Travel disruption over Christmas
Published 23 Dec 2010 11:00
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COMMUTERS and travellers will face severe disruption when Reading Station and its tracks shut for major engineering work from Christmas Day until Monday, January 3.
The closure signals the next phase of the station's multi million pound upgrade, with engineers switching signalling from Reading to a high-tech control centre in Didcot. A 1,000 tonne bridge will also be lifted into place over Caversham Road to carry trains to new platforms.
Caversham Road will be closed between Tudor Road and Vastern Road roundabout from 8pm on Thursday, December 30, until 6am on Monday, January 3, while a 1,000 tonne transportation platform with more than 270 wheels lifts the new bridge into place.
The scheme will iron out bottlenecks and enable more trains to pass through the station. The work will cause major disruption for travellers.
First Great Western passengers to Paddington will have to use replacement buses between Theale and Slough, calling at all railway stations along the route.
There are also buses to Didcot Parkway from Twyford, while South West Trains passengers heading to and from London Waterloo must use a rail replacement bus between Reading and Wokingham.
Long distance trains will avoid Reading completely, with some being diverted to Waterloo.
First Great Western tickets will be valid on South West Trains, allowing passengers to find alternative routes in and out of London Waterloo.
The closure excludes New Year's Eve, when a Bank Holiday service will operate, with additional trains from London. No services at all will run on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
First Great Western managing director Mark Hopwood said: "Customers planning to travel during the Christmas period should check their journey details via the First Great Western website before travelling
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 23 Dec 10
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