Taking the bus from Reading to Henley-on-Thames. A tale of woe.

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

I've been spending a few days away, basing myself in Reading. Today, 5th October 2023 I decided on a trip using buses that would take me first to Henley for lunch, then on to High Wycombe. Then to Slough for the train to Windsor and then back by train to Reading.

I only got as far as Henley thanks to the woeful Arriva Beds & Bucks.

Their service 800 stops outside my hotel. Supposedly. The 1051 from Caversham Road was a no show. A call to customer services and I'm told, after she contacted the depot, that the allocated bus had broken down. Fair enough - these things happen. However, I quickly realised this was a lie. Whilst still on the call I was looking at both Arriva's and a third party's bus trackers. I could see the allocated bus was on the move, but off route. Customer service person couldn't explain that. Perhaps a fault requiring it being taken out of service and returning to the depot? Nope. It rejoined it usual route at Henley and continued in service, as booked, to High Wycombe. It had apparently taken the route of the 850 out of Reading and on to Henley, missing my stop and all those from Caversham to Shiplake.

I walked into town and headed for the starting bus stop for the 800 to Henley. Finn and I joined the next 800 service, the 1145. This headed out of Reading on the booked route. After Shiplake it all became clear what was going on with this bus route. The A4155 is closed at a point about two miles outside Henley. Our bus driver drove past all the 'Road Ahead Closed' signs. Perhaps he knew something we didn't? Nope. He got to the blockage, at the junction with Sheephouse Lane on the A4155 and could go no further. Here we sat for about 40 minutes while he spoke with his depot. Sheephouse Lane was a no-no due to overhanging trees. The driver eventually informed us that he was turning round and going back to Reading. The best he could suggest for those of us who wanted Henley was to walk the 2 miles to the town centre.

So, I'd already raised a complaint about the earlier bus no-show, now it was time to add more to that complaint. This time I was told by customer services that the bus I'd actually been on board was cancelled due to driver shortages! What a load of poppycock.

I had planned on lunch in The Angel on the riverside, but after the delays and the trudge into Henley I instead stopped for eats at the Three Horseshoes on Reading Rd. This was after calling into Tesco to see If I could get a taxi into town. Only one firm would take Finn. They quoted me £17 for the two mile journey. £7 fare (perfectly acceptable) plus £10 for Finn (totally unacceptable!)  An enjoyable all day breakfast was had in the Three Horseshoes and I then completed my journey on foot to The Angel. Got there at 3pm. Original itinerary had me getting to Henley at 11.30am.

A nice sit down by the river for 45 mins or so as I contemplated onward journey plans. I had no desire to continue to High Wycombe with Arriva! So, losses were cut, a '99 with black cherry sauce was bought, and I walked to Henley railway station for a train to Twyford, then Reading. Back in the hotel now with sore feet.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I visited bobm yesterday and he suggested a Thames Branches Day Ranger. I've done that Ranger a couple of times in the past so I thought buses around this part of the world would be an interesting alternative, what with them only being £2 a go. Wish now I'd gone with Bob's suggestion.

As a postscript. All the requisite notifications of the A4155 closure are available online. Oxfordshire County Council have done their bit. This was a planned closure so it wasn't sprung on Arriva unannounced. Quite what the driver of the bus I was on thought he could achieve by ignoring all the "Road Ahead Closed' along the A4155 is beyond me. Quite what was going on at High Wycombe Arriva depot is also beyond me. Relaying to me, via customer services, the lies about a broken down bus and driver shortages. Oh, and no notifications on Arriva's website or social media feeds, nor at bus stops, about the diversion around the A4155 closure. Then again, if the bus drivers are clueless about it, what chance the poor passenger?

Finally, as this is a bus operator, there's no Delay Repay available, no compensation for additional expenses incurred. No obligation to get passengers to their destination - those of us for Henley told to walk two miles. Nothing, I suspect will be offered but platitudes when Arriva respond to my complaint. The railways sometimes aren't great but they at least have charters backed by legislation to refund and/or compensate following disruption. And they'll do their very best to get you to your destination.

