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Post by wirewiper on Jun 7, 2024 9:20:18 GMT
If anyone is looking for a job with a difference, Reading Buses is looking for a Roadside Publicity Assistant. High-quality publicity, including at bus stops and shelters, is a cornerstone of the Reading Buses operation, and the ideal candidate will be "someone who is good at picking things up". www.reading-buses.co.uk/roadside-publicity-assistant
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 9, 2024 8:07:44 GMT
Major vehicle order announced
Reading Transport Ltd. has announced that is has placed a major order with Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) this weekend.
No less than 53 new vehicles are due across the group, 29 diesel and 24 electric, the latter part-funded with ZEBRA2 money from the Government. The diesels are due by December 2024 and the electrics by June 2025, spreading the investment over two financial years.
The new diesels will be:
21 ADL Enviro400 City
- 3 (742-744) for Thames Valley Buses Flightline 703 (existing order) - 2 (745-746) for Reading Buses London Line 702 - 3 (248-251) for Reading Buses lion 4/X4 - 7 (252-258) for Reading Buses jetblack 1 - 6 (259-264) in Reading Buses generic livery
8 ADL Enviro200 MMC (9.7m) for Newbury & District
The new electrics will be:
- 15 ADL Enviro 400EV for Reading Buses purple 15 17 - 7 ADL Enviro 400EV for Reading Buses claret 21 [1] - 3 ADL Enviro 400EV in Reading Buses generic livery
There will be a programme of cascades and disposals, and the ex-hybrids on sky blue and berry routes will be withdrawn amongst others. The existing Reading Buses jetblack 1 vehicles (ADL Enviro400 MMC 789-794) will be reallocated to Newbury & District in the autumn for other work.
In the meantime, Newbury & District is to take delivery of four new ADL Enviro400 MMC on a six-month lease, pending the cascade of the jetblack 1 vehicles. These are 86-seaters with seat belts, they will operate in allover white and will only be used on school and private hire work. The intention is to return ADL Enviro400 1202, ADL Enviro400 MMC 778 and ex-Nottingham Scania OmniDekkas 863/864 to Reading Buses for further service there (these are all four in Reading Buses generic livery).
The new leased vehicles will be:
775 - YX24 PCU 776 - YX24 PCV 777 - YX24 PCY 778 - YX24 PCZ
Other vehicle news:
Scania OmniDekka 810 and gas-powered Optare Solo 186 (ex-Stagecoach Lincolnshire) were withdrawn during May and remain at Reading Buses depot awaiting disposal.
ADL Enviro400 City 795 (acquired with the Courtney's business) is away being repainted from Flightline 703 into Thames Valley generic livery and is having its seats retrimmed.
All information courtesy of Robert Williams, CEO Reading Buses, via Bus Zone Forum Google Group
[1] - it's a pity these aren't for emerald 5 and 6 as this would restore electric operation to most of the former trolleybus network!
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Post by mark on Jun 9, 2024 12:19:19 GMT
The 15 E400EVs are for Purple 17 rather than route 15 (which is sky blue).
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 9, 2024 12:29:29 GMT
The 15 E400EVs are for Purple 17 rather than route 15 (which is sky blue). Thank you - now corrected! Although in my mind the 15 still goes to Northumberland Avenue and is operated with Sunbeam trolleybuses
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 10, 2024 15:51:30 GMT
Major vehicle order announced
Reading Transport Ltd. has announced that is has placed a major order with Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) this weekend. No less than 53 new vehicles are due across the group, 29 diesel and 24 electric, the latter part-funded with ZEBRA2 money from the Government. The diesels are due by December 2024 and the electrics by June 2025, spreading the investment over two financial years. The new diesels will be: 21 ADL Enviro400 City - 3 (742-744) for Thames Valley Buses Flightline 703 (existing order) - 2 (745-746) for Reading Buses London Line 702 - 3 (248-251) for Reading Buses lion 4/X4 - 7 (252-258) for Reading Buses jetblack 1 - 6 (259-264) in Reading Buses generic livery 8 ADL Enviro200 MMC (9.7m) for Newbury & District The new electrics will be: - 15 ADL Enviro 400EV for Reading Buses purple 17 - 7 ADL Enviro 400EV for Reading Buses claret 21 - 3 ADL Enviro 400EV in Reading Buses generic livery There will be a programme of cascades and disposals, and the ex-hybrids on sky blue and berry routes will be withdrawn amongst others. The existing Reading Buses jetblack 1 vehicles (ADL Enviro400 MMC 789-794) will be reallocated to Newbury & District in the autumn for other work. <snip> Some more insight into the new orders, courtesy of an article on the RouteOne website in which the Managing Director of Reading Buses, Robert Williams, is interviewed. The 24 ADL Enviro400 EV were chosen after extensive trials involving several demonstrator vehicles. Passenger and driver experience were prioritised in the trials; the Enviro400 EV is felt to have the best layout for customers and drivers like the vehicles. The vehicles and associated infrastructure are part-funded by a successful £4.7 million bid led by Reading Borough Council in the second round of ZEBRA funding. Part of the funding will be used to install thirteen fast chargers at Great Knollys Street depot capable of charging