Thames Travel
Encyclopedia
Thames Travel is a bus
operator based in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, in England
. It is the third largest bus company in the county It operates a fleet of around 34 vehicles, and employs 75 staff. Running services across the Thames region, the company carries approximately 1.25 million passengers a year. Founded in 1998 as an independent operator, it was taken over by the Go-Ahead Group
in May 2011.
. It now runs 50 (47 buses 3 Ancillary Vehicles) vehicles and 31 services. Many services were taken on in Reading after the collapse of Tillingbourne Bus Company
on 19 March 2001. Thames Travel has also benefited from operators such as Stagecoach in Oxfordshire, Reading Buses
and First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
, giving up a lot of commercial work. However in recent years smaller competitors including RH Transport, Heyfordian, Whites Coaches and Weavaway Travel have won work that Thames Travel had operated.
On 26th May 2011, Thames Travel announced that they had been purchased by Go-Ahead Group
for an undisclosed fee.
Thames Travel operate a number of unusual vehicle types in their fleet of 34 buses. Vehicles are also numbered in an unusual scheme, using the date the vehicle was registered and the registration plate mark. For example (as pictured above), buses new in the first half of 2006 would be 106 onwards, and from the second half of 2007 157 onwards.
Some of the vehicle types operated include:
Some vehicles of the same type are at various ages, having been purchased at different times. The Thames Travel livery is currently blue and green, but a number of vehicles are still in the old allover white livery, as well as some vehicles on loan. Two buses run in a special livery promoting the Oxford Science Park
, which are mainly run on route 105/106 which serve the park.
Vehicles are based at the head office in Hithercroft Industrial Estate in Wallingford,
in Arborfield and, from 2010, at Bilton Industrial Estate, Lovelace Road in Bracknell.
In the first accident, on July 21 2006, a 26 year old woman was killed after colliding head on with a Thames Travel MCV
Evolution. It was found that she did this to avoid a collision with two cars coming towards her, who had been recklessly overtaking numerous other cars before the accident. As a result of the collision, both vehicles caught fire and were completely destroyed. The bus was replaced with the next intake of new vehicles. The two brothers arrested after the incident were charged and jailed for a total of 15 years for the accident.
The second accident, on 28 January 2008, involved another MCV Evolution. It collided in fog with a Land Rover that was turning off the road across the bus's path. The Land Rover landed on its side; the bus in a ditch. The accident happened on the A4074 at its junction with the B4526 road. Five people were injured.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
operator based in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the third largest bus company in the county It operates a fleet of around 34 vehicles, and employs 75 staff. Running services across the Thames region, the company carries approximately 1.25 million passengers a year. Founded in 1998 as an independent operator, it was taken over by the Go-Ahead Group
Go-Ahead Group
The Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...
in May 2011.
History
Thames Travel was founded on 14 April 1998 with a fleet of four vehicles. Since then it has expanded by winning new contracts in Oxfordshire and Berkshire, and taking over work from operators that have ceased trading such as Chiltern Queens of WoodcoteWoodcote
Woodcote is a village in the civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Wallingford and about northwest of Reading, Berkshire. It is in the Chiltern Hills, and the highest part of the village is above sea level....
. It now runs 50 (47 buses 3 Ancillary Vehicles) vehicles and 31 services. Many services were taken on in Reading after the collapse of Tillingbourne Bus Company
Tillingbourne Bus Company
Tillingbourne Bus Company was a bus operating company based in Cranleigh, Surrey, England, which operated a local service from 1924 to 2001. It was founded as Tillingbourne Valley in 1924, and became a limited company in 1931, taking the name Tillingbourne Valley Services...
on 19 March 2001. Thames Travel has also benefited from operators such as Stagecoach in Oxfordshire, Reading Buses
Reading Transport
Reading Transport Ltd is a bus operator serving the towns of Reading, Newbury and the surrounding area in the English county of Berkshire. The company is wholly owned by Reading Borough Council and operates under the brands Reading Buses, Newbury Buses and Goldline Travel...
and First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley is a bus operator serving Bracknell, Slough and Wokingham, in England. It is part of First Group, a major bus and train operator with a turnover of nearly £2.5 billion a year and 62,000 employees across the UK and North America...
