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Celebrate 125 Years of Reading Buses this October
21st September 2026
Reading Buses 125th Anniversary – Sunday 4 October 2026
A one-off spectacular collaboration to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Reading Buses municipal ownership.
On Sunday 4 October buses from throughout the decades will be on display along Broad Street with era-appropriate entertainment to celebrate 125 years of local ownership of Reading Buses. Formed on 31 October 1901 as Reading Corporation Tramways to electrify the town's horse-drawn tramway, the company is now in the process of electrifying the town’s bus fleet.
You will be able to see first-hand how buses have developed over the years, starting from the junction of West Street and Broad Street Mall with buses and a trolleybus representing the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2020s displayed as you walk down to Kings Road and the Oracle, finishing with one of the latest electric buses decorated to celebrate 125 years. You will see the character of the older buses and how they evolved into what we are used to today! As part of the day's entertainment, there will be music inspired by the various decades the buses represent.
There will be free vintage bus rides departing from St Mary's Butts between 11am and 4pm following historic routes around the town. All of the vintage buses are in private ownership and have had much time and effort put into their restoration by their owners.
There will also be a chance to buy commemorative memorabilia, including a limited-edition set of commemorative mugs, and a new book charting the history of the company and every vehicle it has operated over the 125 years.
The event is being brought to you by Reading Buses, Reading Business Improvement District, Thames Valley & Great Western Omnibus Trust, British Trolleybus Society and other local preservationists. For more information please visit: https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/125-years-reading-buses-display.
