Major Milestone Reached for Reading West Station Transformation

A MAJOR milestone in the transformation of Reading West Station has been reached with the Council handing over the site to Great Western Railway (GWR) ahead of the next phase of work, which will see construction of the brand new station building begin.

Reading Borough Council is working in partnership with GWR and Network Rail on a £3.3 million project to transform Reading West. A new station building on the Oxford Road forms the centrepiece of the improvements, which also include new ticket gates at the Tilehurst Road and Oxford Road entrances, new toilets and a retail facility, all of which will significantly improve safety and security at the station which has been blighted by anti-social behaviour in the past.

A new bus interchange and improved cycle parking also form part of the scheme, as do improvements to the Tilehurst Road entrance.

The Council has now completed its element of preparatory work. This includes the realignment of the highway to provide space for the new station building, alterations and improvements to the transport interchange on the north side of the Oxford Road and resurfacing of the footway on the north side and the highway. There has also been an extensive effort working with utility companies, including British Telecom, SSE and Virgin Media, to divert existing utility services away from the station.

The next phase will now see GWR’s contractor, Nationwide Rail, take over the site and begin digging foundations for what will be the new station building ticket hall.

Throughout this phase of work there will be a full pavement closure on the southern side of the Oxford Road, where the work is taking place. Pedestrians will be diverted to the northern side of the Oxford Road via two signalised crossings on either side to ensure people can cross safely.

Pedestrian access to both platforms 1 and 2 will be fully maintained from the Oxford Road. The west-bound bus stop has been relocated further along Oxford Road, near to Western Elms Avenue. The eastbound bus stop, towards the town centre, remains in service. The Council is not anticipating any long periods of traffic lane closures as part of these works.

Part of the upgrade work will be a new ticket gate-line at the access to platform 1, from Tilehurst Road, at the top of the ramp, which will also be delivered by GWR’s contractors. New ticket gates at both the Tilehurst Road and Oxford Road entrances will mean access to the station is limited to paying passengers only, currently not the case, which will improve safety at the station.

GWR’s latest estimate for completion is early in 2023.

Tony Page, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:

 “With the Council’s preparatory works now complete, physical work on the modern new station building and ticket hall will begin imminently, which is where local residents and regular users of Reading West will really begin to see a difference.

 “Those same people will of course be all too familiar with the regular instances of anti-social behaviour which have blighted the station over many years. This project will deliver a much safer station environment through its design and day to day operation, which includes new ticket gates to limit access to the station to paying customers, new lighting, CCTV, toilets, a retail facility and better waiting areas.

 “There will of course continue to be some continued disruption to pedestrians as GWR’s element of the works progress, with the full closure of the pavement on the south side of the Oxford Road. We would ask people to bear with us as the new station building is constructed.

 “I’m also pleased to say that the open trench, which was used to divert various utilities away from the new station building, will be positioned behind hoardings in the GWR construction zone going forward, and the pavement next to the entrance of platform 1 will be reinstated, which I am sure will be welcomed by residents living in the vicinity.”

 Ed Goose, Regional Growth Manager East at GWR, said:

“We are delighted to be progressing to this next stage at Reading West.  We work very closely with Reading Borough Council and it is great to see this partnership working delivering for both our customers and for our neighbours.”