Reading Buses and Thames Valley

[Mark J]

Indeed.

Plus the cheapest return rail fare if you want to travel before 12:20 Mon-Fri is £8.00. And that's before the March rise.

Since Covid SWR have cut the frequency on the line by up to 50%, cut train lengths from 10 to 8 coaches, introduced older, worn out rolling stock and reliability has plummeted. Cancellations resulting in an hour's gap are regular.

Meanwhile, in a couple of weeks time the 4/X4 returns to pre-Covid frequencies of 4bph with lovely new buses.

Of course that depends where in Reading you live. If on the East Side, and have access to Earley Station, prices will be lower.

Believe £6.90 before 12:20. £7 during pre 10am peak hours. Falling to the prices I quoted in a previous post, at other times.

I'm not knocking Reading Buses, as I have liked using the 4/x4 service. However, some of us are a bit more price sensitive nowadays. Even a 'modest' pound, or two here and there, soon adds up over time.

 

[Goldfish62]

Believe £6.90 before 12:20. £7 during pre 10am peak hours. Falling to the prices I quoted in a previous post, at other times.

I looked it up on the SWR app. Bracknell to Reading Day Return £8:10, off-peak day return £8:00 (before 12:20).

 

[Mgameing123]

RIP to the £2 bus fare.

A journey from Reading to Bracknell on the 4/X4 now costs £3 single, £6 return.

This is now uncompetitive to the SWR rail service after 12pm during the week (£4.70)

Saturday afternoon and all day on a Sunday (£3.40 with Network Card). Senior and Disabled Railcard Holders get this price after 12pm in the week too.

As a result, I'll now be switching back to using the Rail service.

Reading Buses should have struck a happy medium (£2.50 single), on this route to have kept it at least somewhat competitive with SWR.

The £2 fare was great whilst it lasted, and encouraged me to use the 4/x4 bus more.

Buy Reading Buses monthly passes instead.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Of course that depends where in Reading you live. If on the East Side, and have access to Earley Station, prices will be lower.

Believe £6.90 before 12:20. £7 during pre 10am peak hours. Falling to the prices I quoted in a previous post, at other times.

I'm not knocking Reading Buses, as I have liked using the 4/x4 service. However, some of us are a bit more price sensitive nowadays. Even a 'modest' pound, or two here and there, soon adds up over time.

I guess it depends how many people were >2 hours on a bus per day, rather than 40 mins on a train, to save £4 for end to end journeys between the two towns. I reckon Reading Buses established it wasn't that many.

If you're now talking about Earley, that's a different calculation both in monetary and time values.

 

[Edvid]

Updated single/return fares on the 730/731 are now up.

One-way cross-Frimley journeys are still effectively priced as two adjacent £3 singles (to/from Camberley aside) and some return fares look anomalous.

 

[Non Multi]

Of course that depends where in Reading you live. If on the East Side, and have access to Earley Station, prices will be lower.

Believe £6.90 before 12:20. £7 during pre 10am peak hours. Falling to the prices I quoted in a previous post, at other times.

I'm not knocking Reading Buses, as I have liked using the 4/x4 service. However, some of us are a bit more price sensitive nowadays. Even a 'modest' pound, or two here and there, soon adds up over time.

Unfortunately the SWR 'Evening Out'/'Sunday Out' (super off peak) return has risen to £5.20 for Jan '25.

Reading & Thames Valley have a mobile app only carnet ticket 'Daysave5' that might be worth consideration. 5 day tickets that you can use anytime within one year after purchase.

 

[AlastairFraser]

If we're still talking about travelling to Reading, faced with a 30-40 min walk and getting what is still a more expensive train... why would people do that?

It hinges on stuff like Railcards really and off peak travel. I agree that the bus will still win in the peak, but off peak a reasonably nice walk into Bracknell through Wildridings and a fast train into Reading may beat the slog of the 4 at that price. Even better proposition for the stops up South Hill/Bagshot Road way.

It's convenient from East Reading getting to the industrial areas too

I'd be surprised if many make that commute by public transport these days, now that rent in Reading is so high. Maybe a few families from Lower Earley or Whitley way, but a bit of a trek from the Woky road.

 

[Mark J]

Unfortunately the SWR 'Evening Out'/'Sunday Out' (super off peak) return has risen to £5.20 for Jan '25.

