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.jpg) Alexander Dennis Enviro200 atHigh Wycombe Eden bus station in November 2013 | |
| Parent | FirstGroup |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 1986 |
| Headquarters | Fareham[1] |
| Locale | Slough |
| Service type | Bus services |
| Routes | 9 (June 2024)[2] |
| Destinations | Slough Heathrow Airport Winsdor |
| Depots | 2 |
| Fleet | 53 (June 2024) |
| Website | www.firstbus.co.uk/berkshire-thames-valley/ |
First Beeline Buses Limited,[3]trading asFirst Berkshire & The Thames Valley, is a bus operator providing services in and aroundSlough. It is a subsidiary ofFirstGroup.
In January 1986 Alder Valley North Limited, later renamed, The Berks Bucks Bus Company[4] took over theBracknell,High Wycombe,Maidenhead,Newbury,Reading andWokingham operations ofAlder Valley as part of the preparation for privatisation of theNational Bus Company, trading as "Beeline" once the name was changed in October 1986. In late 1987 The Berks Bucks Bus Company was sold to Q Drive.[5]
In 1990 the High Wycombe operations were sold to theOxford Bus Company, and in 1992 the Reading and Newbury operations were sold toReading Buses. In 1993 Beeline purchased the Slough operations ofLuton & District Transport, until 1986 the Slough depot ofLondon Country Bus Services and later part of theLondon Country North West division.[5]
In March 1996 Beeline was sold toCentreWest who in turn was sold toFirstGroup in March 1997. Initially trading as First Beeline, in 2001 it was rebranded as First Berkshire & The Thames Valley.
Following the loss of nine Bracknell Forest Council supported services toCourtney Buses on 13 July 2015 and the sale of route 90 Bracknell to Reading toReading Buses on 26 July 2015, the Bracknell garage closed on 28 August 2015.[6][7][8]
In April 2023, the company was rebranded to First Beeline.[9]
In December 2024, following the return to a national identity byFirstGroup, First Beeline returned to trading as "First Berkshire & The Thames Valley".[10]
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley currently operates bus services in and aroundSlough and to surrounding areas includingHeathrow Airport,Maidenhead andHigh Wycombe.[11] The company also operates theRailAir coach services connecting Heathrow Airport with surrounding majorNational Rail stations.[12]
The company were the primary operator of services in and around Maidenhead until 2004 when most local services were withdrawn. These services are now operated byThames Valley Buses.[13]
The company also formerly operated theGreen Line brandedroutes 702 and 703 betweenLondon, Heathrow Airport, Slough,Windsor,Legoland andBracknell. Operation of these services transferred toReading Buses in December 2017.[14]
_-_Au_Morandarte_Flickr_14308616632.jpg)
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley currently operate the following bus services:[11]
| Route | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Slough | Uxbridge |
| 6 | Wexham Park Hospital | Burnham |
| 7 | Britwell | Heathrow Terminal 5[a] |
| 7X | Britwell | Heathrow Central bus station |
| 8 | Slough | Heathrow Terminal 5 |
| A4 | Cippenham | Heathrow Central bus station |
| X74 | Slough | High Wycombe |
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley currently operate the followingRailAir branded coach services:[12]
| Route | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| RA1[15] | Reading | Heathrow Terminal 3 |
| RA2[16] | Guildford | Heathrow Terminal 3 |
| RA3[17] | Watford | Heathrow Terminal 3 |
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