Berkshire & The Thames Valley

Services also operate into Buckinghamshire and Surrey and to Heathrow Airport. First operates the Reading to Heathrow Airport RailAir link, and Green Line coach services to Central London from Bracknell and Windsor. First also operates American-style yellow school bus schemes in Runnymede and Wokingham.   First is proud to be the operator of Surrey County Council’s prestigious Pegasus School bus service, which commenced in Jan 2006.

Key Facts:

Number of staff: 300
Number of buses: 120
Number of routes:
Commercial 32
Contract 13

Depots: Bracknell, Slough and outstations in Chertsey (for the Runnymede yellow school bus contract) and Reading (for the RailAir and Park and Ride services). New outstation in Guildford planned for Pegasus contract.

Investment and Partnership:

• During 2003 and 2004 First and BAA Heathrow introduced a fleet of ten low-emission buses on two routes linking Slough with the airport. The buses are being provided as part of BAA’s Clean Vehicles Programme, launched in May 2002 to help airport and local companies reduce emissions.
• High profile contract launched in January 2004 on behalf of Slough Estates.  Buses running every 10 minutes on Mondays to Fridays, linking Slough Trading Estate with local stations.
• Quality Partnerships with Bracknell Forest Borough Council, Slough Borough Council, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Surrey County Council, and Blackwater Valley local authorities. Services include 3, 5, 8, 41, 43, 58, 75, 76, 158, 159, 194.

Initiatives:

First operates commercial American-style yellow school bus schemes in the region:

• Six buses operating under contract to Runnymede Borough Council and serving two secondary schools in Woodham and Egham.
• One bus operating under contract to Wokingham District Council and serving one primary and one junior school in Wokingham.
• One bus operates on behalf of Computer Associates, in order to transport local school children to the head office in Datchet, for training courses.

Special ‘Rainbow’ fares were introduced on Green Line coach services to London in November 2004. Internet-style fares are available on certain journeys, without the need to book online. Each journey is colour-coded (the colours of the rainbow) and customers can decide how much they want to pay be selecting the journey of their choice. The more flexible the customer is, the cheaper the fare can be. A special Rainbow Fares website explains the fares in more detail.  Results show that passenger growth has more than doubled compared with last year, whilst maintaining the healthy revenue growth, without any additional resource.

Management Team

First in Berkshire operates as a business unit under the overall management of First in London.
Commercial Director: Andrew Taylor
Area Manager: Chris Dexter

Company details:

First Beeline Buses Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 02179403. Registered office: B Block, 3rd Floor, Macmillan House, Paddington Station, London, W2 1TY.