London Buses route 268

London Buses route 268 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Golders Green station and Finchley Road O2 Centre, it is operated by Arriva The Shires.

History

Route 268 commenced operating on 7 September 1968 between Golders Green station and Finchley Road station with AEC Merlins. These were replaced with Leyland Nationals on 5 February 1978.

Upon being put up for tender, on 31 May 1986 it passed to London Country North West with Mercedes-Benz L608Ds. These were stabled at Scratchwood services on the M1 motorway, with maintenance carried out at the Mercedes dealership in Colindale. London Country later opened its own base in Muswell Hill, where with route 268 was moved, along with routes 153 and C2.^[1]

The route was re-tendered, and on 6 June 1989 passed to R&I Coaches, of North Acton and later Harlesden garage, with Optare MetroRider buses used.^[2] Route 268 was included in the June 1996 sale of R&I Coaches to MTL London and merged into the London Northern operation, with more Mercedes minbuses used along with Carlyle bodied Dennis Darts.

Route 268 was included in the August 1998 sale of MTL to Metroline.^[3] On 21 November 1998, the route was extended from Finchley Road station along Finchley Road to the O2 Centre. Metroline took over MTL's buses, but the operation of route 268 gradually passed to new Plaxton Pointer 2 bodied Dennis Dart SLFs.

Upon being re-tendered, route 268 passed to Arriva The Shires' Watford garage on 10 June 2006.^[1][4] Arriva The Shires retained the route when next tendered, with a new contract commencing on 8 June 2013.^[5][6]

Current route

• Golders Green station
• Hampstead station
• Belsize Park
• Swiss Cottage station
• Finchley Road station
• Finchley Road O2 Centre

References

External links

• Media related to London Buses route 268 at Wikimedia Commons