Go-Ahead Group subsidiary Thames Travel has invested £3 million in its X40 River Rapids route between Oxford and Reading via Wallingford with the purchase of 10 MCV EvoSeti-bodied Volvo B8L tri-axle double-deckers.
From 3 August the service will also see a timetable uplift to run up to every 20 minutes Monday to Friday, coupled to a frequency of up to every 30 minutes at weekends. At the same time, the route will be altered to give faster journeys into Oxford.
The schedule uplift has been partly funded by the Oxfordshire Bus Enhanced Partnership, while new night services to Reading on Friday and Saturday evenings are partly supported by the Reading Borough Council Bus Service Improvement Plan.
The new B8L EvoSetis each seat 92 and thus provide a capacity uplift over the two-axle double-deckers they will displace. USB charging and free wi-fi have been specified along with a distinctive livery for the service.
Speaking about the upgrade, Thames Travel Managing Director Luke Marion says: “We are looking forward to improving our popular River Rapids service for our passengers.
“Partnership working is key to a successful bus network, and it has been great to collaborate with the council to secure funding from government and prioritise it to the areas where it can deliver the greatest benefit to bus users in the county.
“We have also made a significant investment as a business into our fleet of vehicles as part of our ongoing commitment to introducing more sustainable modes of transport.”
