Carousel Buses (Go-Ahead group)

[sturfc]

Carousel's changes from the 23rd are now live on the website, this includes the 127 between Maidenhead and Reading

Service Changes from 23rd February 2025

We will be making several improvements to the Carousel Buses network from 23rd February 2025.

www.carouselbuses.co.uk

 

[Ash Saini]

Flightline 102

Service 102 will be retimed to accommodate the new timetable on service 103. The general level of service will remain the same.

For the new timetable, valid from 23rd February 2025, please click here.

103 X103

We will be introducing new later journeys on service 103. The new late evening journeys will run every hour with the last buses Monday to Saturday leaving High Wycombe at 2300 and Slough at 2355. New late buses on Sundays will also operate as service 103, offering new Sunday connections to Beaconsfield New Town after 1930, with the last buses leaving High Wycombe at 2200 and Slough at 2255.

For the new timetable, valid from 23rd February 2025, please click here.

104

Service 104 will be retimed to accommodate the new timetable on service 103. The general level of service will remain the same, with an additional evening journey introduced on Sundays.

For the new timetable, valid from 23rd February 2025, please click here.

106 107

We are pleased to be introducing a new evening and Sunday service on the 106 between Slough, Upton Lea and the Wexham Court area.

For the new timetable, valid from 23rd February 2025, please click here.

127

We will be introducing new route 127, operating up to every hour on weekdays between Maidenhead, Highway Avenue, Knowl Hill, Twyford and Reading. This will reinstate weekday links lost many years ago, offering a regular service to communities along the A4 corridor as well as direct connections to St Mark's Hospital and Maidenhead Railway Station.

The timetable is coordinated with service 850, providing up to 3 buses an hour on weekdays between Twyford and Reading..

To view the new 127 timetable and route map, effective 23rd February 2025, please click here.

275

Service 275 will be retimed to improve punctuality. The general level of service will remain the same.

For the new timetable, valid from 23rd February 2025, please click here.

850

We will be making further improvements to service 850. Buses will now operate up to every 15 minutes on weekdays between High Wycombe, Marlow and Henley-on-Thames, continuing up to every 30 minutes to Twyford and Reading. In partnership with Buckinghamshire Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Wokingham Borough Council, we will be making improvements to the evening and Sunday services, with the 850 operating up to every 30 minutes throughout.

New route 127 above will maintain the third bus per hour on weekdays between Twyford and Reading alongside service 850.

For the new timetable, valid from 23rd February 2025, please click here

 

[RELL6L]

Significant and interesting improvements although some not requiring massive extra resources.
The increase in the 30 and extension of the 31 only add one bus - 4 now combined becoming 2 on the 30 and 3 on the 31. It isn't a substantial extension of the 31 to Beaconsfield - only 10 minutes. I hope this attracts passengers.
The increase of the 32 from x20 to x15 is only between the peak hours and is being managed with just 6 vehicles (currently 5). When Arriva ran every 15 minutes (as the 2 and 12) they used 7 vehicles. I wonder how resilient this will be - although there are pauses at the bus station each way.
The 34 is a sizeable improvement, doubling the service to Lane End and adding a mostly new route through the eastern part of town - half hourly instead of occasional. This looks to be partly BSIP funded.
The 850 remains at 11 vehicles, just deployed differently with more at the eastern end. I am disappointed that there is no departure from High Wycombe after 21.30 but otherwise it is a good service.
The 127 is just two vehicles running hourly. I had expected it to interwork at the Maidenhead end with the 37 but it is at totally different parts of the hour. I wonder how and where they will arrange driver reliefs.

