UPDATED: 28th April 2022
The X39 and X40 connect the major Thames Valley town of Reading with world-famous university city Oxford. They run every half-hour Mon-Sat daytimes and hourly evenings and Sundays and are operated by Go Ahead's Oxford Bus Company The X39 is slightly quicker, with the X40 taking a detour through Woodcote.
Discover more great bus routes in the South East here.
Places served
The X39/X40 start from stop SB on Station Road near the railway station, outside Davinas newsagent and opposite the Malmaison hotel:
They then call at stop EL on Forbury Road outside the Apex Plaza office block:
...and then at stop NA at the railway station's North Interchange:
Caversham Court Gardens
Museum of English Rural Life
Reading Museum
Progress Theatre
Broad Street Mall
Supermarket: Sainsbury's Reading Broad Street
Only the X40 serves Woodcote. The X39 sails past on the A4074 by-pass.
The X40 in both directions stops opposite the Co-op on Bridle Path:
The Co-op is on a loop in the X40's route as illustrated by this map of the route taken in Woodcote:
Travelinesw.com
Pub: Red Lion, right next to the War Memorial stops.
Buses to Oxford stop on the right, buses to Reading on the left on the A4074 Port Way, near the turning for Ipsden village, in the background on the left:
At Market Place, buses to Oxford use stop A on the right and buses to Reading use stop C on the left:
Wallingford Town Council
Visit Oxfordshire: Wallingford
Chilterns AONB
Wallingford Museum
Cholsey & Wallingford Heritage Railway
Supermarket: Waitrose Wallingford
Buses to Oxford stop on the right, buses to Reading on the left near Jewsons on The Street:
Pub: Queen's Head
Buses to Oxford stop on the left, buses to Reading on the right on the A4074:
Buses to Oxford stop on the right and buses to Reading on the left on the A4074 Henley Road, near the Kingfisher Inn, in the distance:
Shillingford Village
Buses to Oxford stop on the right, buses to Reading on the left on the A4074 Oxford Road. The actual village of Dorchester is a short walk away.
Dorchester Village
Dorchester Abbey
Pub/restaurant: Fleur de Lys
Buses to Oxford stop on the left and buses to Reading on the right on the A4074, with the village a short walk away to the right:
Berinsfield Village
Buses to Oxford stop on the left and buses to Reading on the right on the A4074. Oxford University's Harcourt Arboretum is a short walk away:
Nuneham Courtenay Village
Harcourt Arboretum
Notcutts Garden Centre. Nearest stop: Golden Ball Roundabout
The X39/X40 start from stop E3 on Norfolk Street, near the Westgate centre. They then call at stop T2 on High Street:
They also call at stop K2 on Queens Lane:
Here's an edited version of Oxford Bus Company's city centre bus stop map with those stops served by the outbound X39 and X40 marked:
Here's an extract of a summary map of most major bus services in Oxford. See the full map here:
Visit Oxford
Visit Oxford University
Pitt Rivers Museum
Ashmolean Museum
Creation Theatre
Museum of Natural History
Bodleian Libraries
Magdalen College
The Covered Market
Supermarket: Sainsbury's Oxford Westgate
Timetables
See the full timetable on the websites of:
Here are your links for live scheduled departure times from major stops towards Oxford:
- Reading, Station Road, stop SB
- Reading, Station North Interchange, stop NA
- Woodcote, Co-op
- Wallingford, Market Place, stop A
- Dorchester, By-pass
- Nuneham Courtenay, North End
...and back towards Reading:
- Oxford, Westgate, stop E3
- Nuneham Courtenay, North End
- Dorchester, By-pass
- Wallingford, Market Place, stop C
- Woodcote, Co-op
- Cane End
Fares
The cheapest day ticket that is valid throughout the route of the X39 and X40 is Oxford Bus Company's Go Anywhere Ticket, the adult version of which currently costs £9. It is valid on all Thames Travel and Oxford Bus Company services.
Click for information on adult single and return ticket prices. Oxford to Reading is currently (April 2022) £5 single and £7.50 return.
Adult single fares (April 2022):
Adult return fares (April 2022):
For journeys within Oxford, Smartzone tickets issued by Stagecoach or Oxford Bus Company (£4.50 for 24 hours) are valid on the X39/X40 within the Oxford SmartZone. If you're only using the Oxford Bus Company within Oxford, their CityZone offers better value, and CityZone Extra tickets take you as far out as Nuneham Courtenay for just £6 all day.
If you're not going to be travelling into Oxford, then the South Oxfordshire Zone ticket at £7 for a day is valid on the X39/X40 from Reading to Sandford, plus on all Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel buses in the zone, which includes services to Abingdon, Didcot, Henley-on-Thames and Wantage.
If you're arriving in Reading by train, then the Reading Plusbus is valid on the X39/X40 as far as the borough boundary at Shepherd's Lane.
Oxford Plusbus tickets have the same validity as the Oxford Smartzone tickets described above.
Connections
See maps of all routes operated by Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel here.
Most local buses in Reading are operated by Reading Buses. See their network map here.
Other major routes connecting from Reading:
Many routes in and around Oxford are operated by Stagecoach. Their network maps are here. Major connecting routes from Oxford:
Other major connecting routes from Oxford:
The X39 and X40 run within walking distance of the following railway stations:
Alternatives
No other bus route runs alongside the X39/X40 for any significant stretch of the route, so the main alternative is the train for end-to-end journeys between Reading and Oxford. If you travel after 0859 weekdays or anytime at weekends, an adult single will cost £10.70 and a day return is £10.80. More rail fares here.
Long Distance Footpaths:
If you're arriving in Reading by train, then the Reading Plusbus is valid on the X39/X40 as far as the borough boundary at Shepherd's Lane.
Oxford Plusbus tickets have the same validity as the Oxford Smartzone tickets described above.
Connections
See maps of all routes operated by Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel here.
Most local buses in Reading are operated by Reading Buses. See their network map here.
Other major routes connecting from Reading:
- Reading 1 to Newbury
- Arriva 800/850 to Henley-on-Thames, Marlow and High Wycombe
Many routes in and around Oxford are operated by Stagecoach. Their network maps are here. Major connecting routes from Oxford:
Other major connecting routes from Oxford:
- Redline X20 to Aylesbury
- Red Rose 275 to High Wycombe
The X39 and X40 run within walking distance of the following railway stations:
Alternatives
No other bus route runs alongside the X39/X40 for any significant stretch of the route, so the main alternative is the train for end-to-end journeys between Reading and Oxford. If you travel after 0859 weekdays or anytime at weekends, an adult single will cost £10.70 and a day return is £10.80. More rail fares here.
Long Distance Footpaths:
- Thames Path, intersects at various points on the route
- Chiltern Way, passes through Woodcote
- Swan's Way, passes through Ipsden
- Ridgeway, passes through Mongewell
- Oxford Green Belt Way, passes through Nuneham Courtenay
- Oxford Canal Walk, starts in Oxford
- Shakespeare's Way, passes through Oxford
Discover more great bus routes in the South East here.
All of the information in this post is correct at the time of writing, but please check the relevant links before travelling.
