 - is that not Christmas 2013/NewYear 2014 maybe? (No criticism intended - it just seems a long time to do a platform edge...)

And yet the same document has always been a bit lacking in detail when it comes to the exact dates for P7/8/9.

I think the confusion around the interweb that Surreyman has seen might be because there are so many different phases, and then different amounts of work involved depending on the individual platform. For instance the current closures of P7 - P10 are obviously because trains cannot get to them this week. But as you rightly say they all reopen on Monday in roughly the same condition as far as the platform edges go, just with repositioned access via the new transfer deck, rather than the old footbridge.

Then P7 and P10 have to be 'rebuilt' later but on completely different alignments. On the other hand P8 and P9 also have to be 'rebuilt', but it's generally on their existing footprint - so their rebuild is more of a resurfacing to match the bits in the middle already completed behind the hoardings. So a lot less involved there than on P7 or P10.

By the way I did see something suggesting that P8/P9 could be closed at one end or another while part remained in use for use short trains, such as terminating XCs at their 'B' ends?

Christmas 2014 is indeed correct. It's going to get a big re-build to make it the same length as the new P11. Interestingly, according the the staging diagram I have at least, which is a few months out of date but supposedly the current one, the re-build will be finished for around christmas 2013, but the track at the West end doesn't get connected until a new crossover is installed at part of the the next big signalling comissioning in Christmas 2014.

P9 will be resurfaced with "limited use" between Jan and Mar 2014.

P8 will be restricted to 5 car operation from November to Christmas 2013.

HTH!

 

[swt_passenger]

Just found that Network Rail's news item this week included this:

"Over the coming months, we'll upgrade more platforms, with the 'station elements' of the project due for final completion by February 2014."

... so perhaps by 'station elements' they aren't including the track necessary to use all the platforms!

 

[Ironside]

And a few more pics...

Very good photos mr_moo. Keep them coming.

I think the lobstervision cameras need moving to show the work that is going on.

 

[mr_moo]

Very good photos mr_moo. Keep them coming.

I think the lobstervision cameras need moving to show the work that is going on.

Thanks. It's nice to know they are appreciated.

 

[David Goddard]

Thanks. It's nice to know they are appreciated.

Here Here! Although I only live five miles away I have not been able to get up to the station as often as I would like, so seeing others' images on here is great. Going up this morning to see for myself though..

 

[Andrewlong]

The original footbridge has now been completely removed and passengers from platforms 4 to 6 heading to old concourse are now routed round to left to come out at barriers with non disused escalators on right.

 

[furlong]

Well the Reading Chronicle (weekly newspaper) has gone for the headline

Network Fail
25 trains cancelled as station work overruns

quoting a Network Rail spokeswoman

We have never seen a day blighted by so many problems

 

[Andrewlong]

What is happening at Reading is the equivalent of a patient having major surgery on one day and then being expected to go back to work the next fully functional.

The Chronicle is there to sell newspapers and reflect the views of many passengers who would have been somewhat irritated by quality of service provided last week.

Trouble is keeping the station closed for 2 weeks over the Easter holiday period would not have been acceptable.

 

[jimm]

What is happening at Reading is the equivalent of a patient having major surgery on one day and then being expected to go back to work the next fully functional.

The Chronicle is there to sell newspapers and reflect the views of many passengers who would have been somewhat irritated by quality of service provided last week.

Trouble is keeping the station closed for 2 weeks over the Easter holiday period would not have been acceptable.

"somewhat irritated"?!? - even allowing for the trolls on FGW's twitter and facebook who moan round the clock 365 days a year about the most trivial things, some of the reaction has been vitriolic.

And the irritation has not just been around Reading and the Thames Valley. Cotswold Line services have suffered a series of cancellations all week, as well as often lengthy delays, and long waits for missing crews.

The 08.58 Oxford-Moreton-in-Marsh and 09.50 Moreton-in-Marsh to London didn't run at all west of Oxford from Tuesday to Friday, despite not being on the list of arranged cancellations that applied from Wednesday. There are more delays and cancellations on the line today due to crew shortages.

They simply tried to run too many trains on too little infrastructure from Tuesday until yesterday and hoped that the said infrastructure would behave itself, which any fool who uses the GWML regularly knows is optimism of the highest order - topped off by the train failure in the Tuesday morning peak and another in Reading depot early on Thursday which caused problems sending stock out in time.

The Oxford fast service should have been cut back to hourly to begin with and operated with longer trains, instead what happened from Wednesday was that trains were cut out but three-car Turbos were still being used much of time with consequent overcrowding problems.

