Reading’s new Green Park train station is still set to open by the end of 2020 after plans for its building were finalised.

A dispute over the station’s disabled toilet had delayed 100 per cent approval for developers to build the station in south Reading.

Councillor Tony Page, lead member for Transport and Planning, said the station is scheduled to open by the end of 2020 but “hopefully a bit earlier” and is now fully funded.

Green Park train station’s building was given the green light by councillors in September with the condition that the issues over the disabled toilet are resolved.

Reading Chronicle:

Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) planning committee backed the proposal but insisted that further consideration is given to providing fully accessible 24-hour toilet facilities as part of the new station building and moving the toilet inside.

GWR had previously requested for the toilet to have access from the outside rather than inside.

The council and Great Western Railway (GWR) have agreed that access to the disabled toilet will be from the inside rather than a “busy platform”.

Reading Chronicle:

The accessible toilet will not be available 24 hours but councillor Karen Rowland, a member of the council’s planning committee, said all trains will be required to have accessible toilets on them by the time the station opens next year.

She said the previous plans “would have caused inconvenience by requiring people in a wheelchair to go onto a busy platform.”

The building will include a ticket and enquiry desk, ticket office, staff rest and toilet facilities, male and female toilets, one accessible outside toilet, a baby change facility, self-service ticket machines and shops.

The station will be part of the Reading to Basingstoke Line run by GWR.