London Buses route 68
| 68 | |
|---|---|
N68 | |
| Route | |
| Start | West Norwood |
| Via | Herne Hill Camberwell Elephant and Castle Waterloo Aldwych Russell Square |
| End | Euston bus station |
| Service | |
| Level | Daily |
London Buses route 68 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between West Norwood and Euston bus station, it is operated by Transport UK London Bus.
It has a limited stop equivalent route; SL6.
History
In the early period of motor omnibus travel, before World War I, number 68 was not in use as a route for the London General Omnibus Company, even though higher numbers up to 93 were active in 1912, for example.[1]
The route was active at the start of World War II, its usual peacetime lighting of a pale blue colour was removed because of the risk of aerial bombing, and the buses were blacked-out.[2]
By 1952, after the last trams stopped running, the route ran from the
On 25 October 1986, the route was split in two with
On 27 October 1986, a parallel peak-hour express service numbered
As part of the
On 5 February 2016,
The journalist Peter Watts reviewed his experiences of the current service for
Author and journalist Simon Jenkins on the other hand described the 68 bus as the "Queen of buses" for its stately progress through the bustling shopping streets of South London.[17]
Travelling on this bus route has been suggested as a cure for agoraphobia. Travelling for 2-5 stops during the day was considered a medium level exercise, while travelling from Camberwell Green to the Elephant & Castle alone during the rush hour, was considered the most challenging exercise - more terrifying than walking down the high street or shopping in a supermarket.[18]
In October 2021, the frequency of the service was reduced from seven or eight buses per hour to six.[19]
Notable passengers
- The spies Harry Houghton and Ethel Gee were trailed by a Special Branch agent when they travelled on the 68 between Waterloo Road and Walworth Road.[20][21]
- Simon Jenkins - journalist and author.[17]
Current route
Route 68 operates via these primary locations:[22]
- Knight's Hill
- Tulse Hill station
- Brockwell Park
- Herne Hill station
- King's College Hospital
- Denmark Hill station
- Camberwell Green
- Walworth
- Elephant & Castle station
- St George's Circus
- The Old Vic
- Waterloo station
- South Bank
- Waterloo Bridge
- Aldwych
- Holborn station
- Russell Square station
- Tavistock Square
- Euston bus station
for Euston station
References
- ^ D.A.Ruddom (2007), Motor Omnibus Routes in London, vol. 2
- ISBN 9780747579854
- ^ Mike Harris, The 1952 Greater London Bus Map, archived from the original on 28 December 2010, retrieved 3 April 2010
- ISBN 978-0-7110-3314-6
- ^ ISBN 978-147382-386-0.
- ^ First TfL Superloop bus route to start this weekend Route One 14 July 2023
- ^ Superloop Transport for London
- ^ Bus tender results Route 68/N68 Transport for London 12 August 2005
- ^ Route Alteration Transport for London 1 April 2006
- ISBN 978-1-52678-695-1.
- Bus Talkissue 6 October 2010 page 1
- ^ Route 68 now served by new Routemaster buses Transport for London
- ^ TfL Route 68 next to get New Routemasters Coach & Bus Week issue 1226 2 February 2016 page 6
- ^ London Central loses out in tender round Coach & Bus Week issue 1303 8 August 2017 page 7
- ^ Latest tendered service awards Buses issue 750 September 2017 page 23
- Time Out, archived from the originalon 15 April 2010, retrieved 3 April 2010
- ^ ISBN 978-0-00-216186-2
- ISBN 9781853029349
- ^ "TfL cuts another 5 buses an hour from Waterloo Bridge". London SE1. 24 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ISBN 9780385016094
- ^ West Norwood station Bus Talk issue 42 October 2016 page 10
- ^ Route 68 Map Transport for London
External links
Media related to London Buses route 68 at Wikimedia Commons
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