Opening of new Reading West Station building

A modern new station building has opened at Reading West Railway Station.

The transformation of the station in Oxford Road includes new ticket gates, new lighting and CCTV cameras to significantly improve safety and security of the local community and travelling public, and opened to the public on Tuesday 19 March.

Reading Borough Council has worked with Network Rail and Great Western Railways to deliver the £5million project.

The new station building on Oxford Road is the centrepiece of the Reading West station upgrade, containing an information counter, customer toilet and retail space.

New ticket gates have also been installed at the Oxford Road and Tilehurst Road entrances to ensure that paying passengers only have access to the platforms.

A new bus interchange, improved cycle parking and pedestrian crossing have also been added as part of the scheme, along with improvements to the Tilehurst Road entrance.

The improvements have been made possible by the Council working with the railway industry to develop a masterplan for the station, secure significant external funding for the current works and deliver the realignment of the highway to provide space for the new station building, interchange improvements and resurfacing of the road and footpath.

Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:

“Local residents who use Reading West station will notice a big improvement following this major upgrade.

“They will be able to enjoy much better facilities, such as a ticket office and toilets, with the opening of the modern new station building on Oxford Road and improved access from Tilehurst Road.

“Passengers will also notice a more secure and safer environment with the installation of ticket barriers, improved lighting and CCTV cameras.

“We are pleased that the new station building has been ‘futureproofed’ for the installation of lifts and it remains the Council’s ambition, working with our rail partners, for Reading West to become a totally accessible station.” 

GWR Business Development Director Tom Pierpoint, said:

“We’re delighted to officially reopen this station, and the major improvements you can see around me – providing a newer, brighter, safer station environment, with modern facilities for all who use it.

“Reading West is a very important station for both residents and visitors and we are delighted to have been able to work with Reading Borough Council, the LEP, the Department for Transport and Network Rail to deliver these improvements. 

“We know that working together means we can deliver more and we are committed to a cooperative, collaborative approach with the communities we serve.”

Network Rail sponsor, Jon Higham, said:

“Reading West new station building is now complete, these changes will benefit passengers and the local communities. It has been an honour to work with our partners to deliver these improvements to Reading West.”

Alison Webster, Chief Executive Officer of Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said:

“Local commuter stations, such as Reading West, are critical in providing access to major employment and commercial centres.

“Berkshire LEP is delighted to have invested £3.1 million of the Government’s Local Growth Fund to support improvements at Reading West. 

“Through improvements in accessibility, stations can accommodate more passengers to meet increased travel demand, making it easier for commuters to make green travel choices over personal car use and so support sustainable economic growth.”

Encouraging use of public transport, including trains, through improved services is one of the key elements of Reading’s Transport Strategy and plays a vital role in our ambition to make Reading net zero carbon by 2030.

The Council worked with Network Rail and Great Western Railway to open the new Green Park Station in May 2023 and Network Rail is currently working on the installation of passenger lifts at Tilehurst station.