 

[cactustwirly]

Significant and interesting improvements although some not requiring massive extra resources.
The increase in the 30 and extension of the 31 only add one bus - 4 now combined becoming 2 on the 30 and 3 on the 31. It isn't a substantial extension of the 31 to Beaconsfield - only 10 minutes. I hope this attracts passengers.
The increase of the 32 from x20 to x15 is only between the peak hours and is being managed with just 6 vehicles (currently 5). When Arriva ran every 15 minutes (as the 2 and 12) they used 7 vehicles. I wonder how resilient this will be - although there are pauses at the bus station each way.
The 34 is a sizeable improvement, doubling the service to Lane End and adding a mostly new route through the eastern part of town - half hourly instead of occasional. This looks to be partly BSIP funded.
The 850 remains at 11 vehicles, just deployed differently with more at the eastern end. I am disappointed that there is no departure from High Wycombe after 21.30 but otherwise it is a good service.
The 127 is just two vehicles running hourly. I had expected it to interwork at the Maidenhead end with the 37 but it is at totally different parts of the hour. I wonder how and where they will arrange driver reliefs.

The 127 could also interwork from the Reading end with the 850

 

[RELL6L]

The 127 could also interwork from the Reading end with the 850

It could- but clearly that is not the plan. Again they are at different times past each hour.

 

[Parebunks]

The 127 is just two vehicles running hourly. I had expected it to interwork at the Maidenhead end with the 37 but it is at totally different parts of the hour. I wonder how and where they will arrange driver reliefs.

Something of a moot point with the 127 if a Maidenhead outstation is opening in April - they may be planning to just run dead out from Wycombe for now then move it over once the other RBWM contracts start.

 

[sturfc]

In reference to the 34, the existing Lane End section stays the same, the improvement being the introduction of the Sunday service. The new eastern end as stated above offers new connections, but follows the route of the 33 towards Totteridge before picking up part of what was the hourly 39, which gives that road 6 buses an hour Mon to Sat daytime, compared to 4 now. Then the route partly replaces the eastern end of the existing 27, which gives that area considerably more buses per day. Unfortunately part of the 39 is therefore not replaced

 

[MaidaVale]

I was trying to figure out what's tendered by RBWM and what Thames Valley are running commercially.

Commercial and/or likely unaffected routes run by Thames Valley Buses:

• 2 Dedworth - Windsor - Slough
• 5* Cippenham - Slough - Datchet - Poyle - Heathrow Terminal 5
• 7 Maidenhead - Woodlands Park.
• 53** Bracknell - Holyport - Maidenhead - Burnham - Britwell - Wexham Park Hospital, Slough

Tendered and run by Thames Valley:

• 3 Maidenhead town circular via Highfield Lane
• 8 Maidenhead town circular via Boulters Lock
• 9 Maidenhead town circular via Cranford Drive
• 15 Eton Wick - Eton - Slough
• 16 Maidenhead - Windsor via Dedworth
• 127 Maidenehad - Reading via A4 (Saturdays only)
• 234 Maidenhead villages circular via Waltham St Lawrence
• 235 Maidenhead - Hare Hatch
• 238 Maidenhead - Cookham Dean via Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) & Bisham (Tue & Thu only)
• 239 Maidenhead - Henley via St Mark's Hospital & BCA

*Route supported by funding from Heathrow Airport Ltd.
**Route supported by funding from Bracknell Forest, RBWM and Bucks. I think it's tendered by Bracknell Forest.

Alongside commercial routes, the 16 will also be retained by TVB, albeit on a slightly different routing. I've not got the entire specific list, although it's been said that Thames Valley will lose a lot of the Maidenhead town routes to Carousel, but will also gain some as yet unspecified services in the process.

 

[Mgameing123]

Alongside commercial routes, the 16 will also be retained by TVB, albeit on a slightly different routing. I've not got the entire specific list, although it's been said that Thames Valley will lose a lot of the Maidenhead town routes to Carousel, but will also gain some as yet unspecified services in the process.

So there is not going to be a High Wycombe to Windsor via Maidenhead bus?

 

[Mark L]

The only other option I could think of involves White Bus route P1 (which is another Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council contracted route, which runs between Windsor and Datchet and interworked with the W1 between Windsor and Dedworth via Clewer). If the council are tendering all their other contracted routes, including White Bus' 01 in Lot 4, could it be that the P1/W1 are also part of this tender round?

