UK: Passenger trains began serving the new Reading Green Park station on the Reading to Basingstoke line on May 27, following an inauguration ceremony two days previously.
The station’s development was undertaken by Reading Borough Council, Network Rail and train operator Great Western Railway, with the council leading to secure approvals and funding and managing construction.
The station was designed by Arup, Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK was the main contractor, and Bourne Rail and Special Projects supplied steelwork.
The station has two 150 m platforms, a fully accessible building, a footbridge providing access to both platforms via stairs and lifts, a bus interchange, taxi rank and cycle parking facilities, and two car parks, including 12 blue badge spaces and drop-off parking and long-stay parking for commuters. There is a half-hourly service in each direction.
‘The new multimodal interchange will dramatically improve accessibility and connectivity to this important area of south Reading’, said Mayor Tony Page. ‘The future expansion of the business park and residential areas on Green Park, as well as the proposed Royal Elm Park mixed use development, will all benefit from the new station. It will also be another option for football fans heading to the stadium on match days, again taking the pressure off our busy local roads.’
GWR is open two further stations at Portway Park & Ride in Bristol and Marsh Barton in Exeter later this year.
| Reading Green Park station funding | |
|---|---|
| Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund | £9·15m and £0·55m |
| Section 106 developer contributions | £5·6m |
| Department for Transport | £2·3m |
| Government New Stations Fund | £2·477m |
| Total | £20·077m |
| GWR also provided additional funding of £1·25m | |
