Reading - 5/6 Apr 2017

Wednesday 5 April 2017 (1556) – Courtney Coaches YP12 NUO travelling through Market Place, Reading when working their 1510 service 350 from Bracknell to Luton Airport. It had just departed from the Reading pick-up point in Valpy Street. Two trips are worked on this service which leave Bracknell at 0330 and 1510 returning from Luton Airport at 0925 and 2200. An Irizar PB bodied Scania K360 new to Reliance (Griffin) of Gravesend in June 2012.

Wednesday 5 April 2017 (1556) – Courtney Coaches YP12 NUO travelling through Market Place, Reading when working their 1510 service 350 from Bracknell to Luton Airport. It had just departed from the Reading pick-up point in Valpy Street. Two trips are worked on this service which leave Bracknell at 0330 and 1510 returning from Luton Airport at 0925 and 2200. An Irizar PB bodied Scania K360 new to Reliance (Griffin) of Gravesend in June 2012.

Thursday 6 April 2017 (1125) – Courtney Coaches YP12 NUO travelling through Market Place, Reading when working their 0925 service 350 from Luton Airport to Bracknell. Two trips are worked on this service which leave Bracknell at 0330 and 1510 returning from Luton Airport at 0925 and 2200. An Irizar PB bodied Scania K360 new to Reliance (Griffin) of Gravesend in June 2012.

Thursday 6 April 2017 (1125) – Courtney Coaches YP12 NUO travelling along Kings Road in Reading when working the 0925 service 350 from Luton Airport to Bracknell. Two trips are worked on this service which leave Bracknell at 0330 and 1510 returning from Luton Airport at 0925 and 2200. An Irizar PB bodied Scania K360 new to Reliance (Griffin) of Gravesend in June 2012. (Taken on board Reading Buses 1114 (YN08 MMU) The red brick building bears the name of a once famous Reading business, Huntley and Palmers – the biscuit manufacturer. The company closed its Reading factory in the mid-1970s and the majority of the site, which was on the extreme left, was redeveloped. However, one of the older pieces of the former H&P property, the red brick building, remains and is in residential use still but still bearing the company name.

Thursday 6 April 2017 (0802) – Friars Street, Reading: Local coach operator Horseman Coaches RX07 KDO, a Plaxton Panther 1 bodied Volvo B12B new in March 2007, passes Reading Buses 226 (SN61 BCX), an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 bodied Trident working ‘Purple’ branded cross town Tilehurst-Wokingham Road service 17.

Wednesday 5 April 2017 (1332) – Horseman Coaches of Reading RX57 GXB, a Caetano Optimo V bodied Toyota new in October 2007, seen in Market Place, Reading working a free shuttle bus to the Kings Meadow Tesco store. (One vehicle employed departing every 20 minutes (0930-1427 not Tuesdays and Thursdays) with a 20 minute round trip journey time). In the background is Reading Buses 406 (YR13 PNJ), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro300 SG bodied Scania K270 new in April 2013, working the ‘Greenwave’ branded Park and Ride service to Mereoak.

Thursday 6 April 2017 (0844) – Horseman Coaches of Reading YX15 OUV seen parked in Valpy Street, Reading. The coach is a Plaxton Leopard bodied Volvo B11R new in March 2015

Wednesday 5 April 2017 (1332) – Horseman Coaches of Reading YX15 OVB returning a host of little darlings back to St. Michael’s Primary School, Reading. Looks like they have been away for a few days judging by the pile of suitcases on the footpath. The coach is a Plaxton Leopard bodied Volvo B9R new in March 2015 (Too good for a load of kids??!!) Incidentally, the driver couldn’t unload anywhere else because the parents had parked in the lay-by and on the roadside further along. Seen from on board Reading Buses 841 (YN57 FXA) working service 15.

Thursday 6 April 2017 (0822) – Courtney Coaches trading as Courtney Buses operates service 128 into Reading from Wokingham. Optare Solo YJ14 BGY new in April 2014 is named ‘Latte’ – note the name on the front with a coffee cup. Seen departing Friar Street, Reading. It had previously worked the 0707 service from Wokingham arriving at 0817 and was returning on the 0822 service.

