Reading Mainline Routes

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Reading Mainline Logo (32738 bytes)

This table shows all the details about the routes operated by Mainline during it's lifetime, and all of the changes made to them:

Line
Destinations
Dates
A
Turnhams Farm - Town Centre - Whitley Wood (Engineer's Arms)
23 July 1994 -
8 November 1996
 
Extended:
Turnhams Farm - Town Centre - Shire Hall
9 November 1996 -
15 August 1998
 
Reduced:
Turnhams Farm - Town Centre - Whitley Wood (Engineer's Arms)
17 August 1998 -
5 June 1999
 
Extended at peak periods:
Turnhams Farm - Town Centre - Shire Hall
7 June 1999 -
19 February 2000
B
Norcot Junction - Town Centre - Whitley (Community Centre)
8 October 1994 -
23 March 1995
 
Extended:
Tilehurst (Bear Inn) - Town Centre - Whitley (Community Centre)
Pre-Christmas period 1994 &
25 March 1995 -
8 November 1996
 
Diverted & Extended:
Tilehurst (Bear Inn) - Town Centre - Whitley Wood (Swallowfield Drive)
9 November 1996 -
15 August 1998
C
Woodley (Clivedale Road) - Town Centre
2 April 1997 -
15 August 1998
 
Extended:
Woodley (Clivedale Road) - Town Centre - Caversham (Hemdean Road)
17 August 1998 -
5 June 1999
 
Reduced:
Woodley (Clivedale Road) - Town Centre
7 June 1999 -
10 June 2000
D
Purley (Post Office) - Town Centre - Addington Road
17 August 1998 -
22 July 2000
E
Tilehurst (Triangle) - Town Centre - Addington Road
21 January 1995 -
8 December 1995
 
Extended:
Tilehurst (Bear Inn) - Town Centre - Addington Road
9 December 1995 -
15 August 1998
 
Reduced:
Tilehurst (Triangle) - Town Centre - Addington Road
17 August 1998 -
21 July 2000
F
Southcote (Frilsham Road) - Town Centre - Wokingham Road (Three Tuns)
25 May 1996 -
26 September 1996
 
Extended:
Calcot (Savacentre) - Town Centre - Wokingham Road (Three Tuns)
28 September 1996 -
16 August 1997
 
Extended:
Calcot (Savacentre) - Town Centre - Woodley (Arundel Road)
18 August 1997 -
15 August 1998
 
Extended:
Calcot (Savacentre) - Town Centre -  Woodley (Hurricane Way) (peak times)
Calcot (Savacentre) - Town Centre -  Woodley (Vauxhall Drive) (off peak)
17 August 1998 -
5 June 1999
 
Reduced:
Calcot (Savacentre) - Town Centre - Woodley (Arundel Road) (peak times)
Calcot (Savacentre) - Town Centre - Woodley (The Thatchers) (off peak)
7 June 1999 -
19 February 2000
 
Extended:
Calcot (Savacentre) - Town Centre -  Woodley (Vauxhall Drive)
21 February 2000 -
10 June 2000
 
Reduced & Extended: 
Calcot (Savacentre) - Town Centre - Woodley (Clivedale Road)
12 June 2000 -
22 July 2000
H
Whitley (Cressingham Road) - Town Centre - Caversham (Hemdean Road)
13 May 1995 -
1 September 1995
 
Extended:
Lower Earley (Kilnsea Drive) - Town Centre - Caversham (Hemdean Road)
2 September 1995 -
15 August 1998
 
Reduced:
Lower Earley (Kilnsea Drive) - Town Centre (Saturdays only)
17 August 1998 -
5 June 1999
J
Lower Earley (Kilnsea Drive) - Town Centre (Saturdays only)
21 February 1998 -
15 August 1998
K Reading Station - Knowl Hill Steam Rally (two day special)
14 August 1999 -
15 August 1999
L
Woodley Circular (for a one day pre-Christmas shopping event - the Woodley Extravaganza)
8 December 1996 &
7 December 1997
M
Woodley Circular (for a one day pre-Christmas shopping event - the Woodley Extravaganza)
8 December 1996 &
7 December 1997
X
Tilehurst (Bear Inn) - Town Centre - Whitley (Community Centre) (Saturdays only)
9 November 1996 -
15 August 1998
 
Reading - Woodcote (two day special for Woodcote Rally)
11 July 1997 -
12 July 1997
79
Town Centre - Madjeski Stadium (Football / Rugby match days only)
5 September 1998 -
7 May 2000

