De Lijn 2036 (1868 P) at Poperinge – 25 Apr 1997

Friday 25 April 1997 (1710) - De Lijn (Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn) 2036 (1868 P), a DAF powered Van Hool A120 integral new to NMVB in November 1982, seen in Grote Markt, Poperinge when working the 1630 Ieper-Poperinge-Roesbrugge-Beveren IJzer-Hoogstade Linde service 744. This trip runs Mondays to Fridays between Ieper and Beveren IJzer extending to Hoogstade Linde on schooldays only.

Belgian schools work quite late compared with those in England. Even at this hour there are still quite a number of scholars waiting their transport home. Service 744 closely follows the route of the former Poperinge to Veurne tramway opened in the 1900s as part of the Belgian Government’s policy of providing transport in rural communities. The NMVB trams have long gone being replaced by buses – and NMVB has in turn been replaced by ‘De Lijn’.
De Lijn was created in 1991 from the northern part of NMVB (Nationale Maatschappij van Buurtspoorwegen) and both buses had been new to NMVB.