Transport Service Changes or Disruption
Planned public transport changes, disruption information and contacting operators.
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Free festive bus travel in West Berkshire!
- 6 December 2025
- 13 December 2025
- 20 December 2025
This initiative has been developed in partnership with other local bus operators. It aims to encourage the community to get out and about over the festive season without the need for a car. You could look at the Christmas lights across the district, travel to local shops and town centres, find gifts, or visit family/friends over the festive season.
Simply board the bus within West Berkshire and travel for free all day. The offer applies to journeys beginning and ending in West Berkshire - to make use of the free travel offer remember to ask the driver for a return ticket when you board. Concessionary Bus Passes will still be accepted as normal.
Reading Buses, Newbury & District, Thames Travel, Stagecoach, and the council's Connect buses are all on board for this festive initiative. Together, we're helping make the season joyful and sustainable for everyone in West Berkshire.
See the full list of of public bus routes that will offer free travel below.
Public bus services that operate entirely within West Berkshire:
| Route Number | Operator | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| 1a | Newbury & District | Newbury to Thatcham |
| 1c | Newbury & District | Newbury to Thatcham |
| 2 | Newbury & District | Newbury to Wash Common/Tesco/Pigeons Farm |
| 3 | Newbury & District | Newbury to Hungerford |
| 4 | Newbury & District | Newbury to Lambourn |
| 6/6a | Newbury & District | Newbury to East/West Ilsley |
| 8 | Newbury & District | Newbury to Greenham/Tesco/Pigeons Farm |
| 9 | Newbury & District | Newbury Town Centre to Newbury Racecourse |
The following routes will offer free bus travel in West Berkshire, whatever the destination. Should you travel beyond the West Berkshire boundary, the return journey back to West Berkshire will be free. Just ask for a return ticket when boarding the bus.
| Route | Operator | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| Jet Black 1 | Reading Buses | Newbury to Basingstoke |
| Lime 2/2a | Reading Buses | Mortimer/Burghfield to Reading |
| Sky Blue 15 | Reading Buses | Theale/Calcot to Reading |
| Sky Blue 16 | Reading Buses | Purley on Thames to Reading |
| Yellow 26 | Reading Buses | Calcot to Reading |
| Royal Blue 33 | Reading Buses | Turnham's Farm to Reading |
| 32 | Stagecoach South | Newbury to Basingstoke |
| X34 | Thames Travel | Newbury to Didcot via Harwell |
| 47 | WBC Connect | Lambourn to Swindon |
For route 47 free bus travel is only available if you board in Lambourn or Upper Lambourn.
This free bus travel offer has been made possible by funding from HM Government, given to West Berkshire Council to support bus service improvements through our Enhanced Partnership with local bus operators.
Free Christmas travel timetabled service for Community Connect
The service will operate on the following Saturdays in December:
- 6 December 2025
- 13 December 2025
- 20 December 2025
You do not need to book to use the service, you can just turn up at the stop and board the bus.
Northwest Downlands service
The following timetable will operate:
| Stop | AM Journey | PM Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Newbury, The Wharf [bay C] | 10.00 | 13.30 |
| Newbury, Park Way | 10.01 | 13.31 |
| Donnington Square | 10.03 | 13.33 |
| Donnington, The Castle Inn | 10.04 | 13.34 |
| Snelsmore, Snelsmore Common | 10.07 | 13.37 |
| Winterbourne Turn | 10.10 | 13.40 |
| Hillgreen Lane Crossroads | 10.13 | 13.43 |
| Peasemore, The Pond | 10.17 | 13.47 |
| Brightwalton, Village Hall | 10.25 | 13.55 |
| Chaddleworth, St Andrew's School | 10.32 | 14.02 |
| Leckhampstead, Village Hall | 10.38 | 14.08 |
| Hillgreen Lane Crossroads | 10.41 | 14.11 |
| Winterbourne Turn | 10.45 | 14.15 |
| Snelsmore Common | 10.48 | 14.18 |
| Donnington, The Castle Inn | 10.52 | 14.22 |
| Donnington Square | 10.53 | 14.23 |
| Newbury, Park Way | 10.55 | 14.25 |
| Newbury, The Wharf | 10.56 | 14.26 |
Thatcham Connect
The following timetable will operate and will extend to serve to Park Way and The Wharf in Newbury. After Thatcham Broadway it will only serve Park Way and Newbury Wharf.
