The service was launched in 1993 and replaced Carelink, which had begun as an accessible bus route for disabled people operated by National Bus Company.
[1][2] In contrast to the Carelink service, Stationlink was open to all passengers and was included in the Travelcard scheme.
[3][4] The initial service operated in a clockwise direction only, calling at Paddington, Marylebone, Euston, St Pancras, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street, London Bridge, Waterloo, Victoria and Victoria Coach Station.
[4] From 29 June 1996 the clockwise route, now numbered SL1, was supplemented by the SL2 anti-clockwise service.
Both routes were now operated with accessible, low-floor Optare Excel buses, described in the Evening Standard as 'roll-on, roll-off'.