, giving up a lot of commercial work. However in recent years smaller competitors including RH Transport, Heyfordian, Whites Coaches and Weavaway Travel have won work that Thames Travel had operated.
On 26th May 2011, Thames Travel announced that they had been purchased by Go-Ahead Group
Go-Ahead Group
The Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...
for an undisclosed fee.
Services
Thames Travel operate a numerous services across a number of areas, varying from local routes to long distance express buses| Number | Route | Other notes |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Grove Grove, Oxfordshire Grove is a village and civil parish on Letcombe Brook about north of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Parish churches:... - Wantage Wantage Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot.... - Harwell Campus Harwell Science and Innovation Campus The Harwell Science and Innovation Campus is a science and technology campus near the villages of Harwell and Chilton, Oxfordshire, England. The site is about south of Oxford... - Harwell Harwell, Oxfordshire Harwell is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse west of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Amenities:... - Didcot Didcot Didcot is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Oxford. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire... - Sutton Courtenay Sutton Courtenay Sutton Courtenay is a village and civil parish on the River Thames south of Abingdon and northwest of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Today:... - Abingdon Abingdon, Oxfordshire Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with... |
Sunday service 32A operated by RH Transport |
| 32B/32C | Abingdon Abingdon, Oxfordshire Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with... - Didcot Didcot Didcot is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Oxford. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire... |
Evening only contract replacement for Oxford Bus Co X2 service |
| 53 | Binfield Binfield Binfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest borough of Berkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 7,475... - Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London... - Maidenhead Maidenhead Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:... - Wexham Park Hospital Wexham Park Hospital Wexham Park Hospital is an NHS hospital at the northern fringe of Slough, Berkshire, part of the Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.The hospital opened in 1965 in a "countryside" setting.... |
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| 101 | Watlington Watlington, Oxfordshire Watlington is a market town and civil parish about south of Thame in Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlets of Christmas Common and Greenfield, both of which are in the Chiltern Hills. The M40 motorway is from Watlington.-History:... , Chalgrove Chalgrove Chalgrove is a village and civil parish of some . It is in South Oxfordshire about southeast of Oxford. The parish includes the hamlet of Rofford and the former parish of Warpsgrove with which it merged in 1932.... , Stadhampton Stadhampton Stadhampton is a village and civil parish north of Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire, England. Stadhampton village is on the A329 road and close to the River Thame.-Location:... , Garsington Garsington Garsington is a village and civil parish about southeast of Oxford in Oxfordshire.-Notable Garsington buildings:The earliest part of the Church of England parish church of Saint Mary is the Norman tower, built towards the end of the 12th century. The Gothic Revival architect Joseph Clarke restored... , Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... |
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| 105/106 | Wallingford, Dorchester Dorchester, Oxfordshire Dorchester-on-Thames is a village and civil parish on the River Thame in Oxfordshire, about northwest of Wallingford and southeast of Oxford. Despite its name, Dorchester is not on the River Thames, but just above the Thame's confluence with it... , Berinsfield Berinsfield Berinsfield is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Oxford.-History:Palaeolithic and Roman artefacts were found during 20th century excavations to build the village. The Roman road between Dorchester-on-Thames and Alchester runs through the centre of Berinsfield... , Sandford Sandford-on-Thames Sandford-on-Thames is a village and Parish Council beside the River Thames in Oxfordshire just south of Oxford. The village is just west of the A4074 road between Oxford and Henley.-Early history:... , Littlemore Littlemore Littlemore is a district of Oxford, England. It has a parish council that also represents parts of Rose Hill. It is about southeast of the city centre of Oxford, between Rose Hill, Blackbird Leys, Cowley, and Sandford-on-Thames.-History:... , Oxford Science Park Oxford Science Park The Oxford Science Park is a science and technology park located on the southern edge of the city of Oxford, England. It was founded jointly by Magdalen College, Oxford and Prudential in 1990... , Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... |
Run with a bus in a special Science-themed livery. |
| 122/123 | Woosehill Woosehill Woosehill is a suburb of Wokingham in the English county of BerkshireWoosehill - spelled incorrectly as Woose Hill on Ordnance Survey maps - is the north-western region of Wokingham, adjoining Embrook. The Emm Brook forms its eastern boundary and the Bearwood Road its western boundary, past the... - Wokingham Wokingham Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403... - Finchampstead Finchampstead Finchampstead is a civil parish near Wokingham in the English county of Berkshire. Its northern extremity is situated south of Wokingham, west of Bracknell, south-east of Reading, and west of Central London.-Geography:... - Crowthorne Crowthorne Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711... , 122 Saturdays - Sandhurst - Meadows Tesco Tesco Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits... |