Thursday 6 April 2017 (0908) – Courtney Coaches trading as Courtney Buses operates service 128 into Reading from Wokingham. Optare Solo YJ13 HKW new in May 2013 is named ‘Thomas’. Seen in Friar Street, Reading prior to working the 0925 service to Wokingham.

Wednesday 5 April 2017 (1202) – First Berkshire ‘Railair’ service X25 links Reading’s main line railway station with Heathrow Airport every 20 minutes during the daytime with a scheduled journey time of just under one hour. The windows of the lounge/waiting room at Reading railway station feature the same promotionals for the service that are carried on the rear panels of the coaches. There is a name of a foreign destination and the name of a town served by the train into Reading. Taunton to Toronto and Bath to Barcelona are shown here.

Thursday 6 April 2017 (0940) – First Berkshire ‘Railair’ service X25 links Reading’s main line railway station with Heathrow Airport every 20 minutes during the daytime with a scheduled journey time of just under one hour. 20807 (YX11 HPP), a Plaxton Panther 2 bodied Volvo B9R new in August 2011, was seen outside the railway station. The ‘Railair’ lounge is located under the canopy visible over the first two passenger windows of the coach. The photograph was taken from the upper deck of Reading Buses 1104 (YN08 MKU), a Scania Omnicity, as the bus passed by.

Thursday 6 April 2017 (0836) – First Berkshire ‘Railair’ service X25 links Reading’s main line railway station with Heathrow Airport every 20 minutes during the daytime with a scheduled journey time of just under one hour. 20810 (YY63 WBT), a Plaxton Panther 3 bodied Volvo B9R new in December 2013, was just arriving at Reading railway station from the Airport.

Thursday 6 April 2017 (1128) – First Berkshire 20601 (LK07 CDE), a Plaxton Panther 1 bodied Volvo B12B new in July 2007, seen on London Road, Reading when working a ‘Railair’ service X25 from Heathrow Airport. The service links Heathrow with Reading’s main line railway station every 20 minutes during the daytime with a scheduled journey time of just under one hour. Taken from Reading Buses 1114 (YN08 MMU)

Wednesday 5 April 2017 (1156) – First Berkshire ‘Railair’ service X25 links Reading’s main line railway station with Heathrow Airport every 20 minutes during the daytime with a scheduled journey time of just under one hour. Two coaches on the stand outside the railway station are 23015 (YN04 AJV), an Irizar Century bodied Scania K114 new in April 2004, and 20808 (YN62 GYR), a Plaxton Panther 2 bodied Volvo B9R new in January 2013.

Wednesday 5 April 2017 (1538) – First Berkshire ‘Railair’ service X25 links Reading’s main line railway station with Heathrow Airport every 20 minutes during the daytime with a scheduled journey time of just under one hour. Two coaches on the stand outside the railway station are 20810 (YY63 WBT), a Plaxton Panther 3 bodied Volvo B9R new in December 2013, and 23015 (YN04 AJV), an Irizar Century bodied Scania K114 new in April 2004. Rear end promotion for the service features the name of a foreign destination and the name of a town served by the train into Reading. Taunton to Toronto and Cardiff to Cairo on these two coaches.

Thursday 6 April 2017 (0839) – First Berkshire ‘Railair’ service X25 links Reading’s main line railway station with Heathrow Airport every 20 minutes during the daytime with a scheduled journey time of just under one hour. On the right is 20810 (YY63 WBT), a Plaxton Panther 3 bodied Volvo B9R new in December 2013, had just arrived from the Airport at 0836 and by 0842 was on its way back there again. On the left is 20601 (LK07 CDE), a Plaxton Panther1 bodied Volvo B12B new in July 2007.

Wednesday 5 April 2017 (1559) – Stagecoach South 17735 (SK52 USO) seen in Market Place, Reading when working service 7 to Aldershot. It is an Alexander ALX400 bodied Dennis Trident new in December 2002 to Stagecoach Devon. The big groups (Stagecoach, Go Ahead and Arriva) have only a small presence in Reading. In fact during my visit I only saw two Stagecoach buses and photographed half of them!!