Reading Buses 125 - 4 October 2026
The Buses and Routes

As part of the Reading Buses 125 celebration, the Trust is organising a Vintage Bus Day giving rides on an invited selection of buses and coaches that once operated in the Reading area, running on traditional routes. There will also be a static display of  buses from across the decades along Broad Street with era-appropriate entertainment to celebrate 125 years of local ownership of Reading Buses.  Formed on 31 October 1901 as Reading Corporation Tramways to electrify the town's horse-drawn tramway, the company is now in the process of electrifying the town’s bus fleet.

 

This is the perfect day out for all the family to learn about the history and experience bygone travel.

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​The bus running day will be centred on St Mary's Butts (RG1 2LG) with buses stopping at Reading Station (North exit).  FREE services run out and back to Caversham Heights, Tilehurst Triangle, Wokingham Road and the University campus from 10.30am with final trips returning by 4pm.

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Feeder service will run in to Reading from Maidenhead:

• departing King Street Stop RA (0915), via Twyford High Street (0935) and Charvil Wee Waif (0940) arriving Castle Street (1005).

Feeder service will return to Maidenhead from Reading:​

• departing St Mary's Butts Stop CS (1605) via Charvil Wee Waif (1625) and Twyford High Street (1630) arriving King Street Stop RB (1655).

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​​Morning shuttle buses will run from Reading Station (North side, Stop NB) to St Mary's Butts at 1020 and 1050 with services calling at the station throughout the day.

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A final ticket-only shuttle on service 18 from St Mary's Butts to Kentwood Roundabout only, will run at 1500.

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​Information about the participating vehicles and routes is given below and will be updated as the event approaches.  Further details---timetables and a duty chart so you can plan your day plus iluustrations from our Archive of buses running in and around Reading over the decades and historical information about the routes ---are included in the Souvenir Programme.  Copies can be purchased online here.

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Note: a ticket only system (free) will contol numbers riding on the 97 year old TD1 - these can be obtained from the Trust stand at St Mary's Butts on the day.

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