two vehicles at once. The 29 diesel ADL Enviro400 City will be used mainly to upgrade longer-distance routes including jetblack 1. Due to arrive between October and December, they will be to the same high specification as vehicles recently delivered for London Line 702, Flightline 703 and lion 4/X4 and will feature glazed staircases, skylights and tables. The eight ADL Enviro200 MMCs will completely replace the existing singe-deck fleet at Newbury & District on a mixture of commercial and supported rural services in West Berkshire. According to Robert Williams: “They will be a real step change for our customers in the area as we bring some more of the Reading Buses sparkle to Newbury and District.” Combined with new vehicles for jetblack 1, the Newbury area will see a significant upgrade to its bus network. www.route-one.net/news/24-enviro400ev-deckers-among-large-reading-buses-adl-order/
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Post by yunus on Jun 11, 2024 0:07:32 GMT
Fantastic to hear that Reading Buses along with other operators outside of London 'still' ordering conventional Diesel buses!
The 702s buses are just stunning and really suit the route imo. I guess the incoming Cities will have the new style camera mirrors?
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Jun 15, 2024 6:20:54 GMT
This has increased my interest in postponing Oxford so that I can ride Enviro 400EVs in Reading & Oxford on the same break.
The plot will thicken a bit with the absorbtion of Arriva routes by GA Carousel in High Wycombe.
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 21, 2024 17:18:35 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. <snip> 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. <snip> These were indeed acquired and have been stored at Bus & Coach World in Blackburn. They have been allocated fleetnumbers 440-442. Reading Buses has now registered a new route 28, between Reading and Henley via Caversham and Shiplake. The route will commence on Sunday 28th July, the day after Arriva withdraws its 800 service, will be branded 'aqua 28' and will operate half-hourly Mondays-Saturdays and hourly on Sundays. A local news website states that the buses will operate on bio-fuel, so it looks like that the "strategic spares" now have a role. rdg.today/reading-buses-announces-new-aqua-28-route-serving-caversham-and-henley-on-thames/
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 26, 2024 9:07:14 GMT
Reading Buses is now publicising its new service 28 'Aqua' between Reading and Henley, to commence on Monday 29th July after Arriva withdraws its route 800. The timetable is not available yet although in general, buses will operate every half-hour during Monday-Saturday daytimes and hourly in the evenings and on Sundays. Three vehicles should be sufficient to maintain these frequencies. www.reading-buses.co.uk/new-route-between-reading-and-henley
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 30, 2024 18:00:14 GMT
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. <snip> These were indeed acquired and have been stored at Bus & Coach World in Blackburn. They have been allocated fleetnumbers 440-442. Reading Buses has now registered a new route 28, between Reading and Henley via Caversham and Shiplake. The route will commence on Sunday 28th July, the day after Arriva withdraws its 800 service, will be branded 'aqua 28' and will operate half-hourly Mondays-Saturdays and hourly on Sundays. A local news website states that the buses will operate on bio-fuel, so it looks like that the "strategic spares" now have a role. rdg.today/reading-buses-announces-new-aqua-28-route-serving-caversham-and-henley-on-thames/My suspicions are correct - 441 (YR14 CFN) was displayed at the Reading Buses Open Day in aqua 28 livery. Photo (not mine): flic.kr/p/2q1hhbM
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Post by wirewiper on Jul 5, 2024 12:52:47 GMT
Reading Buses has confirmed that the former Stagecoach North East gas-powered Scania-Enviro300 saloons 440-442 have been repainted into the new two-tone blue 'aqua' livery for new route 28 (Reading-Henley) which commences on Monday 29th July. 441 was displayed at the Reading Buses open day on Sunday 30th June. An additional vehicle YR14 CGX (28031) has also been acquired, to be numbered 443. This went directly to Bus & Coach World in Blackburn to be refurbished and repainted in aqua 28 livery. ADL Enviro400EV demonstrator AD24 BEV arrived on 27th June on loan for two weeks, it was given temporary fleetnumber 1008. It was displayed at the open day and has also been used in service. Reading Buses has ordered 24 of the type for 2025 delivery. Photo on route 21 on 6th July (not mine): flic.kr/p/2q2xG8cThe 'leopard'-liveried Scania/Enviro300 (424/5/7-30) are to be repainted in an updated 'orbits' version of the livery. ADL Enviro400 MMC 759 (generic) has been refurbished and repainted. Newbury & District's leased ADL Enviro400 MMCs 775-778 entered service during June, ADL Enviro400 MMC 788 and Scania OmniDekkas 863/864 have returned to Reading Buses. Thanes Valley Buses Enviro200 667 (a second-hand acquisition for contract work) has gained vinyls for the shuttle service between Bracknell Station and the Southern and Western Business Areas. Photo (not mine): flic.kr/p/2q26BsRAll information courtesy of Robert Williams, CEO Reading Buses, via Bus Zone Forum.
