Editing Reading Buses (section)

==Current operations==
===Reading Buses===
Reading Transport operates public service buses under the Reading Buses brand throughout the town of Reading, and along a number of corridors out to other local towns. All routes have a colour scheme, a concept first introduced in 2004 with the introduction of 'Premier Routes', where each route or group of routes allocated a distinctive colour. These colours are used on the buses used on that route, and also on maps and other publicity. Urban town area routes provide a weekday daytime frequency of between 2 and 8 buses per hour, depending on the route.<ref name=rbpr>{{cite web | title = Reading Buses – Premier routes | url = http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/quality-routes/ | publisher = Reading Transport Ltd | access-date = 9 February 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080720172058/http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/quality-routes/ | archive-date = 20 July 2008 | url-status = live}}</ref>
Five of the urban routes now operate 24 hours a day, reflecting the level of demand for local buses around the clock:
* Emerald 5 and 6 to [[Whitley, Reading|Whitley Wood]]
* Purple 17 between [[Tilehurst]] and Wokingham Road Three Tuns (a pub/restaurant)
* Claret 21 to [[Lower Earley]]
* Yellow 26 to [[Calcot, Berkshire|Calcot]] IKEA (when IKEA is shut, buses terminate at Calcot Sainsburys)

[[File:Lion in Reading on 2015-09-10 09.14.13.jpg|thumb|The "Lion" branded route in Reading]]
Out of town routes operate at lower frequency, with between one and four buses an hour. These operate out as far as Newbury, Henley-on-Thames, Wokingham, Bracknell and Riseley:<ref>London Buses On the Go http://londonbusesonthego.blogspot.com/2017/12/introducing-reading-buses.html</ref>
*JetBlack 1 to Newbury
*Lime 2/2a to Burghfield Common, Mortimer and Tadley ([[Atomic Weapons Establishment|AWE]])
*Leopard 3 to Arborfield and Wokingham
*Lion 4/X4 to Wokingham and Bracknell 
*Pink 25 to Peppard Common
*Aqua 28 to Henley-on-Thames
*Azure 43 to Pangbourne and Upper Basildon
*Mereoak Park and Ride 600 to Mereoak Park and Ride, Riseley and Shinfield.
Reading Buses also operate the Hospital Park and Ride service 300, which runs between the Thames Valley Park and Ride and the Mereoak Park and Ride via the [[Royal Berkshire Hospital]] and the [[University of Reading]], and the Winnersh Triangle Park & Ride 500.

The Thames Valley P&R service 400 was indefinitely suspended in July 2022 due to low usage and a lack of funding.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 May 2022 |title=Thames Valley park & ride closure |url=https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/thames-valley-park-ride-closure |website=Reading Buses}}</ref>

===Newbury & District===
In September 2018, Reading Buses purchased Newbury & District from Weavaway.<ref name="auto1"/>

The operated services include:

* 1a/1c circulars between Newbury Wharf and Thatcham Broadway.
* 1d to Thatcham Broadway.
* 2/2a/2c to Wash Common, Tesco Superstore and Pigeons Farm.
* 3/3a/3c/3x to Hungerford.
* 4/4a/4b/4c to Speen and Lambourn.
* 6/6a to East & West Ilsley.
* 8 to Tesco Superstore and Pigeons Farm.
* 9/9b/9c to Newbury Racecourse, Tesco Superstore and Pigeons Farm.
* 103/103a/b/c to the Greenham Business Park and Tesco Superstore.
* V1 shuttle service between [[Newbury railway station|Newbury Rail Station]] and the [[Vodafone]] Campus.
* 730/731 between Basingstoke, Frimley and Heathrow.

All services (except 3c, which continues to Thatcham Broadway) serve the Newbury Wharf Bus Station.

The 1a/c/d, 103/103a/b/c, 730/731 and V1 services are operated solely by Reading Buses. All other routes are operated on behalf of West Berkshire Council.

===Thames Valley Buses===
{{main|Thames Valley Buses}}
In December 2017, it was announced that Reading Buses was to take on three services withdrawn by [[First Berkshire & The Thames Valley]] in the Slough area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sloughexpress.co.uk/gallery/slough/125654/reading-buses-to-step-in-and-save-key-slough-bus-routes.html|title=Reading Buses to step in and save key Slough bus routes|website=sloughexpress.co.uk}}</ref> A fourth route was later added.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.windsorobserver.co.uk/news/15825549.courtney-buses-and-reading-buses-take-over-remaining-first-bus-services-in-slough-and-windsor-that-were-set-to-be-axed-in-late-january/|title=CONFIRMED: Two bus companies step up to save axed services in Slough and Windsor|website=Royal Borough Observer|date=12 January 2018 }}</ref> The ''Thames Valley Buses'' name, historically associated with [[Thames Valley Traction]], was used for the new services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.route-one.net/articles/Bus_routes/Thames_Valley_brand_resurrected|title = Thames Valley brand to be resurrected|date = 16 January 2018}}</ref> Operation began on 20 January 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/thamesvalley|title=Thames Valley|website=reading-buses.co.uk}}</ref>

In November 2019, the Thames Valley and Courtney Buses brands began to be combined, which was a gradual process that was complete by April 2021, with Slough and Windsor being the first areas to change over to Thames Valley, adding two more routes. However, a retendering of contracts by [[Slough Borough Council]] saw the two tendered routes won back by First. Since then, Maidenhead and Wokingham routes, along with the trading name, have changed over.<ref name="CBW Merge" /><ref name="RB merge" />

===The London Line 701 and 702 (Windsor Express)===
{{Main article|Berkshire bus routes 701, 702 and 703}}
In December 2017, Reading Buses announced they would take over the Green Line 702 route from [[First Berkshire & The Thames Valley]]. The service had a refreshed livery and was branded ''Green Line Express''. In 2018 this was expanded to include the new route 703 between Bracknell and Heathrow.

With the delivery of new vehicles in June 2023, the combined Green Line Express brand was replaced with ''The London Line 702'', and ''Flightline 703'', the latter now co-branded with [[Heathrow Airport]]. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=routeone |date=16 June 2023 |title=Green Line now Flight Line and London Line for Reading |url=https://www.route-one.net/news/green-line-now-flight-line-and-london-line-for-reading/ |access-date=26 June 2023 |website=routeone |language=en-US}}</ref> The two routes are marketed together in Bracknell under the name ''Windsor Express'' which is shown prominently at the front of the buses. In addition, ''The London Line 701'' was introduced to be the brand used on the 3 buses per day from Reading to Slough/Legoland in the early morning, with them making return trips in the late evening.

===Flightline 730/731===
On 21 August 2023, Newbury & District commenced operations on the new Flightline 730/731 route between [[Basingstoke]], [[Frimley]], [[Camberley]] and Heathrow.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 August 2023 |title=A great new way to get to Heathrow |url=https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/great-new-way-get-heathrow |access-date=4 September 2023 |website=Reading Buses}}</ref>

===National Express===
Reading Buses formerly operated the 925 route between Woking and Heathrow, but this contract was suspended with the onset on the coronavirus pandemic.

Newbury & District also operated two routes, the 402 and select trips of the 507. Two coaches were maintained by N&D during the operation at their Greenham Park depot. The 402 was introduced in early 2023 to make use of otherwise dead (Out of Service) runs between London and Newbury.

The operation of theses services by N&D ended in late 2023, with the 402 being withdrawn completely, and the two coaches being returned to NatEx.