| Stop/Area | Inbound journey |
|---|---|
| Cold Ash, Post Office | 11.30 |
| Upper Bucklebury, Peach's Stores | 11.38 |
| Chapel Row, The Blade Bone PH | 11.42 |
| Bradfield, Queen's Head PH | 11.47 |
| Beenham, Stoneyfield | 11.55 |
| Aldermaston, The Wharf | 12.02 |
| Aldermaston Village | 12.05 |
| Tadley, Franklin Avenue | 12.13 |
| Baughurst, Heath End Road | 12.17 |
| Brimpton, War Memorial | 12.24 |
| Crookham Park | 12.27 |
| Thatcham Station | 12.33 |
| Thatcham Broadway | 12.37 |
| Newbury, Park Way | 12.59 |
| Newbury, The Wharf | 13.00 |
| Outbound journey | |
|---|---|
| Newbury, The Wharf [bay C] | 15.00 |
| Newbury, Park Way | 15.01 |
| Thatcham, The Broadway | 15.25 |
| Thatcham Station | 15.31 |
| Crookham Park | 15.34 |
| Brimpton, War Memorial | 15.37 |
| Baughurst, Heath End Road | 15.45 |
| Tadley, Franklin Avenue | 15.49 |
| Aldermaston Village | 15.57 |
| Aldermaston, The Wharf | 16.00 |
| Beenham, Stoneyfield | 16.07 |
| Bradfield, Queen's Head PH | 16.14 |
| Chapel Row, The Blade Bone PH | 16.19 |
| Upper Bucklebury, Peach's Stores | 16.23 |
| Cold Ash, Post Office | 16.30 |
This free bus travel offer has been made possible by funding from HM Government, given to West Berkshire Council to support bus service improvements through our Enhanced Partnership with local bus operators.
Tap on tap off on local bus services
Tap on tap off services operated by West Berkshire Council have been made possible by funding from HM Government, given to West Berkshire Council after submission of a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) in October 2021.
Singles bus fares in 2025
You may have heard the Government's announcement about a £3 single fare cap on bus journeys being introduced on many bus services in England from 1 January 2025. It will be in place until 31 December 2025.
This will be applied on bus services that operate in West Berkshire. Please check with the individual bus operators listed below for the latest information on the capping of single fares across the district.
- Newbury & District
- Reading Buses
- Stagecoach
- Swindon Bus Company
- Thames Travel/Oxford Bus Company
- West Berkshire Council Transport Services
You can find a list of operators taking part on the Government's website.
Change to morning journeys on 4a and 4c
From 6 January 2025, there will be timetable changes to the morning 4a and 4c journeys between Newbury and Lambourn (routes are operated by Newbury & District) to assist with students going to school and college.
On Monday to Friday the following will apply:
- the morning 4a journey will depart from Newbury Wharf at 06.35am and is scheduled to arrive at Lambourn Market Square at 07.04am
- the morning 4c service will now depart Lambourn Market Square at 07.15am on both school and non-school days
On Saturdays the following will apply:
- the morning 4a journey will depart from Newbury Wharf at 06.45am and is scheduled to arrive at Lambourn Market Square at 07.14am
- the morning 4c journey will depart Lambourn Market Square at 07.22am
There are no other changes to the route 4, 4a, 4b and 4c timetables. You can find out more information on Newbury & District's website.
Travel to Harwell and Didcot by bus from Newbury and Donnington
In July 2023 Thames Travel's X34 bus service operating between Didcot and Harwell Campus was extended to Newbury town centre. (This was made possible by funding from HM Government, given to West Berkshire Council and Oxfordshire County Council after submission of a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) in October 2021). This extension has been a great success with numbers boarding in the West Berkshire section of the route, Newbury town centre and the Vodafone headquarters, steadily growing. The service in particular makes employment opportunities at Harwell Campus readily accessible by bus from Newbury. Didcot has proved attractive to for our residents, especially those wanting to see the heritage trains at Didcot Railway Centre for a nice day out. From Harwell, you can connect onto other Thames Travel bus services to Wantage and Oxford.
From 30 September, the X24/X34 will be rerouted through the Donnington Heights development (Garrison Meadows and Bastion Street) and the B4494 Oxford Road, going past Donnington Square and Donnington Priory. Residents in Love Lane near the Bastion Street junction will also have easy access to the bus service thanks to a new pair of bus stops installed here.
The X24/X34 operates hourly Mondays to Saturdays. Further good news is that the service is covered by the £2 Single Fare Cap valid until 31 December 2024.
Why not use this service to get to work, go to Newbury or Didcot, or visit family and friends.
Additional bus services between Newbury and Basingstoke
From 5 May 2024, Stagecoach will be introducing additional services to their long-standing service between Newbury and Basingstoke.
Service 32 formerly known as The LINK will:
- operate on Sundays/public holidays for the very first time
- provide later evening services between Newbury and Basingstoke Monday to Saturday
- additional peak-time evening services on Monday to Friday
With these significant enhancements, why not use the service to go to Basingstoke, catch the latest film, visit friends and family and access job opportunities.
