New Reading station could open by the end of the year
Green Park station is already years behind schedule
The first new train station in Reading for over 100 years is nearing completion.
Construction work on Green Park Station is set to be finished in July, with hopes trains will be running to and from there by the end of the year.
It will be fully accessible, and be complete with car parking, 12 disabled spaces, cycle parking and a bus interchange.
The new station will be on the Reading to Basingstoke line served by Great Western Railway (GWR), with trains departing from Green Park Station every half-hour.
Once opened, it will be the Borough’s first new train station for 116 years with Reading West station opening in 1906.
Celebrating the news, councillor Tony Page (Labour, Abbey), lead member for transport, said:
“I’m delighted the construction of the new Green Park Station will be complete in July.
“We have faced challenges on the schedule from material shortages, but the completion of the building work is a significant step forward.
“When operational, Green Park Station will form an integral part of Reading’s ever-growing sustainable transport infrastructure with more homes, businesses and leisure developments planned in the south of the borough.
“It will also be another option for football fans heading to the Stadium on match days, again taking the pressure off our busy roads.”
Delays
The station was initially scheduled to open in the summer of 2020, and there were even hopes that it could have opened a year earlier in 2019.
But those hopes were dashed and the project was further delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The project has been funded by £5.6 million of developer contributions gathered by the council, money from the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP’s Local Growth Fund, and further funds from the Department of Transport released in 2017 and 2019.
More recently, it has received £2.015 million from Network Rail and £1.25 million from GWR and in March 2022.
Joanna Grew, Network Rail industry programme director for Heathrow & Thames Valley, said:
“It is really pleasing to see the progress being made at the new Green Park Station which, once in service, will play an important role in connecting communities between Reading and Basingstoke through regular and reliable sustainable transport while reducing the level of traffic on the A33.
“The safety of passengers and our staff is our number one priority and following the completion of the construction, we will be working closely with GWR to complete a detailed safety evaluation to ensure the station is safe and ready to welcome its first trains and passengers by the end of the year.”
Tom Pierpoint, GWR Business Development Director added:
“It’s exciting to see Reading Green Park Station taking shape.
“We are working closely with the Council and Network Rail to deliver half-hourly services, better connecting the communities we serve.
“Reading is a key destination on our network and this new station will help to secure the economic prosperity of the region as we seek to build back better from the pandemic.”
A commissioning process will begin to make sure the station fits into national standards, with it set to open for public use by the end of the year.