Travel by bus
£2 fare cap has been further extended until 31 December 2024
You can “get around for £2” by bus from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2024, thanks to a national government bus fare cap scheme. Most bus fares are capped at £2 for a single and £4 for a return. Bus companies in Slough which are participating: Carousel Buses, First Bus Berkshire & Thames Valley (First Beeline), Reading Buses (Windsor Express), Red Eagle Buses, Redline Buses and Thames Valley Buses. Single journeys on TfL route 81 are still £1.75.
New £3 fare cap in 2025
From 1 January 2025, the new £3 single fare cap will be introduced until at least the end of December next year. The cap is being funded using £151 million from the government until the end of 2025.
Bus operators in Slough
You can contact each bus operator for more information about their services. Their contact details, websites and mobile apps are listed below.
Bear Buses
- Route 305
Visit the Bear Buses website
Telephone Bear Buses on 020 8867 0617.
Carousel Buses
- Chiltern Hundreds routes 103, 106, 107, X103, route 583.
Visit the Carousel website or download the Carousel app.
Telephone Carousel on 01494 450151.
First Bus Berkshire & The Thames Valley (First Beeline)
- Routes 3, 6, 7, 8, 12 (Mon-Sat daytimes), 13, A4 and X74
Visit the First Bus Berkshire & The Thames Valley website or download the First Bus app.
Telephone First Bus on 0345 646 0707.
Hallmark Connections (Hotel Hoppa)
- Route H5H
Visit the Hotel Hoppa website or download the Hotel Hoppa app.
Reading Buses
- Windsor Express routes - The London Line 701, 702
Visit the Windsor Express web page or download the Windsor Express app.
Telephone Reading Buses on 0118 959 4000.
For information on how to travel safely, visit Reading Buses' keeping you safe past 19 July page and face coverings on buses page.
Red Eagle Buses
- Routes 63 and 68
Visit the Red Eagle website.
Redline Buses
- Route WP1
Visit the Redline website or download the myTrip app
Telephone Redline Buses on 01296 426786.
Thames Valley Buses
- Routes 2, 5, 12 (Mon - Sat evenings and Sundays and Public Holidays), 15, 53
- Windsor Express route - Flightline 703
Visit the Thames Valley Buses website or download the Thames Valley Buses app.
Visit the Windsor Express web page or download the Windsor Express app .
Telephone Thames Valley Buses on 0118 973 3486.
Transport for London (TfL)
- Route 81
Visit the TfL Buses webpage or download the TfL Go app.
Telephone TfL on 0343 222 1234.
For information on how to travel safely, visit the TfL Keeping our network well-ventilated and clean page.
Community Transport
If your mobility is restricted or if you have difficulty using public transport, please contact Slough Community Transport.
Live bus updates
Want to know how your bus is running?
Visit the Traveline website and select "Live times".
You can also text a bus stop code to 84268 and get an automated text back, normally in less than a minute, with the next buses from that stop.
In Slough the bus stop codes start with “slg” (eg. “slgdatg”). If texting 84268, you can also add a route number (leaving a space after the bus stop code, eg. "slgdatg 8") to show just the next buses on that route from that stop.
The times are specific to an individual stop for travel in one direction. The code for the stop in the other direction will be different. A clock time (e.g. 0935) will be shown if the information comes from timetables or an expected waiting time (e.g. 5 mins) if it comes from a real-time information system.
Your mobile operator may charge you for your text to 84268 (this usually costs around 10p), and Traveline charges you 25p for the text that they send back.
For more information, visit the Traveline services page.