Bus 196 in London: Elephant & Castle to Norwood Junction Station

The number 196 links Elephant and Castle with Norwood Junction Station. It runs south through Kennington, Stockwell and Brixton before climbing through Herne Hill, Tulse Hill and West Norwood, with around 52 to 54 stops in each direction.

Frequencies are lower than on many routes here, with a bus about every 17 minutes on weekdays and every 27 minutes at weekends, so the timings below are useful before you travel.

Where the route goes

From Elephant and Castle Station the bus heads through Newington Butts and Kennington Road, then past Vauxhall Bus Station and Nine Elms Underground Station. It continues via Stockwell Bus Garage and Stockwell Green to Brixton Academy and Brixton Station, passing St Matthew's Church on the way.

After Brixton the route passes Brockwell Park and Herne Hill Station, then Tulse Hill Station and West Norwood Station, before climbing through Crown Point and Beulah Hill to Norwood Junction. A full trip from Elephant and Castle takes 73 minutes on weekdays and 66 minutes at weekends, and the return takes 77 minutes on weekdays.

Stops: Elephant & Castle / Newington Causeway - Norwood Junction Station

1. Elephant & Castle / Newington Causeway
2. Elephant & Castle Station
3. Newington Butts
4. Renfrew Road
5. Kennington Road
6. Loughborough Street
7. Durham Street
8. Vauxhall Bus Station
9. Covent Garden Market East Side
10. Nine Elms Underground Station
11. Lansdowne Green
12. Stockwell Bus Garage
13. South Lambeth Road / Stockwell Station
14. Stockwell Gardens
15. Irving Grove
16. Stockwell Green
17. Stansfield Road
18. Brixton Academy
19. Brixton Station
20. St Matthew's Church
21. St Matthews Estate
22. Morval Road
23. Dalberg Road / Effra Parade
24. Milton Road (SE24)
25. Brockwell Lido
26. Herne Hill Station
27. Brockwell Park
28. Rosendale Road
29. Brockwell Park Gardens
30. Deronda Road
31. Tulse Hill Station
32. Elmcourt Road Tulse Hill
33. Lancaster Avenue (SE27)
34. Norwood Road / Robson Road
35. West Norwood Station
36. Norwood Bus Garage
37. Rothschild Street
38. West Norwood Fire Station
39. Furneaux Avenue
40. Crown Point / Beulah Hill
41. Grecian Crescent
42. Biggin Hill
43. Convent Hill
44. Hermitage Road Norwood
45. Beulah Spa
46. Upper Beulah Hill
47. Beulah Hill /All Saints Church
48. Grange Avenue (SE25)
49. Wharncliffe Gardens
50. Ross Road
51. Howden Road (SE25)
52. Elm Park Road
53. Stanley Hall
54. Norwood Junction Station

Stops: Norwood Junction Station - Elephant & Castle / Newington Causeway

1. Norwood Junction Station
2. Portland Road
3. Stanley Hall
4. Elm Park Road
5. Howden Road (SE25)
6. Wharncliffe Gardens
7. Grange Avenue (SE25)
8. S Norwood Hill / All Saints Ch
9. Upper Beulah Hill
10. Beulah Spa
11. Hermitage Road Norwood
12. Convent Hill
13. Biggin Hill
14. Crown Point / Beulah Hill
15. Crown Point / Knights Hill
16. Lakeview Road
17. West Norwood Fire Station
18. St Julian's Farm Road
19. West Norwood Station
20. Norwood Road / Robson Road
21. Lancaster Avenue (SE27)
22. Tulse Hill Station
23. Thurlow Park Road
24. Deronda Road
25. Brockwell Park Gardens
26. Rosendale Road
27. Brockwell Park
28. Herne Hill Station
29. Brockwell Lido
30. Chaucer Road / Effra Parade
31. Brixton Water Lane
32. Morval Road
33. St Matthews Estate
34. Lambeth Town Hall
35. Brixton Station
36. Brixton Academy
37. Stansfield Road
38. Stockwell Green
39. Stockwell Gardens
40. Binfield Road / Stockwell Station
41. Stockwell Bus Garage
42. Lansdowne Green
43. Nine Elms Underground Station
44. Covent Garden Market East Side
45. Vauxhall Bus Station
46. St. Annes Church
47. Loughborough Street
48. Kennington Road
49. Renfrew Road
50. Newington Butts
51. Elephant & Castle Station
52. Elephant & Castle / Newington Causeway

When it runs

On weekdays buses leave Elephant & Castle / Newington Causeway from 00:05 until 23:45, with 87 journeys in that direction. From Norwood Junction Station the first bus is also at 00:05 and the last at 23:45, with 86 weekday journeys. At weekends there are 54 journeys each way.

On weekdays a bus leaves about every 17 minutes in both directions. At weekends the gap is around 27 minutes, so the wait is considerably longer.

Timetable at a glance

Tips for passengers

Because the weekend gap is 27 minutes, check times before you travel on Saturdays and Sundays. The route serves several stations, including Brixton Station, Herne Hill Station, Tulse Hill Station and West Norwood Station, which can be useful for changes. Beulah Hill and Upper Beulah Hill are close together in the stop list, so confirm your stop before boarding.

See also

Another route in the city: London Bus 47.

Compare with the London Bus 53.

Stops and journey times on the London Bus 51.

First and last departures on the London Bus 54.

You may also need the London Bus 49.

Route details for the London Bus 50.

Timetable and stops for London Bus 55.

Weekday and weekend times for the London Bus 45.

Another route in the city: London Bus 52.

Nearby routes and routes sharing stops

• London Bus 194
• London Bus 195
• London Bus 197
• London Bus 198
• London Bus 2
• London Bus 68
• London Bus 3
• London Bus 37
• London Bus 249
• London Bus 133