Network Rail has completed the first phase of a major project to upgrade Reading station.

The company has confirmed that 2,000 engineers worked around the clock over the Easter Bank Holiday and they managed to carry out work in four days that would ordinarily take 20 full weekends to complete.

Graham Denny, Network Rail senior programme manager, said the work had gone "brilliantly" and passengers will now benefit from two new entrances, four new platforms and a bridge with lifts and escalators.

This is one of many stations throughout the UK that is expected to experience a strong upturn in passenger numbers in the next few decades. Indeed, Reading currently accommodates 14 million commuters each year, but this is predicted to rise to 30 million by 2030.

The Berkshire station will undergo further improvements in the next few years, with plans in place to remove a major bottleneck in the area. All work is due to be finished in 2015 - one year ahead of schedule.