Reading station turned 185-years-old on Friday 29 March, having opened its doors in 1840 as a temporary terminus for Brunel’s Great Western Railway while engineers continued building the line to Bristol, the eventual final stop on the line.
In marking its 185th year, Reading station has much to celebrate. Since the launch of Network Rail’s performance improvement plan for the Thames Valley in February 2024, there has been a 21% reduction in delays in the area, following 12 months of intensive work to replace worn equipment and make the line more resilient.
Earlier this month, the Department for Transport came to Reading station to launch its nationwide initiative to make performance numbers more transparent for the public, with data on train punctuality and the number of cancelled services now available on screens at stations across the country.
As well as celebrating 185 years of the railway in Reading, the station is also marking its 10th year since a huge redevelopment project was completed. Those improvements included a new track layout, which removed congestion caused by an increase in passenger and freight services. A mile-long viaduct was constructed to the west of the station for fast trains, replacing a junction and helping to reduce delays by separating the fast mainlines from the relief and freight lines. Following the extensive work, the Queen came to Berkshire to open the newly upgraded station.
Since then, Reading station has seen the introduction of GWR’s fleet of electric trains in 2018, as well as the start of Elizabeth line services in 2022. All of this means that more trains then ever before are serving passengers at the station.
This increase in services has meant that retail sales at the station have exceeded the national increase of 7% across Network Rail’s 19 stations in the quarter covering October to December 2024, with sales at Reading increasing by 10.4%.
Marcus Jones, Network Rail’s Western route director, said: “In celebrating Reading station’s 185th birthday, we’re proud to recognise its important role in connecting people across the country for generations.
“With the introduction of Elizabeth line services three years ago, more trains than ever before are stopping at Reading, helping to promote growth for local businesses and highlighting the station’s importance as a commuter and transport hub.
“With such a rich railway history, we’re proud to mark 185 years of Reading station, and look forward to seeing what the future brings as we continue to work with our partners to improve train performance and passenger experience.”
Image credit: Network Rail
