READING station has marked nearly two centuries of travel for residents in Reading and beyond.
On Friday, March 28, the station marked its 185th year with a day of celebration, including live music and an exhibition in Reading.
It 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.
Now it is a major spot on the train network, including its part as the last terminus on the landmark Elizabeth Line.
The GWR band performed at the celebration, which also saw an exhibition of railway-related images in the Brunel Arcade, donated for the day by Reading Museum.
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 late Queen HRH Elizabeth II 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.”
