Timetable changes from 15th May 2023 due to road closure

Due to gas main replacement, the A329 north of Streatley traffic lights will be completely closed for around five weeks. Unfortunately this means that our 133 Goring to Wallingford service will not be able to run through Streatley as there is no suitable diversionary route without having to double back through Goring. We very much regret not being able to run from Streatley to Wallingford during this time, although we do intend to keep running our Tuesday afternoon 145/146 service to Reading. Temporary revised timetables for the 133, showing amended times at Moulsford, can be found on the 133 page.  There will also be minor changes to services 137, 138 and D1 from the same date to fit in with the changes to service 133.

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 Please note, we have changed the departure time of our 15.13 service from Wallingford to Goring on schooldays so that it will depart Wallingford Market Place at 15.05.  Please also note that school children still have priority on this service and we can only take a maximum of six ordinary passengers on it. Wallingford School will be closed from 3rd to 14th April 2023, so the 08.00 Goring to Wallingford will not run, and the 08.48 Wallingford to Goring will only run between Springhill Road and Goring Railway Station.  Please do call us if you need any further information.

Our new winter timetable started on Monday 28th November 2022.  There are new times on all routes so please check the new timetables carefully.  Details are now on our website on the individual service pages and also on the Services from 28th November page. 

Please see the individual route pages for details of the new timetable

Buses waiting to go forward once again!

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Where do we go?

These are the services we are running currently (as at April 2022):

Goring to Wallingford via Cleeve and The Stokes - route 134 (runs Mondays to Fridays)

Goring to Wallingford via Streatley and Moulsford - route 133 (limited service running on certain days of the week only)

Wallingford to Watlington via RAF Benson and Ewelme - route 137 (Fridays only)

Wallingford to Berinsfield via Home Park Shillingford Hill, and Dorchester village - route 138 (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only, service 138)  Also Tuesdays & Thursdays Wallingford to Home Park

Goring to Reading via Basildon & Beale Parks, Pangbourne, Whitchurch Hill and Caversham - The Parks Route - route 145-8 (Tuesdays only)

Wallingford/Berinsfield - Long Wittenham - Didcot - route D1 (Mondays & Wednesdays only)

Goring to Stoke Row & Henley via Woodcote, Checkendon, Sonning Common (certain journeys only) and Greys Court - route H1/H2 (Thursdays only)

Please see the individual pages on this website for details of timetables and fares.

Can anyone use the buses?

Yes of course!  Everyone is welcome, we operate normal registered bus services.  You should be able to find details of our services on Traveline and other transport planner websites, but during the coronavirus pandemic this information may not be updated regularly - short notice changes may take time to get on the system so it's always best to check our website for the latest timetables.

Are dogs allowed on the buses?

Yes, well behaved dogs are welcome provided they don't get in the way of the passengers and they mustn't be allowed on the seats.

How will I recognise the bus?

We operate a small fleet of 14 seater minibuses.  Most of them are white, but one is blue.  Under normal circumstances you will see the route number displayed on the windscreen using a poster.  Watch out for the little white or little blue bus!

Where do the buses stop?

We will stop at any normal bus stop along the routes we operate.  But please give a clear hand signal to the driver if you wish to board, or let him know in good time if you are on the bus and wish to get off.  We will also do our best on less busy stretches of road to stop wherever is convenient for you  - so long as it is safe to do so!

How much is the fare?

We always accept cash, which should be placed in the red box by the door.  Unfortunately we cannot give change, so please try to have enough for the fare.  Most journeys are £4 single for adults, half fare for children 5-18 years old.  On some journeys if you do not have cash it may be possible to pay by credit card; please ask the driver if you do not have cash whether this facility is available.

Of course if you have an English Concessionary Bus Pass you get free travel (except before on Mondays to Fridays in Oxfordshire before 09.00, or 09.30 elsewhere).

There are some special offers which are likely to apply until 30th June 2022 (but may be subject to change without notice):

Only £3 single between Goring and South Stoke, Goring and Beale Wildlife Park, Sonning Common and Henley, Long Wittenham and Didcot.