 

[mr_moo]

Hi everyone,

Sorry for not posting an update on Friday. I felt quite poor and went home early.

I'm still at home now, but I'll take more photos tomorrow morning when I should be back at work.

Here's the Thursday evening shots:
Note the renewal of the Down Main has come towards plat 7.

 

[mr_moo]

Here's pics from Friday.

It was interesting on Friday afternoon to see the crash pad they were laying down ready for conventional demolition of the last span of the footbridge.

Chatting to one of the contruction workers there, he said it's just too far for the crane to reach so they were going to take it down with the diggers then use the crane to lift out the skips from the adjacent tracks.

Also note the first retail unit has started to be built on the new transfer deck.

 

[Skimble19]

Didn't take long for the first Retail unit to appear!!

Loving the pics, do please keep em coming

 

[coastwallker]

The photos are fantastic - really bring it to life.

Looking forward to going up and having a look next week

 

[mr_moo]

I'm glad the photos are being enjoyed.
Thanks for the kind words.

 

[D1009]

Note the renewal of the Down Main has come towards plat 7.

Thanks very much for the photos, really shows what is going on now as I struggled to get my head round what was planned. As I understand it the lines through platforms 9 and 10 have now been redesignated the down and up main. Having just left Reading on the 1430 Bristol to Padd from platform 10, I was impressed how quickly we were back on the original up main alignment.

There is a junction just to the east of the former Scours Lane Junction where you leave the "old" up main to cross to the "new" up main which used to be the up relief. Does anyone know whether this junction has been given a name?

 

[sultanofswing]

Whitehouse Junction

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Hi everyone,
Note the renewal of the Down Main has come towards plat 7.

Great pics.
The old DM looks like it is now essentially a platform loop.
The bit they have relaid will also have to change again when they build out P7 to meet the old UM.
We will now have to unlearn a great deal about the layout!

 

[swt_passenger]

Great pics.
The old DM looks like it is now essentially a platform loop.

Not quite yet, although the old down main (P7) will eventually allow for a route back to the new down main (P9), in the current interim layout it is only usable bi-directionally to/from the Westbury direction. On the other hand the line through P8 does already act as a down main platform loop.

I visited earlier this afternoon and noticed that as shown by realtimetrains XC reversals were taking place in any of P8, P9 or P10.

I also noticed a simultaneous departure of two HSTs towards London from P10 and P9, the train through P9 was off the Up Westbury line (from Penzance) and it eventually pulled ahead of the train leaving from P10 which was held at the first eastbound signal gantry, (Kennet Bridge?). I suppose the train running 'up' the down main would use some distant crossover that I couldn't see from the footbridge?

 

[D1009]

Not quite yet, although the old down main (P7) will eventually allow for a route back to the new down main (P9), in the current interim layout it is only usable bi-directionally to/from the Westbury direction. On the other hand the line through P8 does already act as a down main platform loop.

I visited earlier this afternoon and noticed that as shown by realtimetrains XC reversals were taking place in any of P8, P9 or P10.

Thanks for clarifying that, looking at realtimetrains today, a lot of northbound XC trains were shown reversing in P7 which is presumably not possible. This afternoon there were a series of announcements of platform alterations for up to 2 hours hence all of which were XC reversals. Do I take it the old down and up main between the Westbury line junction and Whitehouse Junction are now out of use for the building of the elevated section, though the track is still in situ at present?

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks for clarifying that, looking at realtimetrains today, a lot of northbound XC trains were shown reversing in P7 which is presumably not possible. This afternoon there were a series of announcements of platform alterations for up to 2 hours hence all of which were XC reversals. Do I take it the old down and up main between the Westbury line junction and Whitehouse Junction are now out of use for the building of the elevated section?

I'd agree - I think that P7 routeing must be as a result of some sort of error in the underlying database info, the track diagrams I've seen show it no longer possible in this, ie the stage F interim layout. Comparing today and tomorrow on realtime trains shows all the P7 entries have gone overnight...

There's a few sections of line (especially those you mention) that remain 'physically there' but not in use - as far as I am aware they could still be used within possessions, but as far as day to day operations are concerned they're considered to be already gone. I'd expect the old up and down main line routes through Reading West Jn will still be physically there but all the points will presumably be now clipped reversed?

 

[D1009]

I'd agree - I think that P7 routeing must be as a result of some sort of error in the underlying database info, the track diagrams I've seen show it no longer possible in this, ie the stage F interim layout. Comparing today and tomorrow on realtime trains shows all the P7 entries have gone overnight...