Reading & Thames Valley have a mobile app only carnet ticket 'Daysave5' that might be worth consideration. 5 day tickets that you can use anytime within one year after purchase.

Have been £5.20 since last March! Luckily didn't receive a further increase in September, like a good number of SWR fares did. Of course the £5.20 is non railcard price, with Railcard, falls to £3.40.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jan 2025 ==

I guess it depends how many people were >2 hours on a bus per day, rather than 40 mins on a train, to save £4 for end to end journeys between the two towns. I reckon Reading Buses established it wasn't that many.

If you're now talking about Earley, that's a different calculation both in monetary and time values.

X4 is quoted at 57 minutes from bus stop by corner of Sol Joel Park, to Bracknell Bus Station. The 4 route is over an hour, understandably as it has to go through south Bracknell too.

 

[Goldfish62]

The bottom line is that £3 is still very good value and is still considerable cheaper than most fares on the 4/X4 before the fare cap was introduced. Had the fare cap started out at £3 rather than £2 everyone would be saying what good value it was.

The thing to watch out for is the next "cliff-edge" at the end of this year when the current fare cap expires

 

[davews]

The 4/x4 is probably reasonable value for those who live in central Bracknell or in Great Hollands. Not so for us on the opposite side of town near Martins Heron.... Even with it being free for us oldies I have never used it.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

X4 is quoted at 57 minutes from bus stop by corner of Sol Joel Park, to Bracknell Bus Station. The 4 route is over an hour, understandably as it has to go through south Bracknell too.

Ok but that's only once per hour compared to the 4 (roughly). We can come up with all manner of permutations and people will make their own decisions based on their own circumstance.

We originally were talking Reading to Bracknell. If you're talking a different part of Reading or a different part of Bracknell (i.e. not centre to centre) then people make their own judgement. If people were happy to spend nearly two hours on a bus rather than 30 mins on a train to save £3 - well, that's an option that only some would go for but Reading Buses seem to think they'd be very much in the minority. I'd not do it, and I like buses

 

[Flange Squeal]

Thames Valley have now released full details of their network changes following the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead retendering, plus some Bracknell amendments.

