death. Anglia Railways ran the London Crosslink service from Ipswich to Basingstoke via Stratford and the North London Line using Class 170s between May 2000 and September 2002. South West Trains also ran a local service from Reading to Brighton until timetable changes on 9 December 2007. Southern railway services from Southampton and Portsmouth to Brighton were improved to compensate for that. In 2012 improvements were made to the station , including a new stainless steel and glass frontage, an enlarged booking hall and a new waiting room on platforms 2 and 3. In 2022, South Western Railway introduced staff members called "Welcome Hosts" at this station and some others to provide information and sell tickets. Platforms The station has five platforms, four of which can be used bi-directionally. They are above street level and are accessed via stairs and lifts from the booking hall and subway. There is a secondary entrance on Platform 4. Platform 1: Terminating slow services to and from London Waterloo, westbound CrossCountry services to Southampton and Bournemouth and occasionally regional services to Southampton and Poole. Westbound freight trains also pass through here. Platform 2: Westbound services on the South West Main Line and West of England Main Line Platform 3: Fast trains to London Waterloo. Platform 4: Northbound CrossCountry services to Reading, Birmingham and onwards to the north. A few trains to London Waterloo use this platform. Northbound freight trains also pass through here. Platform 5: Bay platform for stopping services to Reading on the Reading to Basingstoke Line, operated by Great Western Railway. Facilities The station has two entrances. The main entrance to the south has access to a taxi rank, some car parks and a bus stop, with steps down to The Malls shopping centre. A bridge over Churchill Way leads to the bus station. Festival Place can be accessed from The Malls or the bus station, while Festival Square and the Top of Town are located beyond the bus station. The northern entrance on Platform 4 gives access to a car park. The south booking hall has ticket facilities (including ticket machines), information and a small shop. The station is staffed all day, and both entrances have ticket barriers. There is a small café on the central island platform and another on Platform 4, as well as indoor waiting rooms. Signalling The station area and its various routes have been controlled by