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Post by wirewiper on Nov 14, 2023 10:16:46 GMT
Reading has a new bus operator - but only on three days a week.
BSIP+ money has allowed Oxfordshire County Council to reinstate a shoppers' service from Watlington to Reading on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Red Rose Travel will operate two return journeys via different villages as route 122/123. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the bus operates between Watlington and Thame.
These services recall the M1 that was operated until the 2010s by Mott's Travel, and earlier services operated by House's Watlington Buses.
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Post by wirewiper on Nov 16, 2023 12:13:14 GMT
Reading Transport has announced that following the Government's extension of its Help For Households £2 single fares, it has been able to offer £2 singles on Flightline 730 between Heathrow Airport and Frimley, and on Flightline 731 between Frimley and Basingstoke. Passengers travelling across Frimley (e.g. Camberley to Basingstoke) will be charged £4 single. This came into effect on Monday 13th November. This will reduce some fares quite dramatically - for instance, Basingstoke to Heathrow Airport reduces from £20 to just £4, whilst Frimley, Camberley and Bagshot to Heathrow Airport reduces from £16 to just £2. The new coaches are almost ready for service and should start appearing on the road from Monday 20th November. www.reading-buses.co.uk/lower-priced-single-tickets-flightline-730-and-731
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Post by wirewiper on Nov 16, 2023 18:43:36 GMT
Three Berkshire Councils - West Berkshire, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest - will be offering free bus travel days in the run-up to Christmas. These are funded by BSIP money which has been awarded to each Council.
West Berkshire Council will, as usual, offer free single and return journeys where the outward journey commences in West Berkshire, Passengers travelling beyond the Council area (e.g. to Reading Town Centre) can request a return ticket which is scanned when boarding the return journey.
West Berkshire free travel days are Saturday 18th November, Saturday 16th December and Saturday 23rd December. All Newbury & District routes are included, as are Reading Buses routes 1, 2, 15, 16, 26 and 33 where they operate into West Berkshire.
Wokingham Council will offer free travel on all single journeys commencing within the Council area, on Saturdays from 18th November through to 23rd December. Journeys are still free if they cross the Council boundary (e.g. to Reading Town Centre), however passengers will need to pay a £2 single fare on the return journey.
Reading Buses routes 3, 4/X4, 13, 14, 19a/19b/19c and 21 and Thames Valley Buses routes 121, 122, 125, 127, 128 and 151A* are included where they operate within Wokingham, also RB 600 from Riseley and Swallowfield (but not from Mereoak Park & Ride).
Bracknell Forest Council will offer free travel on all single journeys commencing within the Council area, on Saturdays from 2nd December through to 23rd December. As with Wokingham this includes journeys which cross the Council boundary, but passengers will need to pay a £2 single fare on the return journey. Reading Buses route 4/X4, Thames Valley Buses routes 53, 151A*, 194, London Line 702 and Flightline 703 are included within Bracknell Forest, as are the thole of TVB routes 108, 150, 156, 157, 158, 171 and 172.
The F-prefix football routes are not included in the free travel offer and normal Football fares will be charged.
In addition: Wokingham will offer free travel with the Council area on route 4/X4 on Sunday 26th November to coincide with the Wokingham Winter Carnival, and will offer free travel within Woodley on routes 13 and 14 on Sunday 3rd December to coincide with the Woodley Christmas Extravaganza.
* 151A will be free throughout on Saturdays 2, 9, 16 & 23 December as both Wokingham and Bracknell are offering free travel. Also lion 4/X4 will be free between Bracknell and Earley, Mays Lane (i.e. the full route outside Reading Borough).
