Special Platinum Jubilee bus travel in West Berkshire

Following on from the successful free bus travel offered last year for Christmas and the recent Easter weekend, most bus journeys starting in West Berkshire over Jubilee weekend (2-5 June 2022) will be completely free!

Travellers can take advantage of this to celebrate this very special milestone to attend Jubilee events across West Berkshire, to meet up with friends and family, or attend events in towns and villages across the district.

This initiative has been developed by West Berkshire Council in partnership with Reading Buses and Thames Travel, and will be valid on any Reading Buses, Newbury & District, and Thames Travel services within West Berkshire. The full list of valid routes can be found on the Council website: https://www.westberks.gov.uk/transportchanges.

If you board the bus outside West Berkshire you will still need to pay for the ticket or use a valid concessionary bus pass.

To make it even easier to travel by bus this Jubilee weekend, services in the Newbury and Thatcham area will also operate on both 2 and 3 June 2022, as well as Saturday. These additional services will be provided on routes 1a, 1c, 2, 8 and 9 with a Saturday timetable. On 2 and 3 June 2022 the 4 and 6 services will operate a special holiday timetable of two round trips in the morning and afternoon for those wishing to travel in either direction.

Public Holiday services will operate on routes Jet Black 1, Lime 2/a, 15, 16, 26 and 33 on 2, 3 and 5 June 2022.

Saturday services on routes 3, 4, 6, and Thames Travel 143 will be free within West Berkshire on 4 June 2022.

Robert Williams, CEO of Reading Buses and Newbury & District, said:

"We are delighted that the Council are helping to highlight the great service our team provides to many residents of West Berkshire and the really important role the bus network plays in supporting the local economy and environment. What better way to give our services a try as part of the Jubilee celebrations?"

Cllr Richard Somner, Executive Member for Planning, Transport and Countryside at West Berkshire Council, said:

"We are really pleased that the last two offers were a great success as it proves using the bus is a great way to travel and has helped in our decision to offer another weekend of free bus travel for those travelling within West Berkshire.

"There are lots of street parties taking place over the special weekend meaning some roads will be temporarily closed to allow the street parties to take place safely with no vehicle access so being able to find alternative ways of travel is necessary. 

"We hope residents take advantage of this free offer by leaving their cars at home to do their bit for the environment while enjoying the celebrations over the Jubilee weekend at the events taking place across the district."

The full list of routes is as follows:

All Newbury & District services operate entirely within the West Berkshire boundary

Saturday service 2, 3 and 4 June 2022

Special Holiday Timetable on 2 and 3 June 2022

Full Saturday timetables operating on 4 June 2022

Reading Buses and Thames Travel valid routes for free travel if boarding in West Berkshire, whatever your destination. However, remember that if you board outside West Berkshire you would need to buy a ticket as normal:

Summary of services operated each day