Green park station/south Reading station

[Elm Park]

They'll have to build a siding if they want to run a regular shuttle.

Which, in the original plans, they aren't going to do. The only trains will be those going to/from Basingstoke, so if we are lucky every half hour.
No idea, however, if they plan to increase the number of carriages on the train for match days

[Green]

If there's one thing I've learnt about train companies, it's that they seem to derive some kind of perverse pleasure in running as few carriages as possible (probably as few as they're contractually obliged to) So when travelling off peak you're as crammed in as in the rush hour on some routes.

So basically I doubt it. Most likely scenario is that trains won't stop at all at GP on matchdays. Although if they started running at 7 or something it might allow for a few pints in the hotel then heading back into town and still avoiding the smug pcunts on Reading Buses.

[Wimb]

If there's one thing I've learnt about train companies, it's that they seem to derive some kind of perverse pleasure in running as few carriages as possible (probably as few as they're contractually obliged to) So when travelling off peak you're as crammed in as in the rush hour on some routes.

So basically I doubt it. Most likely scenario is that trains won't stop at all at GP on matchdays. Although if they started running at 7 or something it might allow for a few pints in the hotel then heading back into town and still avoiding the smug pcunts on Reading Buses.

Haven't Brighton faced the same problems at Falmer?

[Dave the rave]

But main streets still all cracked and broken.

Sorry, Si, the mob has spoken.

[Cureton's Volley]

If there's one thing I've learnt about train companies, it's that they seem to derive some kind of perverse pleasure in running as few carriages as possible (probably as few as they're contractually obliged to) So when travelling off peak you're as crammed in as in the rush hour on some routes.

So basically I doubt it. Most likely scenario is that trains won't stop at all at GP on matchdays. Although if they started running at 7 or something it might allow for a few pints in the hotel then heading back into town and still avoiding the smug pcunts on Reading Buses.

Haven't Brighton faced the same problems at Falmer?

Falmer station has always run 4 trains per hour in either direction, and the arrival the stadium did nothing too alter this. The only changes have been redevelopment of the platforms, entrances/exits and a new footbridge which is much bigger to accommodate more people at one time. The length of trains does appear to be unrelated to the occurrence of football. This can result in a bottleneck for fans waiting to travel by train between Brighton & Falmer before and after the game.

In the case of Green Park I would expect it to be a case of 'business as usual' regardless of football.There are two trains per hour on the line between Reading and Basingstoke currently which stop at every station.

[Wimb]

Cheers CV,

Do remember fans moaning about the train service, can't imagine we'd have much different at Reading. Still, any extra options are welcome, something is better than nothing!

[Green]

Yeh and ultimately if people end up queuing for the trains then you'd think it's because they're still preferable to the bus shambles (which guess what, you have to queue for)

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

In the case of Green Park I would expect it to be a case of 'business as usual' regardless of football.There are two trains per hour on the line between Reading and Basingstoke currently which stop at every station.

Hang on Wizzy says it depends on the fast trains, are there no fast trains on this track then? Just slow ones at 2 per hour?

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Ah there is a third train per hour, whoopy do, is it me or would it make a better road!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_to ... stoke_Line

[Cureton's Volley]

In the case of Green Park I would expect it to be a case of 'business as usual' regardless of football.There are two trains per hour on the line between Reading and Basingstoke currently which stop at every station.

Hang on Wizzy says it depends on the fast trains, are there no fast trains on this track then? Just slow ones at 2 per hour?

I can see how this might impact the ability to run a shuttle service, but fail to see it having a big impact if the BAU trains add an extra stop between Reading and Mortimer for travelling in either direction. This would only take up an additional 10 minutes of capacity on that line per hour, leaving plenty spare for the odd fast train which may need to use the line.

[handbags_harris]

In the case of Green Park I would expect it to be a case of 'business as usual' regardless of football.There are two trains per hour on the line between Reading and Basingstoke currently which stop at every station.

Hang on Wizzy says it depends on the fast trains, are there no fast trains on this track then? Just slow ones at 2 per hour?

Reading to Basingstoke is actually a fairly busy line. In addition to the three stoppers FGW stoppers there are numerous freight services (mainly container trains to and from Southampton) as well as the two CrossCountry services to and from Poole/Bournemouth/Southampton. If you stopped on Mortimer station for an hour example, I'd expect to see an average of between 7 and 10 trains an hour...

[Magic Hat]

What's the going rate for stations then?

And to make it comparable I mean new halts only, not something like the refurb of Reading Station.

If you're interested:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-144-million-railway-station-to-be-built-in-devon

Newcourt, Devon - £1.5 million
"new platform and shelter, ticket machine, secure cycle parking and CCTV"

Ilkeston, Derbyshire - £6.5 million
"two platforms sufficient to accommodate trains up to 6 passenger cars, 150 space car park, new footbridge."

