Revamped Reading West weeks away from being finished

THE revamped Reading West upgrade is now weeks away from being finished, writes James Aldridge, local democracy reporter.

The railway station has, until now, been accessed from stairs and ramps from entry and exits at Oxford Road and a single point at Tilehurst Road.

Under the revamp, there will be a new station building on Oxford Road, which will house ticket purchasing facilities and retail outlet.

Towards the end of last year, work was completed on establishing ticket gating on the Tilehurst Road side of the station.

The entrance was closed in September, and was meant to reopen in November, but wet weather delayed this to December.

The station upgrade, being undertaken by the Great Western Railway (GWR), will not lead to an increase in train capacity at the station.

“The improvements are designed to create a much safer and more welcoming environment,” said a spokesperson.

“Ticket gates on both sides of the station will allow ticket holders access to the platforms. Other improvements include enhanced CCTV coverage and lighting.”

Accessibility groups have criticised the lack of disabled access despite the upgrade. GWR say that when a station is not accessible, its standard policy is to arrange for a taxi to take people to the nearest accessible station and provide them with alternative transport back.

“We also have a mobile assistance team for customers who require help, who can come and meet them at the station and assist them with their journey,” the spokesperson said.

Tom Pierpoint, GWR Business Development Portfolio Director, was pleased with the progress.

“It has been exciting to see the new building on the Oxford Road side of the station taking shape at such a rapid pace,” he said. “We continue to work closely with Reading Borough Council and Network Rail to deliver this transformation and we hope customers will be pleased with the results when the new-look station is completed.”

Reading West Station serves GWR trains running on the Reading to Taunton and Reading to Basingstoke lines.