Reading's new world-class railway station sets a UK benchmark Available to Purchase

This summer will see the completion of a near £1 billion project to transform Reading railway station into a modern, world-class facility. First built by Brunel in 1840, it is now the second busiest interchange station outside London with 45 000 passengers each day. The station's 15 new and refurbished platforms are now fed by a comprehensively re-engineered track layout. This has significantly reduced delays, doubled capacity and removed Reading as the major bottleneck on the rail network west of London. This paper describes the construction works within the station area, including a vast, new 2400 t passenger transfer deck. All works were undertaken while the station remained operational, leading to some innovative engineering solutions that have set a precedent for other UK stations.