Reading station upgrade

[shinkansen1966]

About once every 1-2 months, I use Reading station, almost always to change trains. So I'm following the current £850 million upgrade plan with interest.
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/6339.aspx

From what I understand, Reading is to get at least 5 new through platforms. There's already a new platform opened for trains on the line to Waterloo / Guildford lines. My own experience of Reading is that it's busy and you often wait for a platform to become available. I've lost count of the numbers of times I've been on a train coming in on the Berks & Hants line only to wait just west of the station for a platform.

The Network Rail web site is short on specifics as to how the additional platforms and new grade separated approaches will be used. I wonder if anyone has some more specific information or diagrams.

 

[Eagle]

From Wikipedia:

The pink and blue bits are not changed (apart from the disuse of the west-facing bay that used to be P7); the green and yellow bits are alterations that have already opened as of December, and the new red bits are starting construction soon and will open in the next couple years. Also current P16/old P6 isn't planned to be a permanent feature.

 

[NSEFAN]

Here's a more comprehensive diagram:

As Eagle has stated, the single bays will not be in the final design, which is why 6 has been renumbered to 16.

Effectively, what is now platform 7 (was 4) will be for down Westbury / XC services. The other current through platforms will be dedicated to up/down fast services, with platform 11 also being used for up Westbury trains. The slow lines will gain 4 brand new platforms.

 

[Schnellzug]

it's not often you see something as comprehensive as that if it's not a Prestigious new High Speed Line or something to do with the Olympics. Wherever are they getting the money from for all that?
It always was a notorious bottleneck, you always used to have to wait for at least 10 minutes on a CrossCountry train coming off the Reading West line to get across every single line in order to get to plat 8 or 9.

 

[Eagle]

Wherever are they getting the money from for all that?

It's costing £400m (at least it was when they announced it three or four years ago) so each of the 27 million taxpayers in this country is chipping in about £15.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Nice diagram, but the way it looks XC will still foul the main line arriving from Didcot (UR) and departing to Basingstoke.
Surprised there is not a non-conflicting route into new p7.
It would be clearer if the signalling directions were shown.

Wiki is wrong for "dedicated cross-country platform" p7, it only shows an eastern link towards Wokingham.

 

[Eagle]

Nice diagram, but the way it looks XC will still foul the main line arriving from Didcot (UR) and departing to Basingstoke.

What? It would go from the up relief (at the points marked HW) and follow the turquoise line under the mains and into P7 (at the points marked ZF); that doesn't touch the mains (green) at any point.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

What? It would go from the up relief (at the points marked HW) and follow the turquoise line under the mains and into P7 (at the points marked ZF); that doesn't touch the mains (green) at any point.

Sorry I meant arriving via UM.
Not a problem on UR, as you say.
I used to live in Reading but find it hard to visualise some of the changes.
Fancy not having to queue for ages at Cow Lane underpass lights!

 

[Eagle]

Sorry I meant arriving via UM.

In that case it can always switch onto the reliefs at Tilehurst East junction and use the diveunder.

 

[shinkansen1966]

Effectively, what is now platform 7 (was 4) will be for down Westbury / XC services. The other current through platforms will be dedicated to up/down fast services, with platform 11 also being used for up Westbury trains. The slow lines will gain 4 brand new platforms.

Thanks for the diagram. This makes sense now.

I'm looking at the diagram and the two circled phases together with Network Rail's Reading station upgrade timeline http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/9126.aspx

Phase 1 will be completed next year ? Phase 2 in 2015 ?

With phase 1 comes the new through platforms. Between now and next year, looks like they'll have to be some track alterations both east and west of the station so trains can make use of the new platforms.

 

[OliverS]

Sorry I meant arriving via UM.
Not a problem on UR, as you say.
I used to live in Reading but find it hard to visualise some of the changes.
Fancy not having to queue for ages at Cow Lane underpass lights!

Can't it use Platform 11 and, assuming the signalling allows, reverse past XX, YF then under the mains and down to NH & possibly NG? It does depend on whether the new line is reversible.

 

[Eagle]

Can't it use Platform 11 and, assuming the signalling allows, reverse past XX, YF then under the mains and down to NH & possibly NG? It does depend on whether the new line is reversible.

That's wrong-way running under the mains; the pink line into platform 11 is an up line (meant for longer-distance services from the Westcountry). Of course it might end up being signalled bidirectionally, but being as it would end up on the wrong side at Reading West (follow it on the diagram and you'll see it would end up at point NA, not NB) I think it isn't bidi.

