Reading improvements milestones

[HowardGWR]

Now that Reading station has passed into Network Rail management, how long until the toilets are made chargeable?

I've seen this joke more than once. AFAIK, the bogs at Bristol TM were still free when I used them a week or so ago (NR took over).

I would have thought at Reading, one would simply exit the barrier and use the pub's one? (or hopefully not a long wait before changing into one's next train?).

 

[D1009]

I'm sure Reading's toilets used to be chargeable before the current improvements started, though very often the turnstiles were left open. Now there is a toilet at the west end of platform 15 which is not signed from anywhere as far as I could make out.

 

[HowardGWR]

Since the clever move of one person to annoy the authorities ( ) we have lost the webcams that saved us having to depend on local colleagues for info.

Is there any improvement on the west side where the signal works was?

 

[swt_passenger]

Not sure which area you are specifically asking about. There have been no real changes to track layout west of the station, other than P10 and P11 both being in use since March, I can't think of anything else that's changed significantly since the new relief side opened in April 2013.

A load of S&C has been installed just north of Oxford Rd junction, for the new feeder line route to P11 and P12, but none of it is in use yet, and it isn't intended to be for another year or so.

Weren't the signal works roughly where the disused post office buildings were, i.e. north of the station? In which case once they are finished with their temporary use as site offices and storage they are to be sold on for re-development. They aren't part of the overall station project, they'll be dealt with separately through normal planning channels...

 

[TEW]

Now that Reading station has passed into Network Rail management, how long until the toilets are made chargeable?

Wouldn't really work as, AFAIK, all the platform islands will have their own individual toilet facilities. Not all have them yet whilst the work in ongoing.

 

[Kite159]

Wouldn't really work as, AFAIK, all the platform islands will have their own individual toilet facilities. Not all have them yet whilst the work in ongoing.

It was a joke, most of the Network rail managed stations have charging toilets (the only one I think doesn't is London Bridge on the platform loos)

 

[TEW]

Actually, now you mention London Bridge, they could have a similar set up at Reading if they wanted, with platform loos free but the ones on the concourse chargeable.

 

[HowardGWR]

Weren't the signal works roughly where the disused post office buildings were, i.e. north of the station? In which case once they are finished with their temporary use as site offices and storage they are to be sold on for re-development. They aren't part of the overall station project, they'll be dealt with separately through normal planning channels...

Thanks very much. The Signal Works main entrance was opposite the fire station in Caversham Road (if that's still there). From the works entrance, the works took up eastwards, IIRC, half the area from Caversham Road to Vastern Road, the most northern half was originally the goods mileage yard.

The last time I saw the web cam, the northern side of the station was still very unfinished, indeed with contractors' compound. As I recall the original plans, there was to be quite a splendid entrance for integrated connections to be made from Caversham Road. Perhaps I got that bit wrong.

 

[swt_passenger]

AFAIAA the present fenced off worksite immediately outside the north end of the new subway is already under Reading Borough Council (RBC) control, I think the intention is just to turn it into a wide open pedestrian and cyclist friendly space mostly of block paving etc, but it is only ever going to give access to the new bus and taxi stand area in the short term.

What it probably needs is the 'warehouse' style shops along the Vastern Rd frontage to be demolished and then re-started with a clean sheet of paper. I do think that's well outside NR's areas of responsibility though.

Same outside the new south entrance of the station really, everything is RBC's responsibility, in fact I was told last year that the ramps and steps giving access to the subway (i.e. those that are already built) were done on behalf of RBC by NR 's contractor to fit in with the overall design.

 

[Class 170101]

It was a joke, most of the Network rail managed stations have charging toilets (the only one I think doesn't is London Bridge on the platform loos)

Sheffield loos on platform at free, concourse ones are chargeable the last time I visited.

 

[Engineer]

My fading memory of the late 50's was that it was a single line non electrified link, under GWR to Reading Southern tracks. Will be nice to see special trains again at Reading when works finished. I did see Oliver Cromwell light engine on slow down, Friday 29th November 2013, bound for Bristol. Hasting Diesel Group set is favourite I have missed during station rebuilding. Nice 1 minute clip of this heritage DMU climbing Parkstone Bank on http://youtu.be/iv4k8BuBmyg

 

[swt_passenger]

Isn't P3 still closed for rebuilding? Prior to the works it was only used by a handful of XC trains each day.

Immediately prior to the works it was used by most of the Newcastle to Reading terminators, then once P7 was closed it became even busier, as quite a number of XC trains to or from Bournemouth or Southampton also reversed there.

However, it isn't really 'closed for rebuilding' as such at this stage, although they have renewed the edge copings and rebuilt the western extremity that didn't actually take very long. The main reason it has been out of use for so long (and will be for nearly another year) is that the track is disconnected outside the platform, and that's because there is no usable route into or out of the platform towards the Tilehurst direction.