[bobm]

I thought buses around this part of the world would be an interesting alternative, what with them only being £2 a go.

Sounds like they lived up to that at least.  What a total nightmare.  Almost as bad as the sound of the possible menu choices for an evening meal back in Reading  Chicken Gizzard anyone?  Still was good to see you last night for a home drunk beer or two.

[JayMac]

A sandwich tonight from ALDI was enough in the end. The all day breakfast in the Three Horseshoes, Henley was enough to not need another large meal tonight. Nepalese restaurant opposite the hotel had the chicken gizzards on the menu. Next door is a Mauritian restaurant. One of their dishes is octopus curry.

I'm not averse to trying new dishes. Another time for gizzards and octopus.

[GBM]

I walked into town and headed for the starting bus stop for the 800 to Henley. Finn and I joined the next 800 service, the 1145. This headed out of Reading on the booked route. After Shiplake it all became clear what was going on with this bus route. The A4155 is closed at a point about two miles outside Henley. Our bus driver drove past all the 'Road Ahead Closed' signs. Perhaps he knew something we didn't? Nope. He got to the blockage, at the junction with Sheephouse Lane on the A4155 and could go no further. Here we sat for about 40 minutes while he spoke with his depot. Sheephouse Lane was a no-no due to overhanging trees. The driver eventually informed us that he was turning round and going back to Reading. The best he could suggest for those of us who wanted Henley was to walk the 2 miles to the town centre.

There are a few occasions when arrangements are in place for busses to travel through "road closed" areas.
Rarely. that said.

[PhilWakely]

Without access to realtime satnav updates or any of a number of traffic information websites, 'Road Ahead Closed' signs can be extremely unhelpful.  I have come across these signs on main roads in and around Exeter where the road closure in question is actually some distance down a side road several junctions ahead of the sign and therefore not affecting journeys along that particular main road.

[Ralph Ayres]

Without access to realtime satnav updates or any of a number of traffic information websites, 'Road Ahead Closed' signs can be extremely unhelpful.  I have come across these signs on main roads in and around Exeter where the road closure in question is actually some distance down a side road several junctions ahead of the sign and therefore not affecting journeys along that particular main road.

Just what I was thinking. They are often used with little thought, and nothing to make clear where the closure is until you reach it. We had one locally where delivery lorries to a particular industrial estate were obediently following the diversion signs only to find that they then came at the closure from the wrong side and should have ignored the signs.

There's also the whole issue of councils agreeing to road closures but then apparently not telling their own public transport department which is responsible in many areas for putting "stop closed" notices on bus stops on the affected sections of route (where it may not be obvious that a road some distance away is closed).

[JayMac]

Yesterday's closure signs couldn't have been more clear as to what stretch of road they were referring to. At the start of the closure near Shiplake the northbound lane of the A4155 was blocked by signage at a roundabout. Bus driver took to wrong side of the road to pass those signs. Several more times, as we passed junctions with side roads the driver had to take to the opposite side of the road to drive around signs.

I'm fully expecting Arriva to blame the local authority for some perceived failure in notification. However, it's surely the job of a despot's traffic manager to proactively ensure all the routes they operate are open, and if not, then put the arrangements in place to divert. And to inform passengers. As I said in my rant the closure notification was published by Oxfordshire County Council in a timely manner.

[Fourbee]

Having been caught out by this sort of nonsense before and stood freezing at a bus stop, I sympathise. I diligently checked the operator's website and social media channels while my fingers would still operate my phone and... nothing published. To cut a long story short a road closure had diverted the buses. The lack of information was inexcusble.

I pursued all avenues of complaint and eventually ended up at Transport Focus, I think. They awarded me a £10 voucher.

It certainly was an experience to make the railway look fantastic.

[Fourbee]

despot's traffic manager

Some of them were like that when I worked on the buses.

[JayMac]

I did notice the typo upon second reading. Decided to leave it in!

[TaplowGreen]

I did notice the typo upon second reading. Decided to leave it in!

If you've got time on your way back to the station nip into the Greyfriar for a pint - only 2 minutes away!