Transport Tickets and Fares
Information about tickets on local bus services, and railcards for train travel.
Connect
'Connect' is the branding for the network of bus services in West Berkshire.
The 'Connect' initiative includes great value tickets for customers travelling on bus services supported by the council and on many other local routes, saving money for frequent travellers as well as occasional users.
Adult Fares
| Ticket Type | Connect Urban | Connect Rural | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Tickets | Any one-way journey on one route. The fare depends on where you board and alight. A £2 fare cap is currently in place on Connect Services until 31 December 2024. | ||
| Return Tickets | Any return journey on one route that same day. The fare depends on where you board and alight. A £4 fare cap (cost of two single fare capped journeys) is currently in place on Connect Services until 31 December 2024. | ||
| Connect Day | £6 | £6 | Unlimited use for one day on valid routes. |
| Connect Group Day | £10 | £16.50 | Unlimited use for one day for up to 4 people (adults and/or children), on valid routes. |
| FlexiConnect | £16.50 | £22 | Up to ten single journeys, on valid routes. |
| Connect-7 day | £16.50 | £22 | Unlimited use for 7 consecutive days, on valid routes. |
| Connect 30-day | £61 | £80 | Unlimited use for 30 consecutive days, on valid routes. |
Connect Child/Youth Fares
Connect tickets are valid on many routes across West Berkshire. Information about validity can be found in our Connect tickets and fare summary.
Child fares apply for 5-16-year-olds (inclusive) and young people aged through 18 (up to 19th birthday) who are in full-time education, if they produce valid identification, such as a CitizenCard or valid student ID.
| Ticket Type | Urban Fare | Rural Fare | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Single |
| Any one-way journey on one route. The fare depends on where you board and alight. The fare will be cheaper than the equivalent adult single. A £2 single fare cap is currently in place on Connect services until 31 December 2024. | |
| Child Return | Any return journey on one route made on the same day. The fare depends on where you board and alight. The fare will be cheaper than the equivalent adult return. A £4 fare cap (cost of two single fare capped journeys) is currently in place on Connect services until 31 December 2024. | ||
| Connect Day | £4 | £4 | Unlimited use for one day on valid routes. |
| FlexiConnect | £12 | £14 | Up to ten single journeys, on valid routes. |
| Connect 7-day | £12 | £14 | Unlimited use for 7 consecutive days, on valid routes. |
| Connect 30-day | £42 | £54 | Unlimited use for 30 consecutive days, on valid routes. |
Where and on which bus routes are the Connect tickets valid?
The following table identifies local bus routes on which these tickets are sold and/or accepted. They are not currently sold or accepted on any other services, although we are working with operators to extend validity. (Connect urban and connect rural includes: Connect Day, Connect 7-day, Connect 30-day, FlexiConnect and Connect Group Day).
| Route and operator | Where | Connect Urban | Connect Rural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jet Black 1 - Reading Buses | Newbury to Reading town centre | Newbury to Colthrop Turn (east of Thatcham) - Flexi and Group Day accepted but not sold. | Newbury to Colthrop Turn (east of Thatcham) - Flexi and Group Day accepted but not sold |
| 1a / 1c / 1d - Newbury & District | Newbury to Thatcham | Full routes | Full routes |
| 1e - Newbury & District | Newbury to Thatcham | Full route | Full route |
| 2, 2a, 2c - Newbury & District | Newbury to Wash Common / Tesco / Pigeons Farm | Full routes | Full routes |
| 3, 3a, 3c, 3x - Newbury & District | Newbury to Hungerford | Enborne Road (Sunderland Gardens stop) to Newbury | Full routes - Newbury to Hungerford |
| 4, 4a, 4b, 4c - Newbury & District | Newbury to Lambourn | Stockcross (Post Office) to Newbury | Full routes - Lambourn to Newbury |
| 6 / 6a - Newbury & District | Newbury to East / West Ilsley | Shaw (Cemetery) or Donnington (Castle Inn) to Newbury | Full routes East / West Ilsley to Newbury |
| 8 - Newbury & District | Newbury to Greenham / Tesco / Pigeons Farm | Full route | Full route |
| 9 / 9b / 9c - Newbury & District | Newbury Town Centre to Newbury Racecourse | Full routes | Full routes |
| X24 / X34 - Thames Travel | Newbury to Harwell Campus / Didcot | Newbury to Vodafone HQ roundabout | Newbury to Harwell Campus |
| 41 - WBC Connect | Thatcham to Chapel Row / Theale | Not applicable | Full route |
| 44 - West Berkshire Council | Thatcham to Beenham / Calcot | Not applicable | Full route |
| 47 - West Berkshire Council | Lambourn to Swindon | Not applicable | Lambourn to Upper Lambourn (accepted, not sold) |
| 103, 103a, 103b - Newbury & District | Newbury to Greenham Business Park | Newbury to A339 Bishop Green Turn | Full routes |
| Community Connect A - West Berkshire Council | Brightwalton to Newbury | Newbury to Speen | Full route |
| West Berkshire Community Connect - West Berkshire Council | On-demand bus service connecting Northwest Downlands with Newbury | Not applicable | Entire route |
'Connect' tickets can be bought in advance using the bus company apps meaning you can use your phone as your ticket. Alternatively, you can buy 'Connect' tickets from the driver when you board the bus.