If so then as you say replicating the 8 would be pointless during the daytime. If it isn't extra evening trips, then a Windsor to Staines route could replace the P1 between Windsor and Datchet, then run on to Staines via Sunnymeads and Wraysbury (so Windsor - Datchet - Sunnymeads - Wraysbury - Staines). This would replicate the railway line and intermediate settlements between the two towns though. The Bear Buses 305 (a Surrey County Council contracted route) already links Datchet (a fairly recent diversion to the route) - Wraysbury - Staines, albeit via a different route between Datchet and Wraysbury. A single journey in connection with a school flow runs Sunnymeads - Wraysbury - Staines, however all other journeys serve Datchet but omit Sunnymeads to instead serve Horton and Wraysbury station. That said, I'm not sure how much custom a regular daytime bus through Sunnymeads would attract, as the houses are generally on the larger size with a plentiful supply of cars on their driveways.

Bear Buses 305 is a RBWM contract not Surrey CC.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Bear Buses 305 is a RBWM contract not Surrey CC.

Do you know what percentage of costs Surrey contribute to it?

 

[Mark L]

Do you know what percentage of costs Surrey contribute to it?

As far as I’m aware nothing. The only part of the county it serves is a short stretch from Staines town centre along the Wraysbury Road to the county boundary and apart from Staines bus station, a couple of stops in the town centre and one (in the Staines direction) just west of the site of Staines West station (which has a lay-by that’s always occupied by parked cars) I don’t think there are any stops in Surrey. It exists largely to allow residents in Poyle and Wraysbury (both of which are in RBWM) get to Staines rather than allowing Surrey folk to go anywhere.

 

[Flange Squeal]

As far as I’m aware nothing. The only part of the county it serves is a short stretch from Staines town centre along the Wraysbury Road to the county boundary and apart from Staines bus station and a couple of stops in the town centre I don’t think there are any stops in Surrey. It exists largely to allow residents in Poyle and Wraysbury (both of which are in RBWM) get to Staines rather than allowing Surrey folk to go anywhere.

Interesting, as Surrey County Council have "This service is operated on behalf of Surrey County Council" on the timetable displayed on their website here, as well as in their 'Chertsey, Staines & Walton' printed timetable book. This is the same wording they use on services they either wholly tender or support elements of.

 

[Mark L]

As far as I’m aware nothing. The only part of the county it serves is a short stretch from Staines town centre along the Wraysbury Road to the county boundary and apart from Staines bus station, a couple of stops in the town centre and one (in the Staines direction) just west of the site of Staines West station (which has a lay-by that’s always occupied by parked cars) I don’t think there are any stops in Surrey. It exists largely to allow residents in Poyle and Wraysbury (both of which are in RBWM) get to Staines rather than allowing Surrey folk to go anywhere.

Interesting - I think it’s an oversight as the latest printed timetable states that the service is operated on behalf of RBWM and Slough BC. The on line registration - https://www.vehicle-operator-licens...registered-local-bus-services/details/602536/ notes Surrey as the only authority served by the route (which is clearly wrong) and it has never appeared in the list of tendered routes published by SCC.

The printed timetable doesn’t reflect the council’s part funding of route 216 but it does, incorrectly, assert that SCC supports route 203 and 290.

 

[Mgameing123]

Guys will the 37 still be extended to Windsor?

 

[greenline712]

Guys will the 37 still be extended to Windsor?

No .... see post #279! The existing Route 16 will remain.

 

[markymark2000]

No .... see post #279! The existing Route 16 will remain.

Post 279 is just the tender spec, not necessarily what was actually awarded. Of note, one of the first lines quoted in post 279 is the following:

but note that bus operators have latitude to propose alternative solutions in their bids and all of the below is subject to negotiation during the tendering process, with the final routes, times, destinations and so forth will only be confirmed upon awarding of contract to the successful bidder.

