Updated 12th August 2017 - Like us on Facebook!
The 96 is one of the more useful routes that crosses the border of Greater London. It connects Bluewater shopping centre and Dartford in Kent with Crayford, Bexleyheath and Woolwich. It is operated on behalf of Transport for London and runs so frequently that you don't really need a timetable. Click here to discover other bus routes across the South East.
Places served
Bluewater
Built in a former chalk quarry, Bluewater is one of the largest shopping centres in the UK. Clickon the logo above to see which shops you can find there. The 96 runs from stand 10 at the bus station.
It then runs non-stop to Dartford.
Dartford
Dartford, Hanau Bridge (Stop H)
Dartford, Market Street (Stop L)/ Home Gardens (Stop C)
Here's stop C on Home Gardens for buses to Bluewater:
Stop L is on Market Street for buses to Woolwich:
Why not catch a show at the Orchard Theatre (click logo to go to their website) or catch up on some local history at the Dartford Borough Museum on Market Street?
Dartford, Instone Road (Stop R)
Dartford, Priory Hill
Buses to Woolwich stop on the left, buses to Bluewater on the right on A226 West Hill:
*Greater London/Kent border*
Highlighted here are the bus stops in Crayford served by the 96:
Crayford, Heath Road (Stops G/F)
Crayford, Crayford Town Hall (Stops M/E)
Stop M for buses towards Woolwich is outside the Town Hall, opposite McDonalds:
Here is stop D on the High Street, for buses towards Bluewater:
While here, why not see the dogs at Crayford Greyhound Track?
Crayford, Bourne Road DA1 (Stop U)
Crayford, Bigs Hill Wood (Stops Q/T)Bexleyheath
The 96 serves stops B, P and X towards Bluewater and stops Y, M and A towards Woolwich:
Stop P for Bluewater is on the left here, outside Wetherspoons on Mayplace Road West:
Here's stop A for Woolwich, outside The Real China buffet restaurant on Broadway:
BC for Bluewater:
BT for Woolwich:
East Wickham, Bethel Road (Stops BU/BB)
Welling
The 96 serves stops K, N and S towards Bluewater and stops R, M and Q towards Woolwich:
Stop S for Bluewater is next to Bargain Kingdom and Avery Hill Electronics on High Street:
One of the best places to eat in Welling is Da Peppino on Bellegrove Road.
East Wickham
East Wickham, Foresters Arms (Stop F)
East Wickham, Plumstead Cemetery (Stop M)
Abbey Wood, Cemetery Road (Stop L)
Abbey Wood, Littledale (Stops G/K)Plumstead
Buses towards Bluewater serve stops A, B, D, E, G, J and N. Buses to Woolwich use stops WN, WD, WH, WJ, WK, WL and WP:
Plumstead, Purrett Road (Stop G)
Stop WH for Woolwich on A206 Plumstead High Street, next to the police station:
Stop E for Bluewater:
Plumstead, Bannockburn Road (Stop WJ)
Stop WJ for Woolwich is right outside Boots on A206 Plumstead High Street:
Stop WL for Woolwich is on Plumstead Road, next to Arabica and the Kampala Mini Market:
Stop B for Bluewater is on the railway bridge at the start of Plumstead High Street:
Thamesmead West, Greenwich Community College (Stop WP)/ Plumstead Bus Garage (Stop A)
Woolwich
Buses towards Bluewater use stops T, N and K. Buses terminating in Woolwich use stops Z, H and W:
Woolwich, Woolwich Market (Stops Z/K)
Stop Z to alight by the covered market on A206 Beresford Street:
Stop K for Bluewater, opposite the market on A206 Beresford Street:
Stop N for Bluewater, the nearest stop for Woolwich Arsenal rail and DLR station, is just opposite Wilkinson's on Woolwich New Road:
Stop H, where terminating buses on the 96 drop you off, is right outside the railway/DLR station entrance:
W on the right is the last stop. T on the left on Thomas Street is the first stop for buses to Bluewater:
Timetable
Transport for London doesn't issue official timetables for its bus routes, but you can find one here or on Traveline. See a live map of bus locations on route 96 here and a list of all stops served here.
Here are your links for live bus times from major stops towards Woolwich:
- Bluewater Bus Station, stop 10
- Dartford, Market Street, stop L
- Crayford, Town Hall, stop M
- Bexleyheath, Market Place, stop M
- Welling, Upper Wickham Lane, stop M
- Plumstead Station, stop WL
...and towards Bluewater:
- Woolwich Arsenal Station, stop N
- Plumstead Station, stop B
- Welling, High Street, stop S
- Bexleyheath, Clock Tower, stop P
- Crayford, Bridge, stop D
- Dartford, Home Gardens, stop C
Fares
Fares are set by Transport for London, meaning cash payments are no longer possible. You can pay either with Oyster or with a contactless debit or credit card. A single journey costs £1.50 and there's a daily bus/tram fare cap of £4.50, above which you will not be charged regardless of how many TfL bus/tram journeys you make. Bus journeys are also included in all of TfL's Oyster price caps for tube and rail fares - and that goes for all of TfL's red buses across all zones regardless of for which zones you have travelled in by rail.
Dartford Plusbus tickets are not valid for travel on the 96.
Connections
Not to scale. Only major routes and destinations are shown.
For details of other local bus routes in Dartford and from Bluewater, see Kent County Council's maps here.
Change at Bluewater for
- Arriva 490 and Fastrack B to Gravesend from stops 3 and 4
- Arriva 700 to the Medway towns from stop 11
Change at Dartford for Arriva 477 to Swanley and Orpington from stop O.
TfL provide detailed spider maps showing connections with the 96 from the following locations:
TfL bus route 53 connects Woolwich Arsenal with Central London, making it possible to travel from Chatham to the heart of London with just two changes of bus. TfL produce comprehensive bus maps for each part of London, including the South-East, which covers the 96.
The following railway stations are served by the 96:
- Dartford (Zone 8, find national fares here)
- Crayford (Zone 6)
- Bexleyheath (Zone 5)
- Welling (Zone 4)
- Plumstead (Zone 4)
- Woolwich Arsenal (Zone 4)
You can also connect to the Docklands Light Railway at Woolwich Arsenal.
Alternatives
If you don't want to get the bus back, direct trains run between Dartford and Woolwich Arsenal, currently costing adults (without a railcard) £2.40 single (off-peak on Oyster or contactless), £4 for an Oyster/contactless peak single, £4.70 for a cash single and £5.10 for an off-peak cash day return (valid after 0930 weekdays, anytime weekends).
All of the information in this post is correct at the time of writing, but please check the relevant links before travelling.
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ReplyDeleteGot an inquiry. I live in SE London and I need to go to Dartford Crossing near the big junction where a huge Lorry drivers parking is located. Can I use the specific bus, and if yes, where I'm getting off? Thanks in advance for any relevant info.
If it's the lorry park I think it is, then you need Arriva Fastrack route A, which stops on Crossways Boulevard. Connect with the 96 at either Dartford or Bluewater.
ReplyDeleteSo I only need to top my oyster card with about £4 to Bluewater then back to Dartford
ReplyDelete