New express bus to serve the University

A new express bus services between our Whiteknights campus and the town centre is set to make it even easier to travel sustainably.  

The White Knight 20 service launches on 21 September, with a journey time of 15 minutes between Whiteknights campus and town.   

Developed by Reading Buses in consultation with the University, the service been tailored to University life and will provide an express service between Reading town centre, train station and campus during term time. 

The service is more direct to cut down on journey times, serving only the following stops: 

• Chancellor’s Building/Whiteknights House, Whiteknights campus
• Christchurch Green
• St Mary’s Butts
• Reading railway station

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. Until late October, the service will run until midnight each day. 

A new timetable for the existing Claret 21 between the town centre and Lower Earley via Whiteknights is now running, with even more buses at peak times. Claret 21 also serves Crown Place Passage, a short walk from the London Road campus.  

The former Claret 21a term time service will no longer run.  

Even greener 

The White Knight 20 service launches as we seek to support staff with avoiding single occupancy car commutes to our campuses and cut our collective carbon emissions.    

Reading Buses has told us that, by next summer, it plans to launch a fleet of zero emission electric buses on the Claret 21 route and introduce sustainably fuelled bio-methane buses onto the White Knight 20 for the 2025/26 academic year. 

A single journey between town and Whiteknights is still just £2, with all day travel on the route capped at £4 when you use the app or tap on tap off card payments. For regular commuters, bus passes may offer better value, with discounted bus passes available for staff.