With this in mind, Carousel could be extending the 37 if that was one of the alternative bids made. Of course it may also be the case that the 16 remains. I don't think we will find out though until Carousel release their service updates.

 

[Mgameing123]

No .... see post #279! The existing Route 16 will remain.

Route 16 today is rather slow. Maybe Carousel wants to make a direct bus to Windsor which stays on the A308. It would only require 1 bus.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Feb 2025 ==

Alongside commercial routes, the 16 will also be retained by TVB, albeit on a slightly different routing. I've not got the entire specific list, although it's been said that Thames Valley will lose a lot of the Maidenhead town routes to Carousel, but will also gain some as yet unspecified services in the process.

Where did you find this information?

 

[Simon75]

Wonder if they will re instate a Watford to High Wycombe service?

 

[Mgameing123]

Wonder if they will re instate a Watford to High Wycombe service?

Carousel definitely won't. Maybe another company could or at the very least reinstate the Amersham - Watford section.

 

[PeterC]

Carousel have gained the contract for local services around Chesham and Amersham from Red Rose. It will he interesting to see if these stay as a standalone group or if there will be some integration with the existing routes.

 

[Mgameing123]

Carousel have gained the contract for local services around Chesham and Amersham from Red Rose. It will he interesting to see if these stay as a standalone group or if there will be some integration with the existing routes.

Perhaps they might divert the 1B via Coleshill?

 

[Flange Squeal]

Carousel have gained the contract for local services around Chesham and Amersham from Red Rose. It will he interesting to see if these stay as a standalone group or if there will be some integration with the existing routes.

Is there anything official available yet about this or the results of the Windsor and Maidenhead council tenders (beyond what was written on the Oxford & Chilterns Bus Page)?

 

[PeterC]

Is there anything official available yet about this or the results of the Windsor and Maidenhead council tenders (beyond what was written on the Oxford & Chilterns Bus Page)?

The Chesham one appeared on bidstats this week.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Feb 2025 ==

Perhaps they might divert the 1B via Coleshill?

Depends how much alteration can be fitted within the existing PVR for the One. The Red Rose contract uses 2 vehicles. I am wondering if they can lose one of these by tweaking the commercial routes.

 

[Mgameing123]

The Chesham one appeared on bidstats this week.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Feb 2025 ==


Depends how much alteration can be fitted within the existing PVR for the One. The Red Rose contract uses 2 vehicles. I am wondering if they can lose one of these by tweaking the commercial routes.

Well I do believe they will tweak the One to furfill the contract requirements.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Carousel gave now released full details of their Windsor & Maidenhead services from 6th April:

New services in Windsor & Maidenhead from 6th April 2025​

Today Tue 4th Mar 2025

We are excited to announce that we will be introducing new, improved connections in and around Windsor and Maidenhead from 6th April.​

Borough Bus 3 3A
We will be taking over service 3 from Thames Valley Buses, operating a revised route between Maidenhead, St Mark’s Hospital, Wootton Way, Altwood Road and Farmers Way. Quicker, more direct journey opportunities will be created with service 3 operating via Wootton Way and St Mark’s Hospital in both directions. Buses will operate up to every 60 minutes, 7 days a week.
New evening journeys will operate, with the last departure from Maidenhead Frascati Way to Farmers Way now running at 2130 on Mondays to Saturdays, and at 2151 from Highfield Lane to Maidenhead town centre. On Sundays, the last bus will now be at 1930 from Maidenhead Frascati Way to Farmers Way, and 1951 from Highfield Lane to Maidenhead town centre.
Additionally, new service 3A will link White Waltham, Woodlands Park and Cox Green with Farmers Way, Altwood Road, Wootton Way, St Mark’s Hospital and Maidenhead.
To see the timetable for services 3 3A, please click here, and to see a copy of the route map, please click here. You can find an interactive timetable, showing all stops, here.

