Английская Википедия:Berkshire bus routes 702 and 703
Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Use British English Шаблон:Infobox bus line London Line routes 701 and 702 and Flight Line route 703, are bus routes that run between Reading, Windsor, and London.[1]
History
In 2015, FirstGroup announced plans to withdraw all their services, including route 702, from Bracknell.[2] However, it was subsequently announced that the route would be retained.[3]
In December 2017, Reading Buses took over the 702 route from FirstGroup. For the first day of service on 24 December, passengers could board for free and various heritage vehicles were used on the route.[4][5] First had previously announced it would withdraw the route as it said it had become unsustainable due to increasing costs of operation.[6][7]
On 8 May 2018, route 703 was introduced.[8][9] Buses were branded as the "Royal Express" and painted in a gold and purple livery, coinciding with the Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.[10] At the time, the routes were operated using Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMCs.[11]
From 2 November 2020, some early morning and late evening 702 journeys started running via the M4 between Reading and Slough.[12]
In January 2021 route 702 was suspended due to low usage as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown.[13]
On 24 July 2022, route 703 increased the frequency to provide a half-hourly service between Heathrow Airport and Slough, as a result of the airport's partnership. This also now sees an improved hourly frequency between Legoland Windsor and Slough throughout the day.
In February 2023, seven Шаблон:Cvt 76-seater Alexander Dennis Enviro400 Citys were ordered to upgrade routes 702 and 703.[14] Delivery of these buses in June 2023 coincided with Reading Buses dropping the Green Line brand for both routes, with route 702 becoming the London Line and route 703 becoming the Flight Line.[15]
References