New Services for Maidenhead, Windsor and Slough​

Today Tue 4th Mar 2025

A number of our routes in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead are run under contract on behalf of the local authority. Following retendering of the most lightly used services in the area by the Council, we will be making some changes to our services from Sunday 6th April. The great news is that we have some new routes and some big improvements to some current ones - including new connections in the local area. Some routes, however, will cease to be managed by us.
New Maidenhead Network Map
New Slough & Windsor Map
Here are the changes route by route:
New Service 1 / 1A
We are proud to have been awarded the contract by the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead to operate this quirky route from Ascot to Windsor via Sunningdale and Windsor Great Park. Running through the Crown Estate, which is closed to most vehicles, this is a great way to access and explore the stunning grounds.
Service 1A will serve Old Windsor at school times and on Saturdays/Bank Holidays. On weekdays, buses will extend to Dedworth via Vale Road, St Andrew’s Crescent, and Wolf Lane, replacing part of Service W1. The simplySlough & Windsor fare zone will be extended to include Old Windsor and The Village in Windsor Great Park.
Click here for our new 1/1A timetable
Improved Service 2
This will now run from Windsor to Dedworth, then via Maidenhead Road and Windsor Relief Road to Slough. Combined with Service 16, it will provide a half-hourly service between Windsor and Dedworth along Dedworth Road. In Dedworth, buses will serve Ruddlesway, Testwood Road, Longmead, and Smiths Lane, offering a fast link to Slough in as little as 11 minutes. Service 2 will no longer serve Wolf Lane and Foster Avenue which will be served by our new Services 1/1A
From Slough, Service 2 will also extend to Wexham Park Hospital via Farnham Road, creating a new direct link from Windsor and Dedworth. In Slough town centre, buses will serve Landmark Place and Bay 11 on Brunel Way but no longer stop at Wellington Street (Stop Y).
Click here for our new 2 timetable
Service 3 Change of Operator
This service has been taken over by Carousel Buses and will run to a slightly altered route. On Mondays to Saturdays, our Service 7 will extend hourly to St Mark’s Hospital via Boyn Hill Road and Wootton Way.
Improved Service 7
There will be a new improved timetable with later buses running until 2220 on Mondays to Saturdays. The frequency from Woodlands Park to Maidenhead will remain half hourly, with one bus per hour extending to St Mark’s Hospital via Boyn Hill Road and Wootton Way (these journeys will serve Broadway instead of Frascati Way). For most of the day, one bus per hour will change at Frascati Way into a Service 16 to Windsor, allowing seamless connections. Most buses coming back from Windsor will turn into Service 7 back to Woodlands Park. The diversion of some journeys to Ockwells Estate has been discontinued due to low passenger numbers.
Click here for our new 7 timetable
Service 8 Change of Operator
This service has been taken over by Carousel Buses and will run to a slightly altered route, as well as being renumbered to Service 4.
Service 9 Change of Operator
This service has been taken over by Carousel Buses, but will no longer serve Belmont Road. The great news for Belmont Road customers is that we have our new services 227/228 which will serve this area!
Service 15 Change of Operator
This service has been taken over by Carousel Buses and will have a new timetable.
Improved Service 16
This will run as an express service between Windsor and Maidenhead, with end-to-end journeys in as little as 28 minutes. The route will no longer serves Bray or Fifield, which are now covered by Carousel Buses 37/37B. Along with Service 2, there will be a half-hourly frequency between Windsor and Dedworth via Dedworth Road.
Click here for our new 16 timetable
Improved Service 53
A revised timetable is being introduced to improve reliability. On Saturdays, buses will run hourly between Wexham Park Hospital and Bracknell via Maidenhead.
Click here for our new 53 timetable
No change to Service 127
Our Saturdays only Service 127 will remain unchanged.
New Services 227/227A
Service 227 is a new route which will operate between Maidenhead and Twyford Railway Station, serving Belmont Road, St Mark’s Hospital, Knowl Hill, Waltham St Lawrence and Shurlock Row, other than some small changes, this replaces the existing route 234. Route 227A operates as a variant at school times to serve Cox Green, Altwood and Newlands Schools.
On Saturdays, the number of journeys has been doubled, all operating between Maidenhead and Twyford.
Click here for our new 227/227A timetable
New Service 228
The 228 is a replacement for Service 239 operating between Maidenhead and Henley, but will now additionally serve Belmont Road and Stubbings Garden Centre. There will be later journeys to and from Henley, with the last journey being 1740 on weekdays and 1620 on Saturdays.
Click here for our new 228 timetable
Discontinued Services 234/235
These routes are being withdrawn, but will largely be replaced by our new services 227 and school variant 227A. White Waltham will be served by Carousel Buses Service 3A.
Discontinued Services 238/239
These routes are being withdrawn, but Service 239 will be replaced by our new Service 228. The 238 route to Cookham Dean is not being replaced due to very low passenger numbers.

Source: https://www.thamesvalleybuses.com/new-services-maidenhead-windsor-and-slough

Changes to Services in Bracknell & Crowthorne​

Today Tue 4th Mar 2025

Working with Bracknell Forest Council and using some funds from UK Government, we are pleased to announce some improvements to some of our services operating in Bracknell Forest as well as a new route being operated under contract to Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead.
New Bracknell Network Map
New Service 1/1A
We have been awarded the contract by Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead to operate this service which runs from Ascot to Windsor via Sunningdale and Windsor Great Park. Regarded as one of the most unusual routes in the country, it passes through the Crown Estate which is restricted to most vehicles. The 1A variant runs at school times and on Saturdays/Bank Holidays via Old Windsor. On weekdays, the route will extend to Dedworth to replace parts of current service W1. The simplyBracknell & Wokingham fare zone be extended to cover South Ascot.
Click here for our new1/1A timetable
Improved Service 53
Service 53 has been suffering from reliability issues, so we are introducing a new more resilient timetable. On Saturdays, buses will run hourly through to Maidenhead and Wexham Park Hospital.
Click here for our new 53 timetable
Improved Service 108
The 108 will have an increased frequency, with two buses per hour replacing the current 40-minute frequency Monday to Saturday. Due to stand clashes with the new times, service 108 will return to departing from Bay 6 at Bracknell Bus Station.
Click here for our new 108 timetable
Improved Service 156
The 156 will no longer interwork with Service 53 to improve it's reliability and has a revised timetable with most journeys running a little earlier. There will be a new later weekday journey at 1930.
Click here for our new 156 timetable
Revised routes for Services 157/158
These services have been rerouted to serve the new residential developments near Temple Way and Sopwith Road, and they will also now serve Moordale Avenue. There is a new timetable on both routes, but each will remain approximately hourly across the day.
Click here for our new 157/158 timetable
Improved Service 598
The route for the 598 has been extended to run to and from Crowthorne Railway Station. Although still running only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, there will be an additional return journey between Crowthorne and Camberley.
Click here for our new 598 timetable
There will be no changes to our routes 171/172, 194 or 703 at this time.

