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Visitors 5119
Modified 12-Dec-23
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London Bus Route 196 - Elephant & Castle - Vauxhall - Stockwell - Brixton - Herne Hill - West Norwood - Norwood Junction. (9 Miles)
Operated By Transport UK
Garage: Battersea QB

Past Timetables: May 2001, April 2005

To View The Current Timetable Click Here

History:
The route 196 prior to 11th October 1950 and provided a Monday to Saturday service between Tufnell Park Hotel and Waterloo. The route was operated at Chalk Farm (CF) and Holloway Garages (J) by RT and SRT type buses. The route was enforced as this route replaced the 239 and parts of the 68A. The current PVR was Monday to Friday 6SRT from CF and 5RT from J, Saturday 7SRT from CF. On the 10th July 1951 the route was extended from Waterloo to Norwood Junction. There were now 3 garages operating the route CF, J and Camberwell (Q). The Monday to Saturday route ran from Tufnell Park Hotel to Norwood Junction and Sunday Waterloo to Norwood Junction. There was a new type of bus operating the route RTL type. The current PVR was Monday to Friday 20RTL from CF, 4RT from J and 21RTL from Q. Saturday 12RTL from CF and 20RTL from Q and Sunday 11RTL from Q.

By the 10th January 1954 there was a new garage for Sundays allocated Norwood Garage (N). The current PVR was Monday to Friday 20RTL from CF, 4RT from J and 20RTL from Q, Saturday 12RTL from CF and 20RTL from Q and Sunday 6RT from N and 5RTL from Q. 3 months later Holloway Garage allocation was withdrawn. On the 1st May 1957 the Norwood allocation was withdrawn, the current PVR was Monday to Friday 19RTL from CF and 24RTL from Q, Saturday 10RTL from CF and 19RTL from Q and Sunday 11RTL from Q. By October 1957 the Norwood allocation was enforced again on Sundays. On the 26th November 1958 the Sunday service was withdrawn and replaced by route 40. The current PVR was Monday to Friday 17RTL from CF and 22RTL from Q, Saturday 7RTL from CF and 11RTL from Q. The route ran from Norwood Junction to Tufnell Park Monday to Saturdays.

On the 14th August 1963 the CF Monday to Friday allocation was withdrawn and replaced by Highgate Garage (HT). The current PVR was Monday to Friday 14RTL from HT and 19RTL from Q and Saturday 7RTL from CF and 10RTL from Q. By the end of January 1964 the Chalk farm allocation was withdrawn. By October 1965 the HT allocation on Saturday was withdrawn. On the 16th May 1966 the HT allocation was converted to RT allocation. The current PVR was Monday to Friday 14RT from HT and 19RTL from Q and Saturday 16RTL from Q. On the 27th March 1971 the HT allocation was withdrawn and the route was withdrawn between Euston and Norwood Junction. The current PVR Mon-Fri 19RM from Q and Sat 11RM from Q. There was now only 1 garage operating the route.

On the 5th January 1974 the allocation was transferred to Norwood Garage (N), so Q was withdrawn. The 196 was withdrawn between Brixton Station and Euston. The Sunday service was now in action on the 196. The current PVR was Monday to Friday 7RM, Saturday 5RM and Sunday 3RM. On the 25th April 1981 the allocation was transferred to Stockwell Garage (SW). There were no PVR changes. On the 7th September 1982 the operation was transferred from SW to Q, and was converted to One Man Operation by T type buses. The current PVR was 6T Monday to Friday, 7T Saturday and 5T Sunday. 3 years later at the end of April 1985 the Q allocation was withdrawn and it was replaced by N by Metrobuses. The current PVR was Monday to Friday 6M, Saturday 4M and Sunday 3M. By the 3rd August 1985 there were some changes to the routing of the 196 Norwood Junction - Brixton - Kennington (Monday-Friday peaks) - Westminster, Trafalgar Square, Kingsway, Bloomsbury, Islington Grn (Monday-Friday early am journeys).

