Reading Station

[96tommy]

I am going to Reading hopefully next Friday. I have never been before but I wanted to know what trains go there and how much freight goes through.

Thank You

 

[fgwoll1e]

Turbos, Voyagers, HSTs, Junipers you may see Desiros depending on what SWT are using on the Reading - Waterloo line.

Reading does have it's fair share of freight passing through too

 

[mawallace]

Go to my website http://markwallace.fotopic.net/ and do a search on reading to see some of the pictures I have taken there over the years.

 

[Drsatan]

If you want to see Freightliner trains heading to Southampton go to Reading West station. This is because they take the Reading West curve which avoids Reading station.

 

[96tommy]

Thanks for the information!! What is the freight mostly I will be staying there around 2/3 hours 12-14:30, do you think at least one will go through

 

[thefab444]

Between one and three.

 

[Metroland]

The Southampton bound freightliners go round the curve the other side of the station almost out of view, you'd have to see them at Tilehurst to get anywhere near them.

 

[kestrel]

Thanks for the information!! What is the freight mostly I will be staying there around 2/3 hours 12-14:30, do you think at least one will go through

Head for Reading West, always good about that time for FLi's plus you'll get all the usual HST/Turbo/Voyagers and some 59's

For food drink etc there's a mac's next to the stn

 

[96tommy]

Between one and three.

What wil these likely to be?? If you have got the times of them that would be great

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

Just remember to take precautions like a stab vest. Reading West is in a less than salubrious area, where druggies & robberies are common.

 

[LE Greys]

Usually expect one Merehead-Acton stone train coming up from the Berks & Hants. They sometimes do a big crossover move onto the up relief, which blocks the down main for five minutes and probably explains why they want to put in a diveunder. The empties go back the other way (naturally). Either should produce a 59.

 

[GearJammer]

Just remember to take precautions like a stab vest. Reading West is in a less than salubrious area, where druggies & robberies are common.

For that reason alone i would avoid Reading West, its not worth it for a few Freightliners and i should imagine it gets a tedious between trains, where as at Reading itself theres always something going on to keep you amused but it depends what you want to see, if you want the Freightliners then if i were you i'd go to Didcot, if you don't mind missing them then stay at Reading itself and enjoy the stone trains and the HST's!

 

[thefab444]

Yes, I believe an enthusiast was mugged at Reading West a year or two ago.

 

[TGV]

I'd suggest this - stay at Reading for a half hour or so and see what you see. Then jump on a Basingstoke service (Either Cross Country or GW), it only takes 20 minutes or so. Once at Basingstoke, you'll see a whole lot of other stuff including... your Freight services crossing over the SWML en route to/from Southampton. Then once you've seen one, jump back on a Reading train and jobsagoodun.

B'stoke station has loads of services too - coffee, restaurants, WHSmith, etc.... much better choice than Reading West.