Carousel Country 127 will continue to provide direct links between the Highway Avenue and Newlands Drive area to the hospital and town centre, as well as running to Knowl Hill, Twyford and Reading up to every 60 minutes. Click here to see the timetable for service 127, and here for a route map. You can find an interactive timetable, showing all stops, here.

Borough Bus 4
Service 4 will replace the links currently provided by Thames Valley Buses service 8. Buses will operate on a revised route through the Ray Mill and Boulters Lock area, with new stops along Blackamoor Lane and Ray Park Road in both directions, perfect for quick journeys into town.
New Monday to Saturday evening journeys will operate, with the last departure from Maidenhead Frascati Way to Boulters Lock now running at 2055.
Additionally, a Sunday service will be restored to this part of Maidenhead, operating every hour from 0855 to 1955 from Maidenhead Frascati Way to Boulters Lock, and 0910 to 2010 from Boulters Lock to Maidenhead town centre.
To see the timetable, please click here, and to see a copy of the route map, please click here. You can find an interactive timetable, showing all stops, here.

Borough Bus 7A
New service 7A will connect Cox Green, Larchfield and Desborough Road with Maidenhead town centre. Buses will operate up to every 30 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays, with an easy to remember timetable throughout the day, from around 0600 to 2000.
To see the new times, please click here, and here for a map of the route. You can find an interactive timetable, showing all stops, here.

Borough Bus 9
We will be taking over Maidenhead service 9, currently operated by Thames Valley Buses, linking Furze Platt, Cranbrook Drive and Halifax Road with St Mark’s Hospital and Maidenhead town centre.
There will be some amendments to the route, with buses running via Castle Hill between St Mark’s Hospital and town. We’re excited to be making some frequency improvements on weekdays, with buses operating up to every 30 minutes at most times during the day.
Additionally, there will be a more comprehensive evening service provided on all days of the week, with new late evening journeys. On Mondays to Saturdays, the last bus will now be at 2215 from Maidenhead Frascati Way, departing Halifax Road at 2236 and St Mark’s Hospital at 2240. On Sundays, the last bus will now be at 2015 from Maidenhead Frascati Way, departing Halifax Road at 2036 and St Mark’s Hospital at 2040.
To see the new times, please click here, and here for a map of the route. You can find an interactive timetable, showing all stops, here.

Carousel Country 10 10A
New services 10 and 10A will provide an hourly service between Windsor, Datchet, Wraysbury, Hythe End and Staines, on Monday to Saturday daytimes. It’s the fastest way between Windsor and Staines by bus!
On schooldays, we’ll be operating journeys to and from Magna Carta school in Staines, and it’s very easy to travel to Churchmead School in Datchet, using the bus stops at The Green.
To see the new timetable, please click here, and here for a copy of the route map. You can find an interactive timetable, showing all stops, here.

Carousel Country 15
We will be taking over service 15, replacing the Slough to Eton Wick route currently operated by Thames Valley Buses.
Buses will run more regularly at peak times, and most journeys will extend beyond Eton Wick to provide new connections to Dorney Court, Bishops Centre and Taplow Sainsbury’s.
Please click here to see the new timetable, and here for a route map of new service 15. You can find an interactive timetable, showing all stops, here.

Carousel Country 37 37B 37M 37S
Services 37 and 37B, currently operating between High Wycombe, Bourne End, Cookham, Furze Platt and Maidenhead, will extend via Bray, Fifield and Dedworth to Windsor.
This replaces the village links currently provided by Thames Valley Buses service 16, and opens up new links from north of Maidenhead town centre to Windsor. Buses will run up to every hour from early to late, 7 days a week.
New late evening journeys are introduced with support from RBWM, with services running as late as 2115 from Maidenhead to Windsor and around 2200 from Windsor to Maidenhead and High Wycombe.
On schooldays, service 37M will provide links from Windsor, Dedworth, Fifield and Bray across Maidenhead to Newlands School and Furze Platt Senior School.
In High Wycombe, all buses will operate via Kingsmead Road instead of London Road (frequent services operate up to every 15 minutes with Carousel Country services 102, 103 and 104).
For a timetable showing all journeys between High Wycombe, Maidenhead and Windsor, please click here. You can find an interactive timetable, showing all stops, here.