On the 7th February 1987 the operation was transferred to Cityrama by DMS type buses. By the end of October 1989 Cityrama lost the contract to London and Country. On the 28th April 1990, the operation was transferred to London General from Stockwell garage. The current PVR was Monday to Friday 10D, Saturday 5VC and Sunday 4VC. By the 24th October 1992 the route was withdrawn between Brixton and Islington. The route ran from Norwood Junction to Brixton Station. The route was run by VC type buses.

On the 30th August 1997 the contract was reassigned with London Central using Titans from Camberwell Garage (Q). The current PVR was Mon-Fri 8T, Sat 5T and Sun3T. By April 1999 the contract was back with London General from their SW garage using VC type buses. The current PVR was Monday to Friday 7VC, Saturday 5VC and Sunday 3VC. On the 5th May 2001 London General lost the contract to Connex Bus, and they operated the 196 using Low floor Double Deckers operating from Beddington Garage (BC). The current PVR was Monday to Saturday 8TA and Sunday 5TA. At the end of 2003 Connex were brought out by Travel London with existing fleets. On the 30th April 2005 the 196 was extended from Brixton Station to the Elephant and Castle. The current PVR Mon- Fri 13TA, Sat 12TA and Sun 7TA. On the 6th May 2006 Travel London lost the contract to London General and they allocated a new fleet of Enviro 400’s from Stockwell Garage (SW). The current PVR was Mon-Fri 13E, Sat 12E and Sun 7E.
On the 11th May 2011, the contract was renewed for another five years with London General (Part of the Go Ahead Group) using existing fleet of vechicles. The current PVR Mon-Fri 14E, Sat 13E & Sun 7E. On the 5th May 2018, Abellio London gained the contract for the 196 operating from Walworth Garage (WL), with a new fleet of buses. The current PVR Mon-Fri 16EH, Sat 15EH & Sun 9EH.

Route 196, Abellio London 2603, SN18KKR, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Abellio London 2603, SN18KKR, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Abellio London 2611, SN18KLA, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Abellio London 2611, SN18KLA, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Abellio London 2614, SN18KLE, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Abellio London 2614, SN18KLE, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Abellio London 2618, SN18KLL, Norwood

Route 196, Abellio London 2618, SN18KLL, Norwood

Route 196, Cityrama, DM937, SMU937N

Route 196, Cityrama, DM937, SMU937N

Route 196, Cityrama, E963PME, Norwood

Route 196, Cityrama, E963PME, Norwood

Route 196, Cityrama, SW8, E963PME

Route 196, Cityrama, SW8, E963PME

Route 196, Connex, TA37, Y37HWB, Norwood Junction

Route 196, Connex, TA37, Y37HWB, Norwood Junction

Route 196, Connex, TA38, Y38HWB, Norwood Junction

Route 196, Connex, TA38, Y38HWB, Norwood Junction

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E1, SN06BNA, Brixton

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E1, SN06BNA, Brixton

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E2, SN06BNB, Stockwell Garage

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E2, SN06BNB, Stockwell Garage

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E3, SN06BND, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E3, SN06BND, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E3, SN06BND, Stockwell Garage

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E3, SN06BND, Stockwell Garage

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E5, SN06BNJ, Brixton

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E5, SN06BNJ, Brixton

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E6, SN06BNK, Vauxhall

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E6, SN06BNK, Vauxhall

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E9, SN06BNO, Stockwell Garage

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E9, SN06BNO, Stockwell Garage

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E10, SN06BNU, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E10, SN06BNU, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E11, SN06BNV, Stockwell Garage

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E11, SN06BNV, Stockwell Garage

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E12, SN06BNX, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E12, SN06BNX, Elephant & Castle

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E13, SN06BNY, Stockwell Garage

Route 196, Go Ahead London, E13, SN06BNY, Stockwell Garage