Green park station/south Reading station

[Clyde1998]

Regarding the train service, I've only travelled to a game once via Green Park station (Swindon), but travelled at least five times to get home from football matches (Trophy games; FA Youth Cup; nothing in the league IIRC).

Can't really complain, although would like to see additional trains/carriages put on for football matches. Because I live in West Berks, I have to change at Reading West to actually get home and the synchronisation of trains can be problematic - especially as there's half the amount of trains going to Newbury (from Reading) as there is to Basingstoke after ~20:00 for whatever reason (which is roughly when the bus service back to Newbury stops).

That said, it does mean it's easier to get to lower attendance games where there isn't a football bus running.

For the last FA Youth Cup game, the trains towards Reading were cancelled at short notice until after 23:00, so had to get a bus back into Reading and get a replacement bus service from Reading station.

[Green]

Can you/would you drive, Clyde?

Your commitment to public transport is laudable but sounds like a PITA - especially for the lower attendance games you reference.

[Clyde1998]

Can you/would you drive, Clyde?

Your commitment to public transport is laudable but sounds like a PITA - especially for the lower attendance games you reference.

I'm not able to drive for medical reasons atm, so have to make the most of public transport to get places. Luckily most of the time I'm using public transport, it's within my local area or to go to central Reading; going to football is the only time I regularly go elsewhere. Everything else is ad hoc.

Driving to get to the ground would be significantly better for the lower attendance games, as I'd be able to park at the ground and not have to take detours into central Reading like with regular public transport services. It would be around 30 minutes by car (on a clear run); it's around an hour by football bus (which goes directly to the ground) and around an hour and a half by standard public transport to get to the ground. In practice, I wouldn't park directly at the ground due to cost and traffic around the stadium; parking away from the ground would probably be about the same time as the football bus.

It can be problematic when you're dependant on public transport to get around, as you're at the whim of the service's availability and it doesn't necessarily line up well when you have to switch between services. When it's all running, it's acceptable; the problem is it's often not been running properly over the past couple of years (especially the rail side of things).

[windermereROYAL]

West Reading station closed today due to an `incident` for anybody thinking of choosing this route from Reading.

[Clyde1998]

West Reading station closed today due to an `incident` for anybody thinking of choosing this route from Reading.

Looks like it's just a temporary issue. Things should be back to normal by 13:00 - https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service- ... -20240309/

[Brogue]

1 year anniversary just passed 160k passengers used the station in the last year. Much more than expected.

[Green]

1 year anniversary just passed 160k passengers used the station in the last year. Much more than expected.

Build it and they will come

[Tinpot Royal]

1 year anniversary just passed 160k passengers used the station in the last year. Much more than expected.

I come into Reading from Basingstoke a couple of times a week & the station has got steadily busier as the year has gone on

[Green]

1 year anniversary just passed 160k passengers used the station in the last year. Much more than expected.

I come into Reading from Basingstoke a couple of times a week & the station has got steadily busier as the year has gone on

Are people using it as a park and ride or is it down to increasing house building in the area?

Put it this way - how full is the car park?

[Tinpot Royal]

You can't really see the car park from the left hand side so I'm not sure on that one

[St Pauli]

You can't really see the car park from the left hand side so I'm not sure on that one

Have you tried sitting on the right hand side?

[Clyde1998]

1 year anniversary just passed 160k passengers used the station in the last year. Much more than expected.

I come into Reading from Basingstoke a couple of times a week & the station has got steadily busier as the year has gone on

It will probably only keep getting busier as Green Park Village continues to fill up (and inevitably expand) and more people are aware of its existence. 160,000 passengers puts it around Winnersh Triangle level (2022-23 figures), which probably has more houses in the immediate vicinity too.

[Tinpot Royal]

You can't really see the car park from the left hand side so I'm not sure on that one

Have you tried sitting on the right hand side?

I try not to, I aim for a single seat so I don't have to sit next to anyone (I hate people) & they're all on the left!

[Whore Jackie]

1 year anniversary just passed 160k passengers used the station in the last year. Much more than expected.

I come into Reading from Basingstoke a couple of times a week & the station has got steadily busier as the year has gone on

It will probably only keep getting busier as Green Park Village continues to fill up (and inevitably expand) and more people are aware of its existence. 160,000 passengers puts it around Winnersh Triangle level (2022-23 figures), which probably has more houses in the immediate vicinity too.

Winnersh Triangle is a good comparison. Both predominantly used by their neighbouring business park users I'd guess. Residential near both of them too, though houses by WT are well served by buses too and Winnersh train station is pretty close. Considering it's on a much quieter line, that's an impressive first year for Green Park.

On a related note, it's always baffled me that they never put in a station by Palmer Park on the Waterloo line. Looking at the footprint of Winnersh Triangle or Earley there's just enough room near the A3290 slip road and A4. Huge amount of nearby houses in Newtown and East Reading. Would have been a far smarter solution than Pages' Horseshoe Bridge bus lane idea.

[Clyde1998]

I come into Reading from Basingstoke a couple of times a week & the station has got steadily busier as the year has gone on

It will probably only keep getting busier as Green Park Village continues to fill up (and inevitably expand) and more people are aware of its existence. 160,000 passengers puts it around Winnersh Triangle level (2022-23 figures), which probably has more houses in the immediate vicinity too.

Winnersh Triangle is a good comparison. Both predominantly used by their neighbouring business park users I'd guess. Residential near both of them too, though houses by WT are well served by buses too and Winnersh train station is pretty close. Considering it's on a much quieter line, that's an impressive first year for Green Park.

On a related note, it's always baffled me that they never put in a station by Palmer Park on the Waterloo line. Looking at the footprint of Winnersh Triangle or Earley there's just enough room near the A3290 slip road and A4. Huge amount of nearby houses in Newtown and East Reading. Would have been a far smarter solution than Pages' Horseshoe Bridge bus lane idea.

I think the biggest issue of putting a station by Palmer Park is the train line is the boundary between Reading Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council - not completely insurmountable though (Reading Green Park is on the boundary between RBC and West Berkshire Council after all).

I think there should be a station for Woodley on the Great Western Main Line between Reading and Twyford and possibly something at Ford's Farm on the Taunton line. Both would get more passengers than Pangbourne on the GWM Line or Midgham or Aldermaston on the Taunton line.

Don't know if Reading's got less station than most urban areas, but certainly feels like we've had too few stations for a place of its size (even with the station at Green Park).

[Dulwich Royal]

I would have thought an Elizabeth Line station around Suttons Business Park/ Aldi would be well placed and not too expensive to fit in - further east you hit Sonning Cutting that might add to cost

[LUX]

what's Reading West like these days? In my day it was hardly ever used.

[Whore Jackie]

what's Reading West like these days? In my day it was hardly ever used.

They've finally opened the revamped station. Basically the concourse ticketing, barriers etc are in a new building plonked on the pavement under the Oxford Road bridge. Still no lift mind. Have no idea on passenger numbers.