We are pleased to announce the launch of a new bus service coming to Whiteknights campus from 21st September!
The White Knight 20, developed by Reading Buses, has been tailored to University life and will provide an express service between Reading Town Centre and train station and campus during term time.
The White Knight 20 will run up to every 10 minutes during term time peak periods with a travel time of 15 minutes or less between campus and the station. During the first half of Semester 1 (until October half term) the service will be enhanced, running up to midnight each day. A summary of the timetable is given below:
| Stops | Approximate Term-Time Frequency Monday-Thursday | Friday Only | |||
| St Mary’s Butts |
Every 10 minutes between around 7.30am and 10am |
Then every 15 minutes until around 4pm |
Every 10 minutes between around 4pm and 6pm |
Then every 20 minutes until around 6.45pm |
Continuing every 30 minutes until midnight |
| Reading Station | |||||
| UoR Whiteknights House | |||||
| Christchurch Green | |||||
The White Knight 20 will also run on Saturdays and Sundays during term time, at a frequency of every 15 minutes between around 11.30am and 11.30pm (Saturday) and 11.30am and 7pm (Sunday/Bank Holiday).
The Claret 21 route will also receive a 33% increase in frequency, running up to every 15 minutes throughout the year and will continue to serve existing bus stops including London Street, Kendrick Road and Lower Earley. The new timetable for the Claret 21 will start on 2nd September. Saturday and Sunday services will also run at a similar frequency.
| Stops | Approximate Term-Time Frequency Monday-Friday | ||
| St Mary’s Butts |
Hourly between midnight and 5am |
Every 15-20 minutes between 5.30am and 7.30pm |
Every 30 minutes until midnight |
| Reading Station | |||
| UoR | |||
| Lower Earley | |||
Between the two routes, the term-time frequency of buses running between the town centre/station and campus will be every 7-8 minutes. It is hoped that the combination of route offers will speed up all journeys and improve the reliability of the existing (enhanced) 21 service.
Reading Buses have also confirmed that a fleet of zero emission electric buses are on the way for introduction onto the Claret 21 route next June, and following that they plan to introduce sustainably fuelled bio-methane buses onto the White Knight 20 for the 2025/26 academic year. This will remove the majority of the carbon impact of running the bus service, which is already significantly better for the environment than private cars, and aligns with the University’s Travel Plan.
To find out more, visit the Reading Buses University website.