Lea Bridge, London Borough of Waltham Forest - £6.5 million
"two platforms, a new footbridge and lifts, station canopy"

Pye Corner, Newport - £3.5 million
"single platform & 70 space car park"

[Norfolk Royal]

In the case of Green Park I would expect it to be a case of 'business as usual' regardless of football.There are two trains per hour on the line between Reading and Basingstoke currently which stop at every station.

Hang on Wizzy says it depends on the fast trains, are there no fast trains on this track then? Just slow ones at 2 per hour?

I can see how this might impact the ability to run a shuttle service, but fail to see it having a big impact if the BAU trains add an extra stop between Reading and Mortimer for travelling in either direction. This would only take up an additional 10 minutes of capacity on that line per hour, leaving plenty spare for the odd fast train which may need to use the line.

Mortimer is in Reading though.

[ZacNaloen]

What's the going rate for stations then?

And to make it comparable I mean new halts only, not something like the refurb of Reading Station.

If you're interested:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-144-million-railway-station-to-be-built-in-devon

Newcourt, Devon - £1.5 million
"new platform and shelter, ticket machine, secure cycle parking and CCTV"

Ilkeston, Derbyshire - £6.5 million
"two platforms sufficient to accommodate trains up to 6 passenger cars, 150 space car park, new footbridge."

Lea Bridge, London Borough of Waltham Forest - £6.5 million
"two platforms, a new footbridge and lifts, station canopy"

Pye Corner, Newport - £3.5 million
"single platform & 70 space car park"

It's an expensive station then, maybe they are planning a siding

[Green]

What's the going rate for stations then?

And to make it comparable I mean new halts only, not something like the refurb of Reading Station.

If you're interested:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-144-million-railway-station-to-be-built-in-devon

Newcourt, Devon - £1.5 million
"new platform and shelter, ticket machine, secure cycle parking and CCTV"

Ilkeston, Derbyshire - £6.5 million
"two platforms sufficient to accommodate trains up to 6 passenger cars, 150 space car park, new footbridge."

Lea Bridge, London Borough of Waltham Forest - £6.5 million
"two platforms, a new footbridge and lifts, station canopy"

Pye Corner, Newport - £3.5 million
"single platform & 70 space car park"

Superb - thanks MH.

It's certainly top end then.

[southbank1871]

Gr8 nobbing from Magic Hat.

[Green]

He's my new favourite nobber.

[Upper West Ginger]

This has all the hallmarks of a decision taken by local planners without bothering to speak to the railway operators. Kind of "If we build a station, of course the trains will stop there".

The pathing of the trains between Basingstoke and Reading is actually quite difficult. The way the timetable is constructed at the moment, the local trains take 24 minutes Reading to Newbury then turn round in 6 minutes and take 24 minutes back again. So 2 trains can form a half-hourly shuttle service all day long, which is highly productive. If slowing down to a stop at Green Park, waiting for a minimum of 1 minute, and accelerating again costs (say) 4 minutes total, then the whole system collapses, since your end-to-end journey time has become 28 minutes, and you cannot reliabkly turn round the train in 2 minutes at Reading or Basingstoke every half hour. So you have to buy a new train and re-jig the timetable, just to add one more stop. (Or wait for the route to be electrified and get trains with faster acceleration so the end-to-end journey times can be maintained despite the extra stop). I bet none of that has been factored in to the station cost proposals.

Then there is the issue of how to fit the stopping train in amongst the other services. Currently the stopper from Basingstoke arrives at Reading just 3 minutes ahead of the Cross Country from the south coast to Newcastle or Manchester. Delaying or retiming the Cross Country service would have ramifications across much of the rail network. The route from Basingstoke also has to mesh in with the line from Newbury (and the West Country) to Reading from Southcote Junction.

So if the intention is for the station to serve the commuters of Green Park then it might be possible once the route is electrified. If the idea is that there will be the capability of moving thousands of football fans before and after the match, forget it.

The local planners need to speak to Network Rail and the DfT to understand what is possible before committing themselves to something that ultimately cannot be delivered.

[Green]

Maybe the trains can just go a bit faster, make up the four minutes en route

Seriously though, good post uwg, but none of that sounds insurmountable to me, and it'd be a shame not to invest in and improve the railway infrastructure just because a few logistic issues have to be sorted.

[Upper West Ginger]

Yes, by electrifying the route you could run the trains faster, then use the time saved to stop at Green Park. When putting together the business case for electrification, one of the main benefits will be "reduced journey times". So conversely if you build a new station you are slowing down the journey for everybody else, (such as travellers from Reading to Mortimer, Bramley, or Basingstoke). Therefore your business case for building the station must also take into account the disbenefit occasioned to those passengers, in the form of longer journey times.

I'm all in favour of investment in railway infrastructure, but the process for undertaking it must be rigorous and thorough. I'm still not convinced this is anything but a town-planner's pipe-dream at the moment.