OCBP Issue 108
updated February 24th.
I feel that the time has come to devote a full page to this operator which is expanding at a considerable rate!
click on the Logo above for the current
timetable.
The Reading fleet has gained and is gaining greater prestige within the industry having gained several awards during recent years. To see these click on the link below.
You may be familiar with Reading's brightly coloured buses but you may not be aware of their history and success story.
Reading buses are proud to have been transporting customers in and around Reading for over 100 years. Yes, there’s a lot of history but they're committed to providing a quality bus service with a strong focus on customer service and innovation. Along with their owners, Reading Borough Council (RBC), they're successfully reducing car dependency for access to the area, both for visitors and residents.
It is this approach which has made Reading buses a success story. Just under 70% of the fleet of 168 buses is now very environmentally-friendly and includes 31 hybrid, 34 gas and 24 Euro6 diesel buses, so they're dramatically improving the air quality for all Reading’s people too. With free WiFi & many USB charging points available on the buses we are making sure customers can stay connected too! To see the fleet details click on the picture above.
Of particular interest is the future vehicle specification quoted on the company web site by Engineering and from 2015 until now one can see the work put in and the fruits of their labours.
This is presently much in evidence with the newly acquired Green Line 702 service. A number of demonstration vehicles have been in use in recent weeks as can be seen from the pictures below.
From the companies web site "Welcome to Green Line! We took over Green Line 702 from First Group after they withdrew from the service and we have now started running the service. All existing season and period tickets will still be valid and, for now, the timetable will stay broadly the same, although all London bound journeys will run 5 minutes earlier to make sure we don’t run late leaving London.
Because we’re not taking over the previous fleet of buses, for the next 8-9 months we will be using a mix of suitable vehicles from the existing Reading Buses fleet which have high back coach-style seats and some temporary vehicles hired in, including a small number of full-specification coaches. All vehicles will, of course, be fitted with free WiFi.
Pictures by Gavin Francis
Jet Red 4 waiting time when working the 702 is seen at the terminus in Green
Line - Bulleid Way London on January 4th.
Somewhat off its normal routes between Newbury and Thatcham !
Green Line branded 10 - SP57CNK- one of three hired from Stagecoach, seen at the
terminus in Green Line - Bulleid Way London on January 5th.
12 - SP57CNU third of three hired from Stagecoach, seen working the 702, turns
on to Elizabeth Bridge on January 12th
The picture on the right shows the rear of these coaches.
Mention is made above of the use of non branded vehicles, including some Reading
branded coach seated buses.
Here we have 759 in generic livery waiting time whilst working the 702 at
Bulleid Way
Another demonstrator with Reading given fleet number 778 - YN16CFU - in Bulleid
Way Victoria on February 2nd working the 702.
1212 with Vamooz wrap on the 702 in Bulleid Way, the date January 6th.
Saloon number 26 YN17ONL a Scania K250UB4-Irizar i3 working the 702 in Bulleid
Way on January 4th.
Another demonstrator, this time an ADL given fleet number 779 and seen working
the 702 in Bulleid Way on January 20th.
Number 12 working the 1800 702 through to Reading from London on February 9th.
It is interesting to note that after 1700 coaches run through Reading!
Loan Scania number 12 working the 702 in Reading on January 2nd by Simon
Caygill
A visit to Bracknell before Reading on the 702 by Gavin Francis.
Acquired from University of Portsmouth;
1210, an Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Alexander Dennis Trident,
now operated by Reading Buses in Lion livery for routes recently taken over from
First between Reading and Bracknell.
420 is an
Alexander Dennis Enviro300SG Scania K270UB seen working the 3b at
Bracknell.
We now look forward to Gavin's next visit to Bracknell.
Thames Valley in the coming months.
From the Fylde Bus Blog - Editor Paul Turner
Recently withdrawn new to
Isle of Man Dennis Tridents 349 to 352 (E16BTS to E19BTS) have been sold to
Reading Buses. 350 left on 25 January, with 349 leaving on 31 January and are
being repainted at a contractor before delivery to Reading. They are expected to
be used on football extras.
These are the latest buses to flow between Reading and Blackpool. This
started in the 1996/7s. In 1994 a new local operator, Reading Mainline,
introduced competing services using ex London Routemasters. Their fleet grew to
around 40 buses and they acquired Blackpool's redundant Routemasters in 1997.
521 to 531/3 became Mainline 33 to 44, albeit not in order. Two (522/9) were not
used, but the rest entered service in their red and cream livery – applied by
BTS.
Reading Buses responded with additional minibuses. This included five City
Pacers purchased from Blackpool in late 1996. Pioneer 560 became 222, 556 to 558
became 223/19/21 and 566 became 218. This ran until late 1998 (except 556 which
was withdrawn earlier).
Reading Buses purchased Mainline in 1998 and progressively withdrew its
inherited Routemasters, closing the unit on 22 July 2000. Ex Blackpool 526
became the last to operate.
Moving forward to 2008, Reading Buses was disposing its fleet of 64 Optare
Excels after around 8 to 10 years service. 932 to 936 were sold to Blackpool
Transport becoming 222 to 226. 225 became Blackpool's last Excel in 2016 and is
now back in the home area with Morton's Travel of Basingstoke.
Most recently Blackpool Solos 251/2/4/6/8/60 were sold to Newbury and
District in West Berkshire.