As well as cash, West Berkshire Council, Newbury and District , Reading Buses, Stagecoach and Thames Travel accept contactless card payments and mobile payment using AndroidPay or ApplePay, on the commercial and supported services that they operate.
You can contact the Transport Services Team if you have a specific enquiry about tickets or fares.
Tickets for the 47 Service
The following tickets are sold on the 47 service which runs between Lambourn and Swindon. Connect Tickets are only valid on this service between Lambourn and Upper Lambourn.
| Ticket Type | Adult | Child | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | Any one-way journey on the route. The fare depends on where you board and alight. A £2 fare cap is currently in place on Connect Services until 31 December 2024. | ||
| Return | Any return journey on the route. The fare depends on where you board and alight. A £4 fare cap (cost of two single fare capped journeys) is currently in place on Connect services until 31 December 2024. | ||
| Family Day | £13.50 | Family ticket for 4 people i.e. 1 adult, 3 children or 2 adult and 2 children. | |
| 7-day | £24 | £16 | Unlimited use for 7 consecutive days. |
| 14-day | £48 | £32 | Unlimited use for 14 consecutive days. |
| 30-day | £90 | £60 | Unlimited use for 30 consecutive days. |
| 10-trip | £24 | £16 | Up to ten single journeys. |
| MyBus Oxfordshire Day ticket | £6.50 | £3.50 | MyBus Oxfordshire provides one-day unlimited travel on nearly all bus services in Oxfordshire. Valid on 47 route between Lambourn and Swindon. |
| Family-10 trip | £64 | Up to ten single journeys for a family of 4, for example 1 adult, 3 children, or 2 adults and 2 children. | |
MyBus Oxfordshire ticket for 47 service
The MyBus Oxfordshire ticket is one ticket to travel all over Oxfordshire by bus. The MyBus Oxfordshire ticket provides one day or one week's unlimited travel on nearly all local bus services in the county. Whether you want to explore the county, or simply make your journey to work easier, the MyBus ticket presents a simple, joined up and good value bus travel solution for Oxfordshire's residents and visitors.
From Sunday 14 July 2024, MyBus Oxfordshire Day tickets will be sold on bus for route 47 between Lambourn and Swindon. The service will also accept day and weekly tickets (both paper and app purchases) issued by other participating operators.
The MyBus tickets are brought to you by the Oxfordshire Bus Enhanced Partnership to promote the use of bus services in Oxfordshire using Bus Service Improvement (BSIP) funding provided by the Department for Transport.
Youth Fares
The following table provides further information about child and youth fares available on the public bus network in West Berkshire.
| Operator | Services | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Buses | Jet Black1, Lime 2/2a, 15, 16, 26, 43, 33, 85, 86, 87 89, 90, 93 | Guide to Reading Buses Boost Range |
| Newbury & District | 1a, 1c, 1d, 1e, 3c, 103, 103a, 103b | Guide to Newbury & District fares and Connect Tickets - information available on this page. |
| Newbury & District | 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 | Connect Ticket - information available on this page. |
| Stagecoach South | 2, 7/7a, 32 (formerly The LINK) | Guide to Stagecoach South tickets |
| Stagecoach West | 46a, X46 | Guide to Stagecoach West tickets |
| Swindon Buses | X20, 110, 120 | Guide to Swindon Buses fares |
| Thames Travel | X24, X34 | Guide to Thames Travel fares |
| Going Forward Buses | 133 | Guide to Going Forward Fares |
| Horseman Coaches | 154 | Beech Hill to Reading child single £1.00 Beech Hill to Reading child return £2.00 |
| Ramsbury Community Bus | The Ramsbury Flyer | To be confirmed |
| Oxfordshire County Council | 145 | To be confirmed |
| Carebus Volunteer Group | 75 | To be confirmed |
| West Berkshire Council | 41, 44, 47, CCA, WBCC | Connect Tickets - information available on this page. |
| Wiltshire Connect | On-demand bus service operating between Hungerford and Marlborough | Guide to Wiltshire Connect |
National Fare Cap for bus journeys
The Government's announced a national fare cap, introduced across most bus services in England in late 2022. This offer has now been extended to 31 December 2024.
Most bus journeys across West Berkshire are capped at £2 for a single journey and £4 for a return journey.
The cap is in place on all services in the district except:
- 75 service operated by Carebus
- 133 operated by Going Forward Buses
Early Bird Concessionary Fare Ticket
Concessionary Bus Passes issued by West Berkshire Council and by other local authorities to eligible people are valid for free travel on local bus routes (with the exception of football/rugby bus routes) after 09:30 (9:30 a.m.) on weekdays, all day at weekends and on Public Holidays. For more details about the concessionary Bus Passes, please visit About Bus Passes for Older and Disabled People.
An "early bird" concessionary fare ticket can currently be purchased before 9.30am on weekdays when showing a valid bus pass on all Newbury & District services and the Jet Black 1 (between Newbury and Colthrop).