Further information can be found on Stagecoach and West Berkshire Council's websites.
These service enhancements build on a long-held ambition of West Berkshire Council to enhance late evening and Sunday bus services across the district and follow the recent introduction of the:
- 1e late evening service on Fridays and Saturdays between Newbury and Thatcham
- Lime 2a extension to Mortimer every 2 hours on Sundays
- X34 between Newbury and Harwell Campus/Didcot
With the introduction of on-demand bus services West Berkshire Community Connect and Wiltshire Connect, these changes ensure that local bus services continue to evolve.
Your concessionary fares bus pass will be accepted on these services between 9.30am and 11pm Monday to Friday and all day on Saturdays and Sundays/public holidays.
This service extension has been made possible by funding from HM Government, given to West Berkshire Council after submission of a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) in October 2021 and the Council has partnered with Stagecoach and Hampshire County Council to make these services a reality.
There will be further announcements about your local bus services in the coming months so please do look out for them.
New evening bus services in Newbury and Thatcham and Sunday services to Mortimer
From September 2023, Newbury & District have introduced a late evening service between Newbury and Thatcham on Friday and Saturday evenings and Lime 2a operated by Reading Buses now extends to Mortimer every 2 hours on Sundays.
The Friday and Saturday 1e late evening service runs between Newbury Wharf and Thatcham Broadway, extending to Falmouth Way. The service also passes through the Turnpike Estate. Why not use the bus to go to the cinema, the Corn Exchange, go out for a bite to eat or meet friends and family in local bars and eateries.
The Lime 2a has been extended to serve Mortimer every 2 hours on Sundays, providing a bus link to Burghfield and Reading which has not been available for some years. You could use the service to go shopping in Reading, catch the latest film, visit friends/or family, or access job opportunities.
Further information can be found on Reading Buses and Newbury & District's websites and in our 
Travel Guide [9MB] .
These service enhancements build on a long-held ambition of West Berkshire Council to enhance late evening and Sunday bus services across the district and with the recent introduction of the X34 between Newbury and Harwell Campus/Didcot ensure that local bus services continue to evolve.
Your concessionary fares bus pass will be accepted on these services between 9.30am and 11pm on Fridays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
These service extensions have been made possible by funding from HM Government, given to West Berkshire Council after submission of a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) in October 2021 and the council has partnered with Reading Buses and Newbury & District to make these services a reality.
There will be further announcements about your local bus services in the coming months so please do look out for them.
Other public transport services
Trains services that operate in West Berkshire maybe subject to change, often at short notice, updated information can be found on the Great Western Railway (GWR) website.
National Express is not currently operating in West Berkshire.
Travel guidance and face coverings
The government has removed all domestic legal restrictions relating to COVID-19.
There is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering, but the government suggests that people consider wearing one when COVID-19 rates are high and you will be in close contact with others such as in crowded and enclosed spaces, when you come into close contact with someone in a high risk category and when there are a lot of respiratory viruses circulating.
You can find more detailed information about coronavirus guidance on the GOV.UK website.
Services on bank holidays and during travel disruption
If you are planning to travel by public transport on bank holidays, during bad weather or during other periods of disruption, please use the Traveline journey planner which has regularly updated information.
You can also check with the bus or train company you will be using to make sure they are running. Please see the contact details listed below.
Road closures and bus stop suspensions
At times essential utility work and highway improvement works can cause disruptions to bus services. This can include bus stop suspensions and services having to divert from scheduled routes.
Details of any works which could have a major impact on West Berkshire Council contracted services will be posted on this page.
Contacting local bus and train operators
You can find details of the major bus and train operators in West Berkshire, and links to their website and contact details, below:
- Connect - services 47, CCA, CCB, CCC and West Berkshire Community Connect
- Going Forward Buses - find their contact details on the Going Forward Buses website - you can also find Going Forward Buses on Facebook
- Great Western Railway (GWR) - find their contact details on the GWR website - you can also follow Great Western Railway on X
- Newbury and District - find their contact details on the Newbury and District website - you can also find Newbury and District on Facebook and follow Newbury and District on X
- Reading Buses - find their contact details on the Reading Buses website - you can also find Reading Buses on Facebook and follow Reading Buses on X
- Salisbury Reds - find their contact details on the Salisbury Reds website
- Stagecoach - find their contact details on the Stagecoach website - you can also follow Stagecoach South on X
- Swindon's Bus Company - find their contact details on the Swindon Bus Company website
- Thames Travel - find their contact details on the Thames Travel website - you can also find Thames Travel on Facebook
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