On Monday 5th April, Courtney Buses officially became Thames Valley Buses, although the complete transition will take place over a longer period as the company name is changed in all the places it appears.
Following acquisition by Reading Buses two years ago, Courtney Buses began to make greater user of the Thames Valley Buses name alongside investment in new vehicles for Slough, the introduction of low emission “Euro 6” vehicles for Heathrow and Wokingham, and a refresh within Maidenhead.
Said Robert Williams, Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer: “We are really excited at this final phase of the transition. The switch over will bring smart new branding to the rest of the Courtney Buses network in the coming months as we continue to invest in attracting more people to our services.”
Courtney Buses were purchased by Reading Buses in April 2019 and had previously been known as Courtney Coaches and subsequently Courtney Buses since 1973.
After Reading Buses bought the company it was quickly decided that a new name and brand was needed. Robert explained: “Although Courtney Buses had a good reputation, it was a family name without the family in the company. We decided it would need to be phased out.
“The change in name reflects the parent company’s growth from a local to regional operator and the accompanying branding retains elements of the old Courtney brand whilst bringing a new, fresh look to the area. Thames Valley Buses retains its own dedicated team based in Bracknell.
“The company has colour-branded areas – a similar idea to the branded routes of the parent company Reading Buses, but each with their own team of drivers. This allows the company to provide friendly services for the residents of Bracknell, Maidenhead, Slough and Wokingham that are tailored to the needs of each area.”
Said Simon Fisher, General Manager of Thames Valley Buses: “I echo Robert’s excitement at the new era for Thames Valley Buses. The first thing I want to say to our wonderful and loyal customers is that although we have a new name it will be the same great service.
“We will shortly have a new and improved website which people can access at thamesvalleybuses.com which complements the Thames Valley app launched last year to provide real time information and mobile ticketing for all of our services.
“Anyone using courtneybuses.com will be redirected to the new site though we advise people to bookmark the new URL.
“Lots of customers will have already seen the Thames Valley name appearing on buses and timetable leaflets. But now we are beginning to roll out the name across our website, social media and uniforms.”