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Post by wirewiper on Jul 10, 2024 17:58:59 GMT
Reading Buses is now publicising its new service 28 'Aqua' between Reading and Henley, to commence on Monday 29th July after Arriva withdraws its route 800. The timetable is not available yet although in general, buses will operate every half-hour during Monday-Saturday daytimes and hourly in the evenings and on Sundays. Three vehicles should be sufficient to maintain these frequencies. www.reading-buses.co.uk/new-route-between-reading-and-henleyThe new timetable for aqua 28 between Reading and Henley has now been published. A half-hourly frequency operates from 05.00 (06.45 Saturday) until around 19.30. The evening frequency is every 65 minutes, and the route is different operating via Reading Bridge and George Street rather than Caversham Bridge and Caversham Centre. While this is less than ideal, it does allow the evening service to be operated with a single vehicle. Last buses are at 23.15 from Reading and 23.45 from Henley. The Sunday service is hourly, departing Reading 07.00-19.00 and Henley 07.40-19.40. This means the route will need to be operated with two vehicles on a Sunday, and these will probably interwork with another route in Reading for operational efficiency. images.reading-buses.co.uk/downloads/aqua%20leaflet%20jun24%20web.pdf *************************************************************** From the same date (Monday 29th July) there are temporary minor timing changes to emerald 5/6 and purple 17 to take into account lower levels of traffic during the school Summer holidays. Park & Ride 300 has minor timetable changes to improve punctuality. On Greenwave 50, the 14.26 departure from central Reading will be altered to follow the weekday morning route around Green Park via Costco. www.reading-buses.co.uk/timetable-changes-monday-29-july
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Post by wirewiper on Jul 13, 2024 7:02:11 GMT
A new ticket, MyBus Oxfordshire, will be available for journeys beginning in Oxfordshire on pink route 25 from Sunday 14th July, and on aqua 28 when it commences on Monday 29th July. Valid for one or seven days, the ticket is valid for any journey on these routes (but can only be purchased if the first journey starts in Oxfordshire). Otherwise, these routes are included within Reading Buses' own simplyReading & Wokingham range of tickets. The MyBus Oxfordshire ticket is an initiative from the Oxfordshire Bus Enhanced Partnership and is funded with BSIP money provided by the Department for Transport. www.reading-buses.co.uk/new-ticket-oxfordshire
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Post by wirewiper on Jul 27, 2024 9:03:41 GMT
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 2, 2024 7:28:54 GMT
Winnersh Triangle Park & Ride to return: Following a successful Saturday-only trial, a Monday-Friday service is to be added from Monday 19th August. First bus will leave Winnersh Triangle at 06.45 (08.02 Saturdays) and last bus back from Central Reading will depart St Mary's Butts at 18.50 (18.30 Saturdays). Buses will run up to every 15 minutes. Adult fares are £2 single and £4 return. Parking is £1 when purchased on the bus, but the vehicle needs to be registered at the car park machines before boarding the bus. In due course the route will have its own refurbished gas-powered buses in a dedicated livery, but will start off with a temporary allocation. www.reading-buses.co.uk/winnersh-park-and-ride-returning**************************************************** Reading Festival: once again, Reading Buses is operating its shuttle services 97 (Town Centre, Friar Street) and 98 (Reading Station North Interchange). Both routes operate from Wednesday 21st August until Sunday 25th August with frequencies to suit anticipated demand. There is no 97 service on Monday 26th but an intensive service will operate on the 98 to Reading Station from midnight until early afternoon with the last bus leaving the Festival site at 14.00. www.reading-buses.co.uk/festival
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