 |
| GWR 387 157 waits at Reading |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Type: | National Rail (Great Western Main Line and others) |
| Station code: | RDG |
| Opened: | 1840 |
| Platforms: | 15 |
The station was originally opened by the Great Western Railway in 1840 [1] and was the a terminus of the Great Western Main Line for a few months until the line was continued onto Bristol.
The station was renamed Reading General in 1949 to distinguish it from Reading Southern however the name reverted back to Reading when the other station closed and was merged into Reading General in the early 1970s. Reading now hosts services that are diesel, AC and DC electric powered.
The station has had a number of redevelopments over the years, the latest was finished in 2014, this added five new platforms, new footbridges and access routes and some track layout modifications including flyovers to try and alleviate the bottleneck the station had become by the 2000s.
Over sixteen million people use Reading per annum on services operated by Great Western Railway, Cross Country and South Western Railway with AC electric, DC electric and diesel engines providing the power. Reading has also become the Western terminus of the Crossrail Elizabeth Line.
The station was renamed Reading General in 1949 to distinguish it from Reading Southern however the name reverted back to Reading when the other station closed and was merged into Reading General in the early 1970s. Reading now hosts services that are diesel, AC and DC electric powered.
The station has had a number of redevelopments over the years, the latest was finished in 2014, this added five new platforms, new footbridges and access routes and some track layout modifications including flyovers to try and alleviate the bottleneck the station had become by the 2000s.
Over sixteen million people use Reading per annum on services operated by Great Western Railway, Cross Country and South Western Railway with AC electric, DC electric and diesel engines providing the power. Reading has also become the Western terminus of the Crossrail Elizabeth Line.
 |
| 450 083 (in SWT days) arrives with a service from London Waterloo |
 |
| GWR 165 104 at Reading |
 |
| GWR 802 109 arrives with an express |
 |
| A Cross Country service arrives at Reading |
 |
| GWR 166 202 prepares to head down the North Downs Line |
[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Reading to Guildford (Middleton Press, 1988) p. 2