Source: https://www.thamesvalleybuses.com/changes-services-bracknell-crowthorne

 

[Mgameing123]

Thames Valley have now released full details of their network changes following the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead retendering, plus some Bracknell amendments.


Source: https://www.thamesvalleybuses.com/new-services-maidenhead-windsor-and-slough


Source: https://www.thamesvalleybuses.com/changes-services-bracknell-crowthorne

Glad to finally see a faster bus service between Maidenhead and Windsor. And I’m also glad to see Carousel providing evening service on their 37. This means the last bus from Maidenhead is now at 21:15 instead of 18:45 and the bus can finally be a good alternative to the car.

 

[Mark J]

I can't understand why Carousel operate the weekday 127 Reading to Maidenhead service, when Thames Valley Buses operate this on a Saturday (at a vastly reduced frequency).

Surely either Thames Valley, or Carousel should be operating the 127 Monday through to Saturday, with a better frequency on a Saturday.

However, the 127 Monday to Friday service certainly is a welcome addition. Especially with Reading to Maidenhead non discounted train fares now standing at £9.20 - a £1.20 increase in the space of a year!!

 

[Mgameing123]

I can't understand why Carousel operate the weekday 127 Reading to Maidenhead service, when Thames Valley Buses operate this on a Saturday (at a vastly reduced frequency).

Surely either Thames Valley, or Carousel should be operating the 127 Monday through to Saturday, with a better frequency on a Saturday.

However, the 127 Monday to Friday service certainly is a welcome addition. Especially with Reading to Maidenhead non discounted train fares now standing at £9.20 - a £1.20 increase in the space of a year!!

It’s because they want to still provide 3 buses an hour between Twyford and Reading during the daytime as so they can increase their market share in Maidenhead.

 

[Mark J]

It’s because they want to still provide 3 buses an hour between Twyford and Reading during the daytime as so they can increase their market share in Maidenhead.

Personally, I would of had either Carousel, or Thames Valley Buses run all 127 services.

For those of us not in receipt of a bus pass. The 127 can be done for as little as £4.40 return. If you buy the Zone C 'Any 5 day' ticket. Otherwise it is £5.20 return, for a standard Zone C day ticket.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Personally, I would have had either Carousel, or Thames Valley Buses run all 127 services.

The Saturday service operated by Thames Valley is contracted by Wokingham Borough Council to Thames Valley for whatever the contract length is before retendering, where as I believe Carousel’s new weekday service is a commercial venture by the operator rather than them having been chosen by anyone to operate it.

 

[Mgameing123]

Personally, I would of had either Carousel, or Thames Valley Buses run all 127 services.

For those of us not in receipt of a bus pass. The 127 can be done for as little as £4.40 return. If you buy the Zone C 'Any 5 day' ticket. Otherwise it is £5.20 return, for a standard Zone C day ticket.

I think it would be better if Thames Valley was the sole operator of the 127. Then maybe they would consider merging it with the 16 to run an hourly bus between Reading and Windsor via Maidenhead.

 

[cactustwirly]

I think it would be better if Thames Valley was the sole operator of the 127. Then maybe they would consider merging it with the 16 to run an hourly bus between Reading and Windsor via Maidenhead.

That's not going to happen they have shown no interest in operating it on a commercial basis
I don't see what the issue is, they're both £3 singles

 

[AlastairFraser]

That's not going to happen they have shown no interest in operating it on a commercial basis
I don't see what the issue is, they're both £3 singles

It would become awkward if you used it to commute and had to buy a separate ticket on Sat (in addition to a better value Carousel Zone based ticket).

