New ‘reliable’ Henley-Reading bus service

A NEW bus service between Henley and Reading began on Monday.

The Aqua 28 route runs every half hour from Monday to Saturday and up to every hour in the evening and on Sundays. It stops at Shiplake and Caversham.

The route was introduced by Reading Buses after Arriva axed its services between High Wycombe and Aylesbury, including the 800 and 850 services.

The first customers were provided with free breakfasts of croissants, crepes, pancakes, cereal bars, juice and water. A spokesman for Reading Buses said: “We have previously received requests from customers to introduce a more regular and reliable service to Henley.

“With the latest unfortunate news from Arriva, we thought this was a good time to test the water.

“While other operators are stepping in to provide replacements for Arriva’s services, our aim is to supplement those efforts with a fast and high-quality service that we know we can operate reliably as part of our ongoing network development.” The name of the route was inspired by the River Thames and the buses run on sustainably sourced bio-methane to minimise carbon impact.

The service takes 40 to 45 minutes to travel between Henley and Reading and a return ticket costs £4.

Town councillor Stefan Gawrysiak said: “Reading Buses are a quality operator who really elevate the customer experience.

“Their buses are good for the air in Henley and we hope that people embrace this service.”