Wokingham local service |
| 124 | Woosehill Woosehill Woosehill is a suburb of Wokingham in the English county of BerkshireWoosehill - spelled incorrectly as Woose Hill on Ordnance Survey maps - is the north-western region of Wokingham, adjoining Embrook. The Emm Brook forms its eastern boundary and the Bearwood Road its western boundary, past the... - Wokingham Wokingham Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403... (Broad Street - Waterloo Road - Broad Street) |
Wokingham town bus |
| 125 | Wallingford - Watlington Watlington, Oxfordshire Watlington is a market town and civil parish about south of Thame in Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlets of Christmas Common and Greenfield, both of which are in the Chiltern Hills. The M40 motorway is from Watlington.-History:... |
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| 126/127/128/129 | Wokingham Wokingham Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403... - Twyford Twyford Twyford is the name of more than one place. The place name is Anglo-Saxon and means 'double ford'.-Places:In the United Kingdom:*Twyford, Berkshire*Twyford, Buckinghamshire*Twyford, Derbyshire*Twyford, Dorset*Twyford, Hampshire*Twyford, Herefordshire... - Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London.... , 127 Saturdays - Maidenhead Maidenhead Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:... |
127 Saturdays variation only. |
| 130 | Wallingford - Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Brightwell-cum-Sotwell is a twin-village and civil parish in the Upper Thames Valley in South Oxfordshire. It lies between Didcot to the west and the historic market town of Wallingford to the east... - Didcot Didcot Didcot is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Oxford. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire... - Didcot Parkway railway station Didcot Parkway railway station Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. The station was opened as Didcot on 12 June 1844, and renamed Didcot Parkway on 29 July 1985 to reflect its role as a park and ride railhead.... |
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| 132 | RAF Benson RAF Benson RAF Benson is a Royal Air Force station near Benson in South Oxfordshire, England. It is home to the Royal Air Force's support helicopters, the Aérospatiale Puma and the EH-101 Merlin, known as the Puma HC.Mk 1 and the Merlin HC.Mk 3 and Mk 3a.... - Benson Benson, Oxfordshire Benson is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England. It is about north of Wallingford at the foot of the Chiltern Hills at the confluence of a chalk stream and the River Thames, next to Benson Lock... - Wallingford |
One of two 132 services (see below) |
| 132 | Goring Heath Goring Heath Goring Heath is a hamlet and civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire. The civil parish includes the villages of Whitchurch Hill and Crays Pond and some small hamlets... - Pangbourne Pangbourne Pangbourne is a large village and civil parish on the River Thames in the English county of Berkshire. Pangbourne is the home of the independent school, Pangbourne College.-Location:... - Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London.... |
One of two 132 services (see above) |
| 136 | Wallingford - Cholsey Cholsey Cholsey is a village and civil parish south of Wallingford, in South Oxfordshire. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire to the county of Oxfordshire, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire.... |
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| 138 | Wallingford - Berinsfield Berinsfield Berinsfield is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Oxford.-History:Palaeolithic and Roman artefacts were found during 20th century excavations to build the village. The Roman road between Dorchester-on-Thames and Alchester runs through the centre of Berinsfield... |
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| 139 | Henley Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead... - Nettlebed Nettlebed Nettlebed is a village in England in the Chiltern Hills about northwest of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire and southeast of Wallingford.-History:Archaeological finds show that the area around Nettlebed has been inhabited since Palaeolithic times.... - Wallingford |
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| 144 | Wokingham Wokingham Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403... - Arborfield Garrison Arborfield Garrison Arborfield Garrison is a British Army garrison in the English county of Berkshire, approximately south east of the village of Arborfield Cross. The Garrison and its associated housing estates are split between the civil parishes of Arborfield and Newland and Barkham... - Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London.... |
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| 151 | Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London... - Wokingham Wokingham Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403... |
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| 152 | Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London... - Winkfield Winkfield Winkfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest unitary authority of Berkshire, England.-Geography:According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 15,271... |
