To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 13 October (HL1928), what assessment they have made of the compliance with the standards required by the Governance for Railway Investment Projects process in the redevelopment of Reading Station, in particular as regards (1) the provision of large printed timetables, (2) the visibility and positioning of platform number signs on the platforms, (3) the visibility and positioning of indicator screens, (4) the detailing of intermediate stations on concourse indicator screens, (5) the presence of staff to provide information to passengers, and (6) weather protection.
Answered on
6 November 2014
The implementation of the Governance for Railway Investment Projects (GRIP) process is the responsibility of Network Rail and it are responsible for meeting all relevant standards.
Network Rail has however, advised me that:
1) The station operator; First Great Western has decided not to specify the provision of large printed timetables.
2) The platform number signs are standard size signs and are positioned to not interfere with signal sighting along platforms. The signs are identical in size to those that were hung from the previous canopies.
3) The indicator screens are an industry standard with this particular type widely used throughout the Great Western route. Equipment on platforms must be mounted a minimum of 2.5m above the platform to comply with standards.
The location of the indicators were carefully selected to avoid being at the foot of escalators and stairs and positioned in areas where passengers can congregate without affecting the flow along the various platforms and around the station.
4) The indicator screens on each platform contain full details of all stopping points for that train, whereas the ‘summary of departures screens’ show final destinations.
5) The staffing levels on Reading station are the responsibility of by First Great Western. A significant number of additional customer assistants have now been employed by First Great Western to cater for the enlarged station.
6) The design of the new canopies has had to take into account the need of future electrification. As a consequence the canopy is higher and set back behind the platform edge.
However, observations made during periods of rainfall since May 2013 clearly show that if passengers are standing behind the yellow line will generally remain dry. Obviously the further back from the edge of the platform, the more likely to remain dry they will be.