OurBus considering launching bus service linking Reading to Philadelphia
OurBus, a business that specializes in providing intercity bus routes, announced this week that it is considering launching a bus route between the two cities.
Officials said they are actively studying the possibility of establishing a replacement service that would include stops in Reading, Pottstown and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
'OurBus is currently assessing travel patterns and customer input before making a final decision to launch the service,' Axel Hellman, one of the two founders of the company, said in a press release.
Hellman encouraged community members to provide their feedback and suggestions through an online survey at tinyurl.com/bdzjjntn. He said the information they gather from the survey will help determine departure times, days of operation and ticket prices.
Hellman said OurBus is considering replacing the route and extending the service to another destination like Philadelphia International Airport, so that the service appeals to a larger audience.
Hellman said a final decision about whether to launch the service will be announced by March 14.
The announcement from OurBus comes after officials from Amtrak said last week that the company did an extensive evaluation of the route and found that ridership was too low to warrant continuing it. The service will end effective March 18.
Amtrak launched the bus service between Reading and Philadelphia, with a stop in Pottstown, in June 2022. The service featured two daily round trips.
Reading Mayor Eddie Moran said the potential service is a positive development.
'We're grateful to hear that OurBus is considering restoring the bus route between Reading and Philadelphia following the cancellation of Amtrak's Thruway service,' he said in a press release.
The cancellation of the Amtrak bus service came as officials in Berks, Montgomery and Chester counties continue to work on a plan to restore passenger rail service between Reading and Philadelphia. The line would include stops in Reading, Pottstown and Phoenixville.
Despite finding a possible solution to the bus service issue, Moran said he remains fully supportive of the return of rail service to Reading in the future.
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