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| 153 | Binfield Binfield Binfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest borough of Berkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 7,475... - Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London... - Warfield Warfield Warfield is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire and the Borough of Bracknell Forest.-Geography:Warfield is a mostly rural parish made up of a number of small settlements... - Winkfield Winkfield Winkfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest unitary authority of Berkshire, England.-Geography:According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 15,271... |
Sunday service operated by Courtney Coaches Courtney Coaches Courtney Coaches are a bus operator baseed in Bracknell, Berkshire, England. They operate a network of commercial and contracted local bus services and school buses in and around Bracknell and Maidenhead... . |
| 154 | Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London... - Bulbrook - Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London... |
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| 156 | Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London... - The Parks - Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London... |
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| 162 | Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London... - Ascot Ascot, Berkshire Ascot is a village within the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting... |
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| 202 | Whitley Wood Whitley Wood Whitley Wood is a suburb to the south of Reading in the English county of Berkshire.-Geography:Whitley Wood is bounded to the north by an ill-defined boundary with the suburb of Whitley, to the east by a ridge of high ground carrying the road to Shinfield, to the west by the valleys of the River... - Emmbrook School The Emmbrook School The Emmbrook School is a co-educational comprehensive school located in Emmbrook, Wokingham, Berkshire, England, for students between 11 and 18 years of age... & Holt School (Wokingham Wokingham Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403... ) |
School service, running on schooldays only |
| 244 | Shinfield Shinfield Shinfield is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, just south of Reading. It contains and is administered by the unitary authority of Wokingham District.-Geography:... - Barkham Barkham Barkham is a village and civil parish about south-west of the centre of Wokingham in Berkshire.-Geography:The old part of Barkham is the small settlement by the parish church at and close to Barkham Street... - Holt School, Emmbrook School The Emmbrook School The Emmbrook School is a co-educational comprehensive school located in Emmbrook, Wokingham, Berkshire, England, for students between 11 and 18 years of age... & Forest School Forest School (Winnersh) Forest School is a comprehensive, all-boys' secondary school in Winnersh, Berkshire, England judged to be "Good" with some "Outstanding" aspects in it's most recent OFSTED inspection. It is located on Robin Hood Lane, the B3030 road, next to Winnersh railway station.-Grammar school:Forest School... (Wokingham Wokingham Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403... ) |
School service, running on schooldays only |
| X32 | Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... - Didcot Didcot Didcot is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Oxford. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire... - Harwell Harwell, Oxfordshire Harwell is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse west of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Amenities:... - Harwell Campus Harwell Science and Innovation Campus The Harwell Science and Innovation Campus is a science and technology campus near the villages of Harwell and Chilton, Oxfordshire, England. The site is about south of Oxford... - Chilton Chilton, Oxfordshire Chilton is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse about southwest of Didcot. The parish was part of Berkshire until the 1974 local government boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire.... |
Express service |
| X39/X40 | Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London.... - Woodcote Woodcote Woodcote is a village in the civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Wallingford and about northwest of Reading, Berkshire. It is in the Chiltern Hills, and the highest part of the village is above sea level.... - Wallingford - Oxford Oxford The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... |
Express services; only X40 serves Woodcote |
Fleet
Some of the vehicle types operated include:
- Dennis DartDennis DartThe Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
/MarshallMarshall BusMarshall Bus was a British bus manufacturer between 1992 and 2002. The company's most popular product was the Marshall Capital, which was a single-decker bus body built between 1997 and 2003... - Volvo B10BLEVolvo B10BLEThe Volvo B10BLE is a low-entry city bus chassis which was popular in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom and Australia. It was launched around 1992 with the engine mounted on the rear overhang of the bus. It was the successor of the citybus version of Volvo B10B and is used as a base for single-deck...
/Alexander ALX300Alexander ALX300The Alexander ALX300 is a full size single-decker bus body built by Alexander at Falkirk, Scotland, United Kingdom, which was first built in 1997... - Optare SoloOptare SoloThe Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative...