Borough Bus 52
We’ll providing new daytime journeys between Holyport, Bray Wick and Maidenhead town centre, providing enhanced connectivity to residents around Stompits Road and Stroud Farm Road.
Please click here to see the timetable, and here for a map of service 52. You can find an interactive timetable, showing all stops, here.

Source: https://www.carouselbuses.co.uk/new-services-windsor-maidenhead-6th-april-2025

 

[Mgameing123]

Carousel gave now released full details of their Windsor & Maidenhead services from 6th April:


Source: https://www.carouselbuses.co.uk/new-services-windsor-maidenhead-6th-april-2025

Good to finally see evening service between Maidenhead and Windsor.

 

[Parebunks]

Scrolling through the 'times & maps' page on their website it looks like there's some more contract wins from Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire councils coming in at the same time, mostly at the expense of Red Rose:
- 71 (Chesham to Whelpley Hill), previously Red Rose
- 72/A, 73/A/S (Chesham to Amersham and Coleshill), previously Red Rose
- 77/177/190 (Chesham to Chartridge), previously Red Eagle
- 78/79 (Chesham to Great Hivings), previously Red Rose
- 112/113 (Watlington to Reading), previously Red Rose
- 116/117 (Watlington to Thame), previously Red Rose
- 149/194 (Chesham rural circulars), previously Red Rose
- 320/620 (Chinnor to Princes Risborough), previously Red Rose
Seems to be nothing but up for Carousel at the moment, this does get very close to cementing a monopoly on South Buckinghamshire. Honestly seems like enough that it might be difficult for them to resource with just the already announced new vehicles? Some of these new contracts are very infrequent, though.

 

[Mgameing123]

Scrolling through the 'times & maps' page on their website it looks like there's some more contract wins from Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire councils coming in at the same time, mostly at the expense of Red Rose:
- 71 (Chesham to Whelpley Hill), previously Red Rose
- 72/A, 73/A/S (Chesham to Amersham and Coleshill), previously Red Rose
- 77/177/190 (Chesham to Chartridge), previously Red Eagle
- 78/79 (Chesham to Great Hivings), previously Red Rose
- 112/113 (Watlington to Reading), previously Red Rose
- 116/117 (Watlington to Thame), previously Red Rose
- 149/194 (Chesham rural circulars), previously Red Rose
- 320/620 (Chinnor to Princes Risborough), previously Red Rose
Seems to be nothing but up for Carousel at the moment, this does get very close to cementing a monopoly on South Buckinghamshire. Honestly seems like enough that it might be difficult for them to resource with just the already announced new vehicles? Some of these new contracts are very infrequent, though.

It is very scary how big of a monopoly they are becoming. Once they gobbled up the entire plate then it’s a matter of time before they water down the bus service.

 

[greenline712]

It is very scary how big of a monopoly they are becoming. Once they gobbled up the entire plate then it’s a matter of time before they water down the bus service.

Why? I don't see the rationale for that comment at all. That simply isn't the way with GoAhead elsewhere .... sure they innovate, and by the very nature of innovation not everything will succeed .... but a goodly chunk of their future expansion here is based on tender wins; and they will run for the life of the new contracts.
A lot of the Chesham and Maidenhead work will be contracted, after all.

It's worth noting that, with Arriva in the picture prior to last July, the service patterns were stagnating, with only limited innovation by Carousel as they needed to ensure that there were no gaps for Arriva to exploit.

Now, with something of a monopoly in South Bucks, we are seeing a comprehensive network, with all the benefits that many commentators have been asking for. And this is all done without any mention of franchising .... deregulation at it's best!!