Here are some photos of Routemasters on most of the routes mentioned above, and some of the fare tables for the routes, click on them to enlarge:

Line A

Line A Fare Table no 10 (48390 bytes) No.8 in October 1996 (27729 bytes)

No.8 on Mainline's first route, turning into West Street in October 1996

Line B

No.9 in July 1997 (22347 bytes)

No.9 opposite the Broad Street Mall in July 1997

Line C

Line C Fare Table no 8 (49419 bytes) No.12 in August 1999 (14089 bytes)

No.12 at Reading Station in August 1999

Line D

Line D Fare Table no 5 (66323 bytes) No.18 in November 1998 (20228 bytes)

No.18 on a route only operated after take-over by Reading Transport, outside the Broad Street Mall in November 1998

Line E

Line D Fare Table no 5 (66323 bytes) No.37 in May 1998 (19568 bytes)

No.37 in May 1998 at St.Mary's Butts

Line F

This line became, in the later days, the company's busiest line, and throughout it's operation has been through a large number of changes. Initially it ran from Southcote to Wokingham Road, but it was soon extended at the western end to Calcot, a request from a resident along Underwood Road for a bus service being met by the company. The route was then extended at the eastern end to Woodley, Arundel Road. This created an uproar when a small number of residents in Wingate Road (part of the turning circle) complained about "polluting buses" running around their quiet residential road. They started a poster campaign to rid themselves of the buses, and also barricaded their road with cars and ran a few dirty tricks, to the annoyance of Mike Russel, the manager, and the majority of people in the area that welcomed the service. So it was extended again to Vauxhall Drive, but the residents there also won out, the buses using a slip road of Crockhamwell Road. However residents still opposed this change so the buses reverted to the first arrangement of turning in Arundel Road. By the time the buses stopped serving Arundel Road things had quietened down somewhat, the next extension back to Vauxhall Drive being done to help improve the timings of the route. The new extension made a round trip 2 hours in total, where as before it only took 1.5 hours. The former timings were too hard to keep to - there wasn't enough time at each terminus for a bus to make up time if it had become late for some reason, but it was not economical to put another bus on the route. This led to buses more and more frequently running late, so an extra bus was added as a temporary measure on Saturdays until the route changes could be made, crews ending up with a 25 minute break at Savacentre! Finally the last change, the re-routing to Clivedale Road was done so that Reading Buses could withdraw Line C, Clivedale Road generating a reasonably large number of passengers compared to Vauxhall Drive.

Line F Fare Table no 9 (62096 bytes) Line F Fare Table no 11 (77490 bytes)

No.23 In February 2000 (16578 bytes)

No.23 at SavaCentre in February 2000

Line H

No.5 in June 1998 (21905 bytes)

No.5 in Friar Street, heading for Hemdean Road in June 1998

Line J

No.11 in April 1998 (22250 bytes)

No.11 at St. Mary's Butts, heading for Kilnsea Drive one Saturday in April 1998

Line X

No.23 in April 1998 (22149 bytes)

No.23 by the Broad Street Mall, heading for the Bear Inn one Saturday in April 1998

Line L

The route was as follows:

From Colemansmoor Road via Crockhamwell Road, Shopping Centre, Headley Road, Headley Road East, Tippings Lane, Glendeven Road, Butts Hill Road, Western Avenue, Reading Road, Howth Drive and Beechwood Avenue, returning thence to the Shopping Centre and returning via Crockhamwell Road and Vauxhall Drive to Colemasmoor Road.

Buses ran every half hour from 09:30 until 17:20  except for one missed trip at lunchtime to give the crews their statutory rest breaks. The service acted both as a park and ride and a public service, serving all normal bus stops, a flat fare of 20p was charged.

Line M

The route was as follows:

From Woodley Airfield via Mohawk Way, Miles Way, Spitfire Way, Headley Road East, Headley Road, Beechwood Avenue, Fairwater Drive and Nightingale Road to Hazel Drive (South Lake). the return journey ran via the same route to Headley Road East and thence via Hurricane Way to Mohawk Way.

Buses ran every half hour from 09:30 until 17:20  except for one missed trip at lunchtime to give the crews their statutory rest breaks. The service acted both as a park and ride and a public service, serving all normal bus stops, a flat fare of 20p was charged.

Line 79

No.12 in May 2000 (15635 bytes)

No.12 at the Madjeski Stadium during a football match in May 2000

If you think that there is anything about the company that has been missed, please feel free to email. All contributions for the site are welcome.