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks for the diagram. This makes sense now.

I'm looking at the diagram and the two circled phases together with Network Rail's Reading station upgrade timeline http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/9126.aspx

Phase 1 will be completed next year ? Phase 2 in 2015 ?

With phase 1 comes the new through platforms. Between now and next year, looks like they'll have to be some track alterations both east and west of the station so trains can make use of the new platforms.

The relief line platforms can be built quickly because they are all outside the current operating railway. The actual slewing over and connections of the relief lines into the new platform lines will apparently be done in one 'big bang' blockade at Easter 2013.

That Wikipedia drawing that Eagle links to above is pretty hopeless when it comes to the relief line layout - especially in the way the wiki author shows all four of the reliefs joining the P10 up line! About the only thing it is useful for is the new platform numbers... An earlier version of that drawing had the four purple lines set out with P8 and P10 down lines, and P9 and P11 up lines, which was even worse...

 

[OliverS]

That's wrong-way running under the mains; the pink line into platform 11 is an up line (meant for longer-distance services from the Westcountry). Of course it might end up being signalled bidirectionally, but being as it would end up on the wrong side at Reading West (follow it on the diagram and you'll see it would end up at point NA, not NB) I think it isn't bidi.

That is why I wasn't sure, but then the pink link from NH to NG (just after the Cow Lane bridge on the west curve) can really be only used for a down move can't it? That would get you to NB, via a line marked as freight I admit.

Actually I can see that you could go ND, NE, NF, NG to NH but it would presumably only be used when NC-NH was unavailable.

 

[Eagle]

That is why I wasn't sure, but then the pink link from NH to NG (just after the Cow Lane bridge on the west curve) can really be only used for a down move can't it? That would get you to NB, via a line marked as freight I admit.

Ah yes I see, I misread NE as a crossover rather than a set of points.

 

[HSTEd]

Will this involve preparations for dual electrification of atleast the dedicated "CrossCountry" platform to allow through operation of dual voltage electric multiple units or locomotives?

This is particular interest to the ongoing thread about the future of the sleepers.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Will this involve preparations for dual electrification of atleast the dedicated "CrossCountry" platform to allow through operation of dual voltage electric multiple units or locomotives?

This is particular interest to the ongoing thread about the future of the sleepers.

I doubt it, I dont think they would spend the money on something that is a big maybe for the furture.

 

[HSTEd]

I doubt it, I dont think they would spend the money on something that is a big maybe for the furture.

Well the electrification work is going ahead, and if nothing else it provides a nice freight connection, so I can't see how the work neccesary to dual electrify atleast one platform would be wasted.

 

[swt_passenger]

Wiki is wrong for "dedicated cross-country platform" p7, it only shows an eastern link towards Wokingham.

It certainly is, especially as he suggests that P7 is not accessible from the down main - which is contrary to all other info available. The more accurate drawing suggests that the odd XC train heading towards Wokingham (and Guildford) would almost certainly use the relief lines and the eastern underpass. If that wasn't available for some reason another possible path would then be platform 10 or 11 and over the flat crossing east of the station.

At one of the public exhibitions about the scheme I was told that every line will be bi-directional - this is the current policy for all major stations and junction areas.

Also, the various lines on the detailed drawing shown as 'freight' are all signalled as passenger lines.

The line designations as XC, freight, Westburys etc is all about primary use and with no timetable perturbations. It will however be just as easy to reverse XC terminating or through (reversing) services in the relief side platforms, depending on what they decide to do when the standard platforming for the service patterns in use at the time are all worked out...

 

[OliverS]

Well the electrification work is going ahead, and if nothing else it provides a nice freight connection, so I can't see how the work neccesary to dual electrify atleast one platform would be wasted.

AFAIK dual voltages adds cost as various things get more complicated, like track circuits. I know it is better (for passengers at least) if the voltage change is at a platform but couldn't you just dual electrify the reinstated eastern underpass & the link from the Waterloo lines to the mains? Then the main station remains exclusively OHLE and the dedicated Waterloo platforms are exclusively DC.

 

[swt_passenger]

Will this involve preparations for dual electrification of atleast the dedicated "CrossCountry" platform to allow through operation of dual voltage electric multiple units or locomotives?

There is no 'dedicated XC platform' - Wiki is wrong on that.

