Thames Valley Park Case Study

Thames Valley Park Shuttle Bus: October 2012 – Current
Staff Shuttle from Reading Rail station to Thames Valley Business park
Location: Reading 

Background

Stewart's Coaches, part of National Express Transport Solutions were called on to provide a top-class corporate shuttle service to Thames Valley Park (TVP), with the vision that the service exceeds the standard image of a normal bus operation. 

Since 2012 Stewarts Coaches has run Thames Valley Park’s free staff shuttle service and continue to enjoy a trusted relationship with the park owners. Thames Valley Park is currently owned by Savills, previously QVA. 

Information on the free shuttle service can be found here: https://tvp-shuttle.liftango.com/home

Our Transport Solution

Thames Valley Park’s service was introduced to meet the demands of business park users and enjoys high patronage by resident businesses that include Microsoft, Oracle, Regus, Hewlett Packard, and the BBC as well as many smaller businesses in nested units.

TVP places the service in high standing as it positively encourages the shuttle to help to improve the environmental standing of the whole location as it offers users a quick transfer from the station to Park giving an alternative to car use. 

At its peak, the service made more than 50,000 passenger movements per month serving Reading mainline station and Winnersh Triangle station on the outskirts of the town. 

Stewart's Coaches adopts a data-first approach by reviewing the local area of Reading, Berkshire and utilising data to grasp an understanding of the travel locations and habits of staff based at Thames Valley Park. 

This data ensures TVP’s employee shuttle service is efficient and seamlessly integrates with other public transit networks to accommodate a variety of changing commuter needs. 

The Stewarts Coaches operations team works closely with Thames Valley Park management to deliver an efficient service that meets the demand of its users. TVP’s account manager meets regularly at the Park Occupiers Meeting to discuss a wide range of park-driven objectives where monthly usage data and trend analysis is delivered. 

Thames Valley Park is serviced by a bespoke bus wrapped in the park's unique purple branding to distinguish it from other services that run along the route. TVP management has expressed an interest in exploring further the conversion of the service to an electric fleet. Stewart's Coaches are working closely to advance this within the next couple of years.

In TVP’s pursuit of electrification, Stewarts Coaches continues to engage with employees on the site to understand their commute needs and encourage climate-positive commuting.