- Dennis DartDennis DartThe Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
/Plaxton PointerPlaxton PointerThe Plaxton Pointer is a successful single-decker bus body manufactured during the 1990s by Plaxton and latterly built by Alexander Dennis.With the launch of the Dennis Dart in 1989, Plaxton's subsidiary Reeve Burgess made the Pointer body on the short 8.5 m... - Scania OmniDekkaScania OmniDekkaThe Scania OmniDekka is a double-decker bus built for sale in the UK...
- MAN 14.220/MCV EvolutionMCV EvolutionThe MCV Evolution is a single-decker bus bodywork built by Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles. It was unveiled in late 2004.This body is based on the frame of the Stirling but has been drastically restyled, incorporating a new roof-dome , and other new mouldings...
- Scania N94Scania N94The Scania N94 was a transverse-engined low-floor city bus built by Scania AB, which was a direct replacement of Scania N113.It was originally available with rigid version N94UB and articulated version N94UA, but from 2002 a double-deck version known as the N94UD also became available.The N94UD was...
UB/East Lancs OmniTownScania OmniTownThe Scania OmniTown was a bus body sold in the United Kingdom. It utilised the Scania N94UB chassis , with East Lancashire Coachbuilders bodywork. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the OmniTown chassis or the Dennis Dart chassis...
(with East Lancs Esteem fronts) - Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart
- Scania OmniCityScania OmniCityThe Scania OmniCity is an integrally-constructed transverse-engined low floor citybus available on the European market. The OmniCity is a complete product built in Poland by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden....
double decker - Alexander Dennis Enviro 400Alexander Dennis Enviro 400The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 is a 2-axle double-decker bus built by Alexander Dennis from late 2005. It is designed as the replacement of the Alexander ALX400 body....
Hybrid double decker
Some vehicles of the same type are at various ages, having been purchased at different times. The Thames Travel livery is currently blue and green, but a number of vehicles are still in the old allover white livery, as well as some vehicles on loan. Two buses run in a special livery promoting the Oxford Science Park
Oxford Science Park
The Oxford Science Park is a science and technology park located on the southern edge of the city of Oxford, England. It was founded jointly by Magdalen College, Oxford and Prudential in 1990...
, which are mainly run on route 105/106 which serve the park.
Vehicles are based at the head office in Hithercroft Industrial Estate in Wallingford,
in Arborfield and, from 2010, at Bilton Industrial Estate, Lovelace Road in Bracknell.
Fares
As well as standard bus-type fares, Thames Travel also offers 10 Trippers which are 10 single tickets for the price of 4.5 returns, monthly tickets for £56 available from bus drivers, and 13 week tickets for £150 from the company offices. Each of these can be used on any Thames Travel service.Notable incidents
Thames Travel vehicles have been involved in two major accidents, widely reported in the local media. Both happened on the A4074 road, locally known as the "13 bends of death".In the first accident, on July 21 2006, a 26 year old woman was killed after colliding head on with a Thames Travel MCV
MCV Bus and Coach
MCV Bus and Coach is a British manufacturer of bus bodies founded in late 2002 after buying the assets of defunct bus builder Marshall Bus who closed down in the summer of that year...
Evolution. It was found that she did this to avoid a collision with two cars coming towards her, who had been recklessly overtaking numerous other cars before the accident. As a result of the collision, both vehicles caught fire and were completely destroyed. The bus was replaced with the next intake of new vehicles. The two brothers arrested after the incident were charged and jailed for a total of 15 years for the accident.
The second accident, on 28 January 2008, involved another MCV Evolution. It collided in fog with a Land Rover that was turning off the road across the bus's path. The Land Rover landed on its side; the bus in a ditch. The accident happened on the A4074 at its junction with the B4526 road. Five people were injured.
See also
- First Berkshire & The Thames ValleyFirst Berkshire & The Thames ValleyFirst Berkshire & The Thames Valley is a bus operator serving Bracknell, Slough and Wokingham, in England. It is part of First Group, a major bus and train operator with a turnover of nearly £2.5 billion a year and 62,000 employees across the UK and North America...
- Oxford Bus CompanyOxford Bus CompanyOxford Bus Company is a bus operator serving the city and surrounding area of Oxford, England and is the trading name of City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd. It is now a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group...
- Reading Transport Ltd
- Stagecoach Oxfordshire
- Go-Ahead GroupGo-Ahead GroupThe Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...
- List of bus companies in the United Kingdom