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Post by wirewiper on Nov 23, 2023 18:11:02 GMT
From Sunday 3rd December, Reading Buses will be operating an hourly service from Mereoak Park & Ride via Green Park into Central Reading. Mereoak Park & Ride 650 will depart Central Reading (St Mary's Butts) at 07.25 and hourly until 19.30, and Mereoak Park & Ride at 08.00 and hourly until 20.00. As an introductory offer, the service will be free on Sundays in December. Parking at Mereoak will cost £1. www.reading-buses.co.uk/new-sunday-services-mereoak-park-ride-and-green-park
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Post by wirewiper on Nov 25, 2023 18:42:07 GMT
From Sunday 3rd December, Reading Buses will be operating an hourly service from Mereoak Park & Ride via Green Park into Central Reading. Mereoak Park & Ride 650 will depart Central Reading (St Mary's Butts) at 07.25 and hourly until 19.30, and Mereoak Park & Ride at 08.00 and hourly until 20.00. As an introductory offer, the service will be free on Sundays in December. Parking at Mereoak will cost £1. www.reading-buses.co.uk/new-sunday-services-mereoak-park-ride-and-green-parkReading Buses has also reintroduced the Winnersh Triangle Park & Ride 500 on Saturdays for a trial period, supported by Wokingham Borough Council. First bus leaves the Park & Ride at 07.49 and the last journey back from Central Reading is at 18.40. A weekday service may be added next year if the service is successful. The service is NOT included in the pre-Christmas free travel days (see above). The Car Park charge is £1, the car must be registered at the car park machine but the payment is made on the bus (including ENCTS pass holders) - the ticket issued has a barcode which operates the car park barrier on departure. Bus fares are £2 adult single and £4 return (£1.50/£2.80 Boost). A special Group ticket cists £8, this includes return travel for three adults plus up to two children and the £1 parking charge. Return/Group tickets can be used on the lion 4/X4 if returning from Reading after the last Park & Ride bus. Park & Ride is also advertised at the Coppid Beech site just off the A329(M) for travel into both Bracknell and Wokingham, but users pay for the parking separately at the car park and use the lion 4/X4 services at normal fares. www.reading-buses.co.uk/fares-and-tickets/park-and-ride
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Post by wirewiper on Nov 29, 2023 18:57:30 GMT
The four Volvo B8R/Plaxton Panther C61F C53Ft coaches for Flightline 730/731 (Heathrow Terminal 5 - Frimley - Basingstoke) were registered in October and have all been delivered to Newbury Reading. None are in service yet, but a new timetable will take effect from Monday 13th November making that a likely date fir their introduction. The vehicles are expected to enter service during November once service preparation and driver training have been undertaken. 1422 - YX73 MUP 1423 - YX73 MUU 1424 - YX73 MUV 1425 - YX73 MVA Info courtesy of Bus News Flash - 03-11-23 (LondonsTransport Google group) Three of the coaches entered service on Tuesday 28th November. Photo of 1423 (not mine): flic.kr/p/2pizAkm
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 2, 2023 17:55:37 GMT
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 10, 2023 10:34:15 GMT
Some recent vehicle news: <snip> Reading Buses has acquired six Scania/ADL Enviro300 CBG (gas-powered single deckers) from Stagecoach North East. They are YP14 TGE/TGF/TGJ/TGK/TGN/TGO (28035-40) and will become 436-439 and 309/310 respectively. 436-439 will be retrimmed before they arrive in Reading. 309/310 will be delivered directly to Reading for conversion into training vehicles, meaning native vehicle 412 will not now be converted. 309 - YP14 TGN (28039) 310 - YP14 TGO (28040) 436 - YP14 TGE (28035) 437 - YP14 TGF (28036) 438 - YP14 TGJ (28037) 439 - YP14 TGK (28038) <snip> Info courtesy of Bus Zone Forum (Google Groups) Reading Buses has agreed to purchase a further three Scania/ADL Enviro300 CBG to be "strategic spares". These are expected to be 28032-4 (YR14 CFM/CFN/CFO) which are currently still in service in the North East. Meanwhile 436-439 (ex-28035-8) are away for repaint and refurbishment. Go2gate minibuses 141-144 have had luggage racks fitted, reducing their seating capacity by 4 (now 13 + 1 wheelchair). Enviro400 MMCs 760-762 are still at Newbury but will repainted shortly (expected generic livery) and returned to Reading. Other Enviro400MMCs have been on short-term loan to Newbury & District including 756, 757 and 758. Scania/ADL Enviro300 CBG 422 has been repainted generic (orbits), ex-leopard. News courtesy of Bus Zone Forum.
