Hants & Surrey Bus Blog Reporting that: -
"Reading Buses expanded into our coverage area earlier this year, when they took on the northern half of route 7 between Reading and Fleet. Having entered into Hampshire, it can now be revealed that they are to enter our area in Surrey from Monday 17th September.
The operator’s Slough-based ‘Thames Valley’ brand will be taking on a contract for the operation of National Express’ 925 Heathrow to Woking ‘Railair’ service from that date. The route was recently re-numbered from 701, presumably as a result of a doctored image doing the rounds on social media of a coach showing the destination ‘Woking 925’ in reference to a Dolly Parton line. 701 would have fit in nicely with their Green Line 702 & 703 numbers, however Reading Buses’ CEO, Martijn Gilbert, tells me they like the “fun” numbering and that they originally wanted to use the 701 number for what is now their 703. This leaves scope for future use of the 701 number though, for example on summer ‘fast’ London to Windsor journeys.
He also tells me that Caetano Levante coaches will be acquired from National Express, however identities are not yet known. These will join a pair of existing Levantes in the fleet, FJ57 KHO/KJU (1401/2), which I believe were originally intended for driver training and rail replacement work, but ended up on the Green Line 702. The Green Line vinyls have now been removed from at least the former though, with the coaches wearing the generic silver/grey livery. The route requires two vehicles at any one time, so I’d guess that at least three will be acquired to allow for a branded spare".
"Reading Buses expanded into our coverage area earlier this year, when they took on the northern half of route 7 between Reading and Fleet. Having entered into Hampshire, it can now be revealed that they are to enter our area in Surrey from Monday 17th September.
The operator’s Slough-based ‘Thames Valley’ brand will be taking on a contract for the operation of National Express’ 925 Heathrow to Woking ‘Railair’ service from that date. The route was recently re-numbered from 701, presumably as a result of a doctored image doing the rounds on social media of a coach showing the destination ‘Woking 925’ in reference to a Dolly Parton line. 701 would have fit in nicely with their Green Line 702 & 703 numbers, however Reading Buses’ CEO, Martijn Gilbert, tells me they like the “fun” numbering and that they originally wanted to use the 701 number for what is now their 703. This leaves scope for future use of the 701 number though, for example on summer ‘fast’ London to Windsor journeys.
He also tells me that Caetano Levante coaches will be acquired from National Express, however identities are not yet known. These will join a pair of existing Levantes in the fleet, FJ57 KHO/KJU (1401/2), which I believe were originally intended for driver training and rail replacement work, but ended up on the Green Line 702. The Green Line vinyls have now been removed from at least the former though, with the coaches wearing the generic silver/grey livery. The route requires two vehicles at any one time, so I’d guess that at least three will be acquired to allow for a branded spare".
