Multi-million pound upgrade at Theale station finally departs

Commuters are set to benefit from a £2.9m investment providing a new ticket office, footbridge and lifts.
Work on the project was due to begin last year and be completed in February but this was pushed back to a January start date aiming for an April completion.
First Great Western said the initial delay was down to finalising the detailed design and contracts for the project. While the new ticket office has been completed, the company has now announced that unexpected work to divert a sewer pipe has delayed the contruction of the lifts and footbridge.
A spokesman for First Great Western, James Davis, said: “We are pleased that work to create a new ticket office and retail unit began in January and is now complete.
“Work has started on some significant enabling works, including the diversion of a drainage culvert and additional service ducts in readiness for commencement of the main works.
“This means that the main work to install the lifts, and the new bridge, is on target to start this October with completion anticipated by summer 2015. “
The district councillor for Theale Alan Macro (Lib Dem), said he was very disappointed at the latest delay and called on First Great Western to keep residents better informed.
For the full story see this week's