Reading To Basingstoke – 26th August 2026
I made a quick visit yesterday to Tisbury station and after buying an Off-Peak Day Return from Reading for £25.20, I took the local service to Basingstoke on the Reading And Basingstoke Line.
Note.
The train left Reading from Platform 1, which is one of the West-facing bay platforms.
The train was a well-scrubbed up British Rail-era Class 165 train, that was built around the early 1990s.
I wonder if, as these trains are in such good condition and there are 75 in service, if these venerable units could be converted to some form of zero-carbon power?
The train arrived in Platform 5 at Basingstoke station., which is a long walk to the main line platforms for the West, for someone oof my nearly eighty years. But there are lifts.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the electrifrication of the Reading and Basingstoke Line.
Note.
- Tracks shown in black are not electrified.
- Tracks shown in red are electrified with 25 KVAC overhead,
- Tracks shown in dashed red and black are proposed to be electrified.
- Tracks shown in mauve are electrified with 750 VDC third rail.
- Reading station is in the North-East corner of the map.
- The partially-electrified ReadingTaunton Line diverges to the West.
- The Reading and Basingstoke Line runs South from Reading station and is shown dashed. Will it be electrified?
- Basingstoke station is indicated by the blue arrow.
I have a couple of thoughts.
What Will Be The Implications Of Electrifying Reading And Basingstoke?
In addition to the GWR trains between Reading and Basingstoke, the line is also used by CrossCountry and freight services.
The short length of extra electrification shown on the map, could save a lot of carbon.
I Missed My Onward Connection To Tisbury Station By Seconds
Not knowing Basingstoke station well, I needed to ask someone, which platform the Tisbury train left from, but when I found the train, the doors were shut.
So I just took a few pictures of the Basingstoke station.
Note.
The Anonymous Widower 