£2.8 million cash boost improves bus services in Newbury, Thatcham and Mortimer

West Berkshire Council has announced new local bus services.

The council has announced new bus services as part of its longstanding commitment to boosting late evening and Sunday bus services throughout the district.

A new Sunday busy service is now operating in Mortimer, plus an evening service at Newbury and Thatcham.

The service started on September 8 and has seen Newbury & District roll out a late 1e evening service on Fridays and Saturdays between Newbury and Thatcham.

The new hourly timetable for buses from Newbury to Thatcham on Saturdays are 9.20pm, 10.20pm, 11.20pm and 12.20am.

The hourly timetable from Pipers Way, Thatcham to Newbury on Saturdays are 9.48pm, 10.48pm and 11.48pm.

The Friday timetable is the same both ways, except for the 12.20am service.

Additionally, Reading Buses Lime 2a service will now extend to Mortimer every two hours on Sundays, starting from September 10, enhancing the service from Burghfield to Reading, which has been unavailable for some years.

The developments follow the recent addition of the X34 service between Newbury, Harwell Campus and Didcot.

The concessionary fares bus pass is still fully valid on all local bus services in West Berkshire and Reading from 9.30am to 11pm on Fridays, and all day long on Saturdays and Sundays.

West Berkshire Council leader, Lee Dillion, said: "We're thrilled to announce these exciting enhancements to our bus services, a result of the partnership between West Berkshire Council, Reading Buses and Newbury & District.”

He continued: “We're taking strides to bring improved connectivity and convenience to our community.

“The revamped bus service between Newbury and Thatcham, along with the expanded Sunday service to Mortimer, demonstrates our commitment to making public transport more accessible and enjoyable for everyone to enhance the lives of our residents in an environmentally sustainable way."

CEO of Reading Buses, Robert Williams, added: “We are delighted to be introducing these enhancements for customers in the Thatcham and Mortimer areas as an outcome of our work in partnership with West Berkshire Council.

“They form part of a wider series of improvements that we are introducing.”

Minister for roads and local transport, Richard Holden, said: “People up and down the country deserve a modern, reliable and affordable public transport system.

“That is why we have provided West Berkshire Council with over £2.8 million to boost its bus services.

“Supporting the council with introducing new evening and Sunday services this autumn is fantastic for local residents, who will now be able to get to work, attend medical appointments and visit loved ones more easily.”

Both of these improvements have been made possible with national government funding via the Department for Transport.

The funding was given to West Berkshire Council after it submitted a Bus Service Improvement Plan in October 2021.