For all other journeys the normal flat fare of £4 single applies.  And if you pay the single fare you can return the same day for free!

Any problems?

We will do all we can to help.  Please speak to the driver, or if that is not possible, call us on 07484 605888.  We're only a very small outfit so sometimes we can't get to the phone but we do try to answer quickly whenever we can.  We don't have a queuing system or a number of different options - just a basic mobile phone!  If you can't get through and it's not so urgent, do email us at littlebluebus@yahoo.com - we usually reply within 24 hours.  You can also use this email for any comments, observations, suggestions - and complaints.

Two of our re-branded Volkwagen 'Bluebirds' outside Goring Station on March 10th 2017

We took over running the 134 service from 30th January 2017 and immediately introduced extra journeys later in the afternoon; the last bus from Wallingford was at 17.45 and these journeys also ran on Saturdays (although the last bus was earlier at 17.10).  Since the coronavirus pandemic hit the service revised times have been introduced and the Saturday service has been suspended. Through Wallingford the service now runs a circular route – via the A329 via Winterbrook past the Community Hospital entrance, and back via Hithercroft Road passing LiDL and the Cholsey & Wallingford railway - or vice versa.  This is to improve punctuality by avoiding the two sets of traffic lights in Wallingford, and to help ensure connections at Goring with the trains can be maintained.  It also means both the hospital and LiDL is easily accessible by bus directly from Goring, Cleeve and the Stokes (and vice versa!)

On February 20th 2017 we successfully launched the new service transporting pupils from South Stoke, North Stoke and Mongewell to Wallingford School, and the following day the Traffic Commissioners called giving approval for the 134 bus to run across the railway bridge into Goring village, before terminating at the railway station as usual.  This gives easy access to the Surgery, Community Centre, Library, the shops, the river and various cafes and pubs!  We still connect with the trains at Goring & Streatley railway station.

The Fridays only 133 service was introduced to provide a service from Streatley and Moulsford to Wallingford, and alleviate pressure on the morning 134 services to Wallingford.  Soon after that we started developing plans to fill the gap that Thames Travel were leaving when they revised their 143 service from 3rd July 2017.  This meant that Whitchurch, Whitchurch Hill, Crays Pond and Goring Heath joined the Going Forward Buses network. In the meantime, the 133 route was amended to include The Coombe in Streatley - probably the first time ever that this road has ever had a regular bus service!  And now Shillingford, Dorchester, Berinsfield, RAF Benson, Ewelme and Watlington have joined the network, all waiting for you to explore!  We've made some adjustments to operating days so do please check the website for the lastest timetables.

In April 2019 we started running another school's service in the mornings from Cleeve, Goring and Streatley to Cranford House School in Moulsford.  Anyone can use the service, which also passes by Moulsford Prep School before continuing through Cholsey to Wallingford.  Unfortunately due to lack of an available driver this service has had to be suspended for the time being.

Our summer 2019 timetable featured three new routes - Goring to Henley via Woodcote, Checkendon, Stoke Row and Greys Court; Wallingford to Didcot via Shillingford Hill, Dorchester village, Berinsfield, Clifton Hampden and Long Wittenham; and Didcot to Wallingford via North & South Moreton and LiDL.  These were joined in autumn 2019 by Sonning Common.

Thanks to GoRide for four and a half years during which they established a sound foundation for the continuation of the route - managing to reduce the subsidy from Oxfordshire County Council from around £80,000 per year under previous operator Heyfordian to zero!  Your new operator - and brand new not-for-profit Community Interest Company Going Forward Buses is based in Goring and is already working hard to expand services in the area for the benefit of the local community. There are no shareholders to worry about or dividends to pay - our only concern is to give you the best service possible with the resources we have.

We depend almost entirely on getting our income from passenger journeys - so it's a real case of 'use us, don't lose us'! 

 Please check the Service Changes page for any updates due to  road closures