In other words even if the track was connected (to the down Westbury route through P7) it would not be usable by XC, it would just be available as an additional 'Reading West' facing bay.

 

[Tio Terry]

For those of you who don't already know, the elevated railway to the west of Reading Station is due to come in to use over the Christmas period this year.
Before the track is laid over it there is a planned Charity Walk to be held over the viaduct, I don't know the date yet but it's a pay your £1 and take a walk over it and back job for anyone interested.

 

[Kite159]

Interesting

 

[Ironside]

So today the Queen officially opened the station extension. Congratulations to all that worked on it, it's a major improvement.

Anybody know what state the flyover is in? And is anybody in a position to take a photo of the flyover.

 

[Buttsy]

So today the Queen officially opened the station extension. Congratulations to all that worked on it, it's a major improvement.

Anybody know what state the flyover is in? And is anybody in a position to take a photo of the flyover.

The flyover is likely to be complete in the main in August as NR are looking to get onto it then to lay track and have it operational by Christmas.

 

[swtandgw]

Is there going to be any more OHLE activity on the west end of the station after the flyover is done?

 

[swt_passenger]

Anybody know what state the flyover is in? And is anybody in a position to take a photo of the flyover.

There's a recent video in this thread (taken late June) showing the then state of the flyover: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=103135

Is there going to be any more OHLE activity on the west end of the station after the flyover is done?

Handover for track laying on the flyover is imminent, as just posted by Buttsy.
But I think that further electrification gantries west of the station will probably not be installed until all the remaining track slews have been finished, there is quite a bit of rearrangement yet to be done, associated with the Festival and Feeder lines - the latter can't really be started until the mains have been diverted onto the flyover. Similarly, Reading West Jn will be seriously altered once the temporary mains have been removed. If I was running it, I'd leave the gantries till all that was done...

 

[furlong]

so today the queen officially opened the station extension.

 

[LexyBoy]

View attachment 18809

Oh that's what was behind the curtain. I thought maybe it was going to be Punch & Judy when I passed it this morning.

Did she also name the HOPS train? Now who can think of a suitable name for a train which drives its shaft in fifty times a night

 

[route:oxford]

View attachment 18809

I thought it had been broken already, then realised it's the shape of the building.

 

[341o2]

from todays national news flyover due to open 4 jan 2015 and will increase capacity of 4 trains per hour each way without often lengthy delays due to conflicting movements ie one train crossing the path of aother

 

[furlong]

did she also name the hops train? Now who can think of a suitable name for a train which drives its shaft in fifty times a night

 

[tsr]

I thought it had been broken already, then realised it's the shape of the building.

Nah, the bit that's chipped off is where the SWT logo should've gone...

 

[fgwrich]

I thought it had been broken already, then realised it's the shape of the building.

I thought the same while passing through Reading Station this evening too. And yet I still cannot muster up and attraction to the design of the place. It's c@rp, but that's for another thread.

 

[HowardGWR]

I thought the same while passing through Reading Station this evening too. And yet I still cannot muster up and attraction to the design of the place. It's c@rp, but that's for another thread.

I am not sure of that, is there another thread called 'The inadequacies of Reading station'?

I know the following is anecdotal but I experienced the following on two separate visits.

1. I was totally uncertain about where I had to go to reach the Basingstoke and Newbury bays from the new footbridge. I felt as though I was leaving the station, even though I didn't want to.
2, The other way around, arriving in the bays, I could not see any big enough displays about where I should go to get my connection. Having reached the area (not easily marked out from the bay), there was just a distant display and it was not obvious that I had to go back on myself and go up the intimidating escalators..
3. The loo's on the 'change' platforms, lovely as they are once accessed, are almost impossible to locate and have strange doors that don't look like doors.
4. The footbridge is an intimidating and soulless place. I would hate to be an elderly person using this station.

Am I alone here?

 

[gswindale]

I can relate to some of those observations.

Coming in from the Southern platforms, it does feel wrong to head towards another exit to go up the escalators to the new interchange - it seems like the chance to integrate the bay platforms was overlooked.

It is very angular with no "soft" features to create a more pleasant atmosphere. I would put that down to NR not wanting people to spend more time there than neccessary.

I will say though that it is a vast improvement on the old footbridge which was extremely cramped & not really fit for purpose anymore.

 

[swt_passenger]

I reckon if you used the station before the improvements and were able to find the west end bays OK then it is quite ridiculous to claim they are more difficult to find now...

 

[Ironside]

I reckon if you used the station before the improvements and were able to find the west end bays OK then it is quite ridiculous to claim they are more difficult to find now...

Quite, it's shorter and quicker now if you knew where you were going before. As for new passengers I can't comment as havent noticed or need new signs.

 

[David Goddard]

Coming in from the Theale direction a week ago, we looked at the East end of the flyover as we pulled into the station and were amazed at how much progress has been made in the past few weeks.