"Harry G" wrote:

That's correct: in the 1990s there was a pair of circular services,
Stationlink SL1/2 (clockwise/anti), although there had been something
prior to that as well which failed (and ISTR a night-time service in
the early 1980s). These were pretty infrequent and because they served
virtually all stations could be terribly slow - it might take a couple
of hours from arriving at one terminal before you reached your
cross-London terminal. I think they disappeared around 4-5 years ago.

The need to create a robust timetable, over a relatively long route, at a
low frequency, meant an awful lot of slack was built into the timings. On
the 705 (the final incarnation of Stationlink), it was common to dwell at
Waterloo *and* London Bridge for up to ten minutes. Thus, these services
were largely shunned by 'ordinary Londoners'.

They were also fairly poorly publicised. During the last year of the 705, I
was working in Victoria and commuting into and out of Fenchurch Street. On a
Tube strike day (total shutdown), when 'normal' buses were jam packed,
fights breaking out etc, I was able to board the 705 at Victoria Station
with no difficulty, and had the company of about four other people on the
way to Fenchurch St via Waterloo, London Bridge etc.

Route 205 is a legacy of the Stationlink service, and there was also a
705 which seems to have withdrawn. Apart from the slow journey times,
taxi options and infrequency, the accessibility of all London buses to
the groups mentioned above probably put the final nail in the coffin of
dedicated Stationlink services or similar.

The Jubilee Line extension also provided a Tube alternative on the
Waterloo - London Bridge stretch.

Chris