20th Century

Timeline

Urban

Georgian

Victorian

20th Century

Horse Trams

Electric Trams

Trolleybuses

Buses

Seven Bridges

High Bridge

Caversham Bridge

Reading Bridge

Street Names

Roads

Trolleybuses

The decision to replace Trams with Trolleybuses was made in the early 1930’s The first Trolleybuses ran along a test track in Erleigh Road, which was converted from the tram overhead wire. The first service was started in 1936 between Whitley Pump and Caversham Bridge on the route of the previous tram service. By 1939 the last tram had run and the Trolley buses were running between Tilehurst and the Three Tuns on the Wokingham Road, between Norcot and the Three Tuns and between Norcot and London Road.

The services were
A Three Tuns Tilehurst (Bear Inn)
B Three Tuns Norcot Junction
C Caversham Bridge Whitley
D London Road Norcot Road.

During the war, the trolleybus route was extended from Norcot Junction to Kentwood opening in 1944

After the second world war more wires were added and services extended. Northumberland Avenue, Reading Station and Whitley Wood both joined the Trolleybus routes in 1949. New Trolleybuses were bought and the system was dealing with many passengers. Further extensions, were opened in 1958 to Armour Hill, and in 1963 further down Northumberland Avenue. Plans were being laid to build the IDR at this time and the future of the Trolleybuses began to be questioned. The Caversham Bridge section was closed in 1965. There were plans still to keep the system working, but the company that made the parts for the overhead lines then decided to stop making parts. Trolleybuses then became a political issue, between Labour and Conservative councillors, and the council voted for the system to be closed in 1966. Two years later, in 1968, the last trolleybus ran.