There's a few sections of line (especially those you mention) that remain 'physically there' but not in use - as far as I am aware they could still be used within possessions, but as far as day to day operations are concerned they're considered to be already gone. I'd expect the old up and down main line routes through Reading West Jn will still be physically there but all the points will presumably be now clipped reversed?

Yes, it'll be clearer after there's been some rain, all the track is still shiny!

 

[Surreyman]

Not quite yet, although the old down main (P7) will eventually allow for a route back to the new down main (P9), in the current interim layout it is only usable bi-directionally to/from the Westbury direction. On the other hand the line through P8 does already act as a down main platform loop.

I visited earlier this afternoon and noticed that as shown by realtimetrains XC reversals were taking place in any of P8, P9 or P10.

I also noticed a simultaneous departure of two HSTs towards London from P10 and P9, the train through P9 was off the Up Westbury line (from Penzance) and it eventually pulled ahead of the train leaving from P10 which was held at the first eastbound signal gantry, (Kennet Bridge?). I suppose the train running 'up' the down main would use some distant crossover that I couldn't see from the footbridge?

Visited Reading today, I too noticed that an 'up' paddington Hst was held at signals for some while waiting for a Southampton bound 220 to clear platform 10.

 

[D1009]

Visited Reading today, I too noticed that an 'up' paddington Hst was held at signals for some while waiting for a Southampton bound 220 to clear platform 10.

Having visited Reading a few times this week, my perception is that because platform 11 has yet to be finished, there are now more delays to up main services than down. With the old layout it was the other way round. The new bridge certainly provides an excellent view towards the west, it's not unusual to see two trains at successive signals on the new up main waiting to get in.

 

[swt_passenger]

Having visited Reading a few times this week, my perception is that because platform 11 has yet to be finished, there are now more delays to up main services than down. With the old layout it was the other way round. The new bridge certainly provides an excellent view towards the west, it's not unusual to see two trains at successive signals on the new up main waiting to get in.

That is possibly the case, but as far as realtimestrains shows, the intended gaps planned between trains shouldn't really cause too many queues. For instance on most of the occasions there's a XC train in P10, the corresponding Bristol to Paddington service is supposed to be switched from P10 to P15. Could they be forgetting to do that for some reason - or would the signalling system automate it, i.e. with ARS?

Didn't a few up HST services used to run through the up relief platform 10 for similar reasons in the old layout?

 

[LexyBoy]

That is possibly the case, but as far as realtimestrains shows, the intended gaps planned between trains shouldn't really cause too many queues. For instance on most of the occasions there's a XC train in P10, the corresponding Bristol to Paddington service is supposed to be switched from P10 to P15. Could they be forgetting to do that for some reason - or would the signalling system automate it, i.e. with ARS?

Didn't a few up HST services used to run through the up relief platform 10 for similar reasons in the old layout?

Up fast services certainly do use P15 - I don't know whether trains are sometimes being held rather than re-platformed - but I concur with D1009 that there seem to be more delays now occurring in the up direction than down (not surprisingly). There's a big difference between "intended gaps" and what actually happens!

Platform 10 was heavily used for up HSTs in the old layout in the morning, and it was not uncommon for P8, 9 and 10 to be used simultaneously for up fast services (I've even seen 7,8,9 and 10 occupied by up HSTs but that was following disruption). Two platforms for exclusive use of GWML fasts in both up and down directions is what is required so I'll expect some delays coming into Reading in the evenings until all the new platforms are opened.

 

[mr_moo]

Hi everyone,

I'm back with some more pics. Fully fit (ish!) and healthly (even more ish!) again.

Some interesting things to note:

• A route has opened between the old gateline and plats 4-6 - you can now turn right after passing through the gateline instead of going past the old escalators.
• A new temporary signal has appeared between plats 7 and 8 at the West end, right next to the rail of the temporarily out of use middle line. This controls access to the new crossover between 8 and 9, which is itself temporary.
• Platform 11 is a good 150mm or so higher than platform 10 on it's opposite face. You can see the new platform extension that is not yet comissioned is higher so it will come up when rebuilt but it's got a step in it at the momment. There's an interesting arrangement of ramps at the bottom of the escalator to facilitate level access to this, again, all temporary.
• You can see the bases of the OLE masts on the roof that have been placed in readiness for the wiring when it comes.

Pics:

 

[mr_moo]

One last pic and one more observation: the bridge is very cold and open.

There's no glass between the roof and the raised section over the stairs/escalators. - just some metal grills (not visible in the photo - not sure why) and there's no side covering at the top of the escalators. I was stood on the bridge getting snowed on last week and the wind blows through in too easily.