From Monbday 2nd September Reading Buses is introducing a number of route and timetable changes, as well as replacing a route currently operated by Thames Travel (143). There are a number of frequency enhancements which bring more routes back to their pre-Covid service levels.
Timetables will be available shortly.
Leopard 3: revised timetable, with buses operating up to every 15 minutes between Reading and Shinfield during Monday-Saturday daytimes, extending to Arborfield Green at peak times and during the day on Saturdays - at off-peak times on Monday to Friday alternate journeys will continue to and from Arborfield Green. One bus an hour will be further extended to and from Wokingham, as now.
Buzz 9: timing changes. Due to traffic congestion around Costco in Green Park, Saturday afternoon buses will operate as the more direct 9a route to improve reliability.
Sky blue 15: revised route and timetable to simplify the service. All journeys will operate as route 15 between Reading and Calcot Sainsbury's, running up to every 20 minutes during Monday-Saturday daytimes. The route along Mayfair and through Royal Estate in Calcot is discontinued due to low usage and buses will no longer operate to IKEA and Theale. One schoolday 15a journey for Denefield School near Purley will be retained, and journeys for Theale Green school will now operate as new school route 88.
Sky blue 16: timing changes to corodinate with route 15.
Purple 17: reverts to pre-Summer timetable.
Buzz 18: revised timetable, to meet the needs of the new River Academy in Rivermead.
Claret 21: revised timetable, with frequency increased to every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes. There are also yet-to-be-announced chnages for the University term-time 21a extras which start in mid-September.
Pink 25: new timetable, with additional hourly off-peak journeys between Reading and Sonning Common operating as route 25a. An hourly Monday-Saturday evening service is introduced between Reading and Peppard Common and the Sunday service will also be increased to hourly. These improvements are being funded by Oxfordshire County Council using developer contributions and BSIP money.
Aqua 28: revised timetable. As Carousel Buses is withdrawing route 800*, four journeys in each direction on Mondays-Saturdays will divert via Binfield Heath and Dunsden Green under contract to Oxfordshire County Council. The Monday-Saturday evening timetable is also improved with most journeys operating via Caversham Bridge.
*
from Sunday 1st September Carousel Buses will no longer operate route 800. Buses will still run between High Wycombe, Henley and Reading but all buses will follow the 850 route via Twyford.Royal blue 33: revised timetable, with afternoon peak frequency increased to every 15 minutes.
Azure 43/93: new route between Reading, Pangbourne and Upper Basildon, operated under contract to West Berkshire Council and replacing Thames Travel routes 143 and BB3 to a revised timetable. There will be a slightly increased service for Upper Basildon and Goring will only be served on schoodays by the 93 journeys, which will opoerate to and from Langtree School replacing the BB3 journeys. According to Reading Buses, Thames Travel period tickets will not be accepted on this route and a refund should be sought from Thames Travel.
Mereoak Park & Ride 600: revised timetable. Due to the closure of the Shinfield Park site route 603 journeys will no longer operate, these journeys operating instead as route 600 along the normal route.
New School routes
- 80: new route from Caversham Park & Emmer Green to schools near the Royal Berkshire Hopsital, supplementing existing route 81 from Caversham Heights.
- 88: new school route between Reading and Theale Green School replacing a route 15 journey, see above.
- 93: new school route between Reading and Langtree School replacing Thames Travel route BB3.
Football Buses: there have been minor timetable changes to routes F10 and F12 and a route and minor timetable change for route F23 for the start of the 2024/2025 season. Park & Ride F2 is discontinued due to the closure of Shinfield Park.
www.reading-buses.co.uk/new-routes-timetable-enhancements-and-other-changes-monday-2-september