If boarding in the urban Newbury and Thatcham zone, it will cost £1.50; if boarding in the rural zone, it will cost £2. Further information can be found on Reading Buses website.
The early bird ticket is also available on Thames Travel and some Stagecoach routes that serve West Berkshire.
Details of validity and zones are as follows:
Newbury/Thatcham Urban Boundary
| Services | Operator | Outer Boundary Point |
|---|---|---|
| 1a, 1c, 1d, 2, 8, 9, 103 | Newbury & District | Entire route |
| Jet Black 1 | Reading Buses | Colthrop Turn (only valid on journeys between Newbury and Colthrop Turn) |
| 3 | Newbury & District | Sunderland Gardens (Enborne Road) |
| 3c, 3x | Newbury & District | Speen |
| 4 | Newbury & District | Stockcross |
| 6 | Newbury & District | Shaw Cemetery |
| 6a | Newbury & District | Donnington Castle PH |
| 7/7a, 32 (formerly The LINK) | Stagecoach South | Whole route within West Berkshire (only for journeys within West Berkshire) |
| X34 | Thames Travel | Vodafone roundabout (only for journeys within West Berkshire) |
| 41 | West Berkshire Council | Cold Ash |
| 44 | West Berkshire Council | Thatcham Station |
| Community Connect A | West Berkshire Council | Woodspeen |
| West Berkshire Community Connect | West Berkshire Council | To Donnington Castle |
Rural Boundary
| Services | Operator | Outer Boundary Point |
|---|---|---|
| Lime 2/2a | Reading Buses | Not valid |
| X24, X34 | Thames Travel | Harwell Campus (only valid for journeys between Newbury and Harwell Campus) |
| 3, 3c, 3x, 4, 6, 6a | Newbury & District | Remainder of route within West Berkshire. |
| Community Connect A, 41, 44 & 47, West Berkshire Community Connect | West Berkshire Council | Remainder of route within West Berkshire |
The early bird concessionary fare ticket will not be available on the following bus routes:
| Services | Operator | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 2, 46a, X46 | Stagecoach | services do not operate significantly within West Berkshire |
| X20 | Swindon Buses | services do not operate significantly within West Berkshire |
| 133 | Going Forward Buses | services do not operate significantly within West Berkshire |
| 145 | Going Forward Buses | service does not operate before 9.30am |
| 75 | Carebus Volunteer Group | service does not operate before 9.30am |
| 154 | Horseman Coaches | service does not operate before 9.30am |
| 15, 16, 26, 26, 33, 43, Jet Black 1 east of (Colthrop Turn) | Reading Buses | to be considered at a later stage. |
The Early Bird Tickets were initially made available for a three-month trial between January and March 2023.
At the end of March 2023, a decision was made by each operator who participated in the trial to make the offer permanent.
Bus company apps
- Newbury and District app, developed by the bus company, is free to download for Android or Apple phones, just search 'Newbury and District' in the app or play store - it allows you to get tickets on your smartphone, plan your journey and track Newbury & District (including the Jet Black 1) services
- Reading Bus App, developed by the bus company, is free to download for Android or Apples phone, just search for 'Reading Buses' in the app or play store - it allows you to get tickets on your smartphone, plan your journey and track Reading Buses services (does not include Newbury & District services)
- Oxford Bus app, developed by the company, is free to download for Android or Apple phones, just search 'Oxford Bus' in the app or play store - Thames Travel are part of Oxford Bus Company
- Stagecoach Bus App, developed by the company, is free to downland for Android or Apple phone, just search 'Stagecoach' in the app or play store - it allows you to get tickets on your smartphone, plan your journey and get service updates for 2, 7/7a, 46a/X46 and The LINK
- Swindon Bus App, developed by the bus company, is free to download for Android or Apple phone, just search for 'Swindon Bus' in the app or play store - it allows you to get tickets on your smartphone, plan your journey and get service updates for X20, 110/120
- West Berkshire Community Connect App, is free to downland for Android or Apple phone and is available for the on-demand bus service in the Northwest Downlands area of the district
Contactless payments
West Berkshire Council Connect bus services supports contactless payments - West Berkshire Community Connect, CCA, 41, 44 and 47. This will make travelling a lot more convenient with contactless payments being available on more bus services in West Berkshire. Contactless is the fast, easy and secure way to pay for transactions under £100. All you need is a contactless-enabled card or mobile with Apple Pay or Google Pay installed and ready to use.
Reading Buses, Salisbury Reds, Stagecoach, Swindon Buses, and Thames Travel also offer contactless payments.
Can I pay part cash part contactless on the bus?
You are unable to pay part cash, part contactless on board the bus.
Which contactless cards can I use?
Contactless payment cards issued for Visa, Mastercard and Maestro can be used. We're unable to accept payments by Amercian Express.
Can you use Apple/Google Pay?
Yes, you can use Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Which tickets can I buy with contactless?
You can buy any tickets up to the value of £100.
Railcards
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) operates a range of Railcard schemes that offer discounted travel by train, including the Disabled Persons Railcard.
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