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 13, 2023 9:45:50 GMT
There will be some timetable changes from Tuesday 2nd January, mostly minor. From this date route 9 will be rebranded buzz 9 and will be extended from Whitley Wood to Green Park Station via Imperial Way. Buses will run hourly on Mondays to Fridays and an hourly Saturday service will also be introduced. Buses for the route will be buzz branded. London Line 702 journeys starting and terminating in Reading will be renumbered 701 between Reading and Legoland/Slough, but will continue to operate as through journeys. There will be minor changes to London Line timings. Minor timetable changes on lime 2/2a, lion 4/X4, purple 17 (late night journeys), Green Park 50 and Mereoak 600. www.reading-buses.co.uk/timetable-changes-tuesday-2-january
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 13, 2023 19:26:08 GMT
Christmas and New Year bus services:
Reading Buses:
- Sunday 24th December: Sunday times with most routes finishing early around 19.00-20.00. Routes 5, 6, 17, 21 and 26 will continue until around 23.00, no overnight services. London Line 702 will finish at its usual times. - Monday 25th December: no services - Tuesday 26th December: special services (Sunday frequencies) between 09.00 and 18.00 - no overnight services. London Line 702 will operate a special timetable between Slough and London, with all journeys operating non-stop from and to Reading in service. - Wednesday 27th December: Saturday times except 9 and 300 which operate to Monday-Friday times. Routes 5, 6, 17, 21 and 26 commence around 04.00. 00.30 route 13 journey will not operate and night 17 operates hourly. - Thursday 28th December: Saturday times except 9 and 300 which operate to Monday-Friday times. 00.30 route 13 journey will not operate and night 17 operates hourly. - Friday 29th December: Saturday times except 9 and 300 which operate to Monday-Friday times. - Saturday 30th December: Saturday times - Sunday 31st December: Sunday times including night services. Additional night journeys on 17. - Monday 1st January: Sunday times.
Thames Valley Buses:
- Sunday 24th December: Sunday times - Monday 25th December: hourly 703 between Slough and Heathrow Terminal 5 with first bus from Slough at 04.00 and last bus back from Heathrow at 23.30. No other services will operate. - Tuesday 26th December: Sunday times on 5, 194, 703 and Go2Gate. Special hourly service (09.00-18.00) on 108, 150, 156, 158 and 171/172. No other services will operate. - Wednesday 27th-Friday 29th December: Mostly Saturday times. Routes 121, 122, 123, 124, 125A/B, 128, 299 and 598 will operate a modified Monday-Friday service and route 127 will not operate. - Saturday 30th December: Saturday times - Sunday 31st December: Sunday times - Monday 1st January: Sunday times on routes 5, 108, 150, 158, 171/2, 194, 703 and Go2Gate only - other routes will not operate.
Newbury & District:
- Buses: no services on 24th, 25th, 26th and 31st December or 1st January. Normal timetables on 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th December. - Flightline 730-731: Sunday service on 24th, 26th and 31st December and 1st January, no service on 25th December. Normal timetables on 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th December.
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Post by greenboy on Dec 22, 2023 13:40:14 GMT
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 26, 2023 17:20:43 GMT
It's unlikely to return to service as new buses are due soon for the lion 4/X4 routes.
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Post by mark on Dec 27, 2023 7:35:00 GMT
It's unlikely to return to service as new buses are due soon for the lion 4/X4 routes. I understand that it has been formally withdrawn. The new vehicles for services 4/X4 are now in an advance state of build and due within a matter of weeks. The four E200s for TV should be delivered shortly, too.
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Post by TB123 on Dec 27, 2023 7:54:30 GMT
It's unlikely to return to service as new buses are due soon for the lion 4/X4 routes. I understand that it has been formally withdrawn. The new vehicles for services 4/X4 are now in an advance state of build and due within a matter of weeks. The four E200s for TV should be delivered shortly, too. They have largely been delivered now - both the 4/X4 E400Cities and the E200MMCs for Bracknell local services 171/172.
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Post by wirewiper on Dec 30, 2023 12:44:44 GMT
There will be some timetable changes from Tuesday 2nd January, mostly minor. From this date route 9 will be rebranded buzz 9 and will be extended from Whitley Wood to Green Park Station via Imperial Way. Buses will run hourly on Mondays to Fridays and an hourly Saturday service will also be introduced. Buses for the route will be buzz branded.<snip> www.reading-buses.co.uk/timetable-changes-tuesday-2-januaryEx-Stagecoach North East 438 and 439 have just arrived back in Reading in a new 'Buzz' livery, this will be applied to vehicles used on services funded by Reading Borough Council's BSIP money and the same livery will also be applied to 436/437. However the vehicles won't be ready to enter service on route 9 on 2nd January as Reading Buses still needs to fit its own systems. 440-442 (former Stagecoach North East 28032-4) have now been formally acquired by Reading Transport Ltd. and are bring stored at Bus & Coach World, Blackburn. There are quite a few new vehicles now arriving for all the RTL subsidiaries, details to follow later.
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