In any case, XC's route east of Reading isn't electrified once it takes the Guildford route at Wokingham. Nevertheless it is intended to have a third rail supply through the eastern underpass and into at least one of the relief side platforms.

 

[Eagle]

There is no 'dedicated XC platform' - Wiki is wrong on that.

In any case, XC's route east of Reading isn't electrified once it takes the Guildford route at Wokingham. Nevertheless it is intended to have a third rail supply through the eastern underpass and into at least one of the relief side platforms.

I think HSTEd was referring to running services from Waterloo onto the GWML (such as the Night Riviera, with a loco swap at Bristol), rather than XC services.

 

[swt_passenger]

This is particular interest to the ongoing thread about the future of the sleepers.

Well it would be relevant if there was any shred of evidence at all for all the speculation in that thread.

 

[HSTEd]

Well it would be relevant if there was any shred of evidence at all for all the speculation in that thread.

I was giving an example of a possible use of such a connection.
Freight would undoubtedly make far more use of it, additionally with the advances in audio frequency track circuits that are resistant to both stray DC and stray AC currents thanks to the advances in DSP equipment in recent times, such track circuits are not as prohibitively expensive as they once were.

So it would seem reasonable that they would take advantage of the occasion of the resignalling of the entire GWML to install such equipment.

Additionally this would enable Waterloo line services to access the relief line platforms which I believe would be rather useful from a service flexibility point of view.

 

[swt_passenger]

I think HSTEd was referring to running services from Waterloo onto the GWML (such as the Night Riviera, with a loco swap at Bristol), rather than XC services.

Yes I understood that. But the small number of XC services east of Reading do actually appear in the real world, the sleeper stuff is pure speculation. One aspect no-one has mentioned in the 'sleeper' thread is that there are significant infrastructure limitations on running Mk3s through stations such as Ascot - for regular use a number of platforms would have to be rebuilt.

 

[Eagle]

Freight would undoubtedly make far more use of it...

Does any freight actually use the Windsor lines at Reading and go to an electrified destination?

I did a quick search and there are no freight movements currently booked via Bracknell.

 

[judethegreat]

Does any freight actually use the Windsor lines at Reading and go to an electrified destination?

I did a quick search and there are no freight movements currently booked via Bracknell.

Future electrification of the Basingstoke and North Downs lines? Sorry, back to sleep again...

 

[swt_passenger]

I was giving an example of a possible use of such a connection.
Freight would undoubtedly make far more use of it, additionally with the advances in audio frequency track circuits that are resistant to both stray DC and stray AC currents thanks to the advances in DSP equipment in recent times, such track circuits are not as prohibitively expensive as they once were.

So it would seem reasonable that they would take advantage of the occasion of the resignalling of the entire GWML to install such equipment.

Additionally this would enable Waterloo line services to access the relief line platforms which I believe would be rather useful from a service flexibility point of view.

There will be a dual voltage connection, as I pointed out above.

However I wouldn't go as far as 'freight would undoubtedly make far more use of it'. Unless the whole orbital freight route (via Redhill/Guildford for instance) is also electrified is there any real likelihood of freight flows being diverted from the Southeast of London to the Midlands via the 'Southern routes' into Reading?

 

[shinkansen1966]

The relief line platforms can be built quickly because they are all outside the current operating railway. The actual slewing over and connections of the relief lines into the new platform lines will apparently be done in one 'big bang' blockade at Easter 2013.

So after Easter 2013, we really can expect to benefit from additional capacity and new platforms.

As a periodic user of Reading station, I can see the main change will be the separation of trains:

• Berks & Hants / Basingstoke trains will all leave from plat 7.
• Bristol / Oxford / and beyond fast trains will go from island platform 8/9.
• fast London trains will go from island platform 10/11.
• all slow trains from plat 12-15. (it looks like these new plat 12-15 will be shorter).

Before the works are fully complete, looks like trains up from the West Counrty fast to London will use plat 7. Between 2013-2015, I don't see how these trains will access the fast London bound island platform 10/11.

That Wikipedia drawing that Eagle links to above is pretty hopeless when it comes to the relief line layout .

Which is why I was hoping someone might come up with a clear explanation !

 

[Eagle]

Berks & Hants / Basingstoke trains will all leave from plat 7.

Basingstoke and Newbury stoppers start from Reading, of course, and will continue to use P1–3. But yes, through services will be on P7.