 

[Mark J]

The Saturday service operated by Thames Valley is contracted by Wokingham Borough Council to Thames Valley for whatever the contract length is before retendering, where as I believe Carousel’s new weekday service is a commercial venture by the operator rather than them having been chosen by anyone to operate it.

Considering that Carousel now operate to both Windsor and Slough, it would make longer term sense to extend the 127 to either of those destinations. At present, the only way to get to Windsor (from Reading) during the day is 4/4a to Bracknell, then a green line 70x service onwards to Windsor.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Considering that Carousel now operate to both Windsor and Slough, it would make longer term sense to extend the 127 to either of those destinations. At present, the only way to get to Windsor (from Reading) during the day is 4/4a to Bracknell, then a green line 70x service onwards to Windsor.

Although there is no way 90% of people will consider taking a bus for that journey, when it takes approx. 40 mins on the train. It's going to be at least 50 mins Reading to Maidenhead alone.

What the new weekday service will be especially useful for is peak commuting in either direction.
Twyford's car park is often rammed and people living in Hare Hatch/Knowl Hill/Littlewick Green will now be able to jump on a bus for around a maximum of 20 mins to a stop in Maidenhead/Twyford less than 5 mins walk from the station and jump on a train (depending on which village), without worrying about parking issues.

 

[cactustwirly]

It would become awkward if you used it to commute and had to buy a separate ticket on Sat (in addition to a better value Carousel Zone based ticket).

How many people does this really affect?
The Saturday service is very sparse and is financially supported

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

How many people does this really affect?
The Saturday service is very sparse and is financially supported

Exactly my thoughts, esp as first arrival into Reading is 1120. Even first one into Maidenhead is 0930.

 

[AlastairFraser]

How many people does this really affect?
The Saturday service is very sparse and is financially supported

Not many, but it would be nice to incentivise people using the bus for leisure travel too and having this route operated by one company only will help to build ridership.

 

[Simon75]

Looking up there operators license, notice they have 2 depots on Bracknell and Slough bus station.
Wasn't one of Bracknell depos ex First bus. Also is Slough bus station big enough or safe to outstation a few buses after the fire there ?

 

[AlastairFraser]

Looking up there operators license, notice they have 2 depots on Bracknell and Slough bus station.
Wasn't one of Bracknell depos ex First bus. Also is Slough bus station big enough or safe to outstation a few buses after the fire there ?

Reading Buses bought Courtney Buses and then renamed it to Thames Valley.
First sold most of their Bracknell operations to Courtney about 10 years now I think.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Looking up there operators license, notice they have 2 depots on Bracknell and Slough bus station.
Wasn't one of Bracknell depos ex First bus. Also is Slough bus station big enough or safe to outstation a few buses after the fire there ?

The First depot was on Market Street, and Courtney Buses (the independent operator later purchased by Reading Buses and merged into its Thames Valley brand) did move into the ex-First depot for a few years. That depot was closed for redevelopment though and is now a block of flats called The Grand Exchange, replaced by the operating centres now on the licence.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Not many, but it would be nice to incentivise people using the bus for leisure travel too and having this route operated by one company only will help to build ridership.

Whilst it would be "nice", the practical point is that the Saturday service is tendered (and you can't arbitrarily remove it from one firm and give it to another) whilst Carousel has elected to take a commercial risk on the Mon to Fri service.

Not certain how having a single operator will incentivise the bus for leisure travel?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Mar 2025 ==

The First depot was on Market Street, and Courtney Buses (the independent operator later purchased by Reading Buses and merged into its Thames Valley brand) did move into the ex-First depot for a few years. That depot was closed for redevelopment though and is now a block of flats called The Grand Exchange, replaced by the operating centres now on the licence.

Indeed - Streetview is your friend in this instance. First in 2014, site clearly closed 2015, and then Courtney 2016/7/8 before the Google car had a rest. It then returned in 2022 and some large blocks of apartments on the site.

 

[Non Multi]

Also is Slough bus station big enough or safe to outstation a few buses after the fire there ?

The bus station hardstanding was reopened to allow use of the bus stands at the western end. The entire site has been fenced off.