Reading Diversions Christmas 2015

photograph by Chris Gardner

On Sunday 27th and Monday 28th December there was yet another round of diversions around Reading leading to Great Western Railway West of England services running into and out of Waterloo. Although the reason for this set of diversions was not due to the rebuilding of Reading station, but for installation of new crossovers between Slough and Paddington for Crossrail. This involved trains reversing at Reading and Basingstoke for their trip up and down the LSWR mainline - the rightful mainline to the west.....!

(above) Protection was laid between the rails in platform 4 at Basingstoke (in which the trains reversed) in case of unapproved discharge of the toilets whilst the train was stationary, seen here well in advance on December 8th.

These diversions resulted in GWR's only HST in their new green livery - power cars 43188 (seen below) and 43187 with Mk3 coach set LA15 being seen at Waterloo. So a West of England train in green returns to Waterloo, but not green as we Southern Railway/Region fans know and like it! The train is about to work the 14:58 to Penzance on Sunday 27th December.

photograph by Stuart Hicks