De Lijn 2035 (1596 P) at Diksmuide garage - 5 Feb 1996

Monday 5 February 1996 (approx. 1000) – De Lijn (Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij De Lijn) 2035 (1866 P), a DAF powered Van Hool A120 integral new to NMVB in November 1982, seen at the company garage at Diksmuide. The bus still carries NMVB livery.

The destination display shows details for the Poperinge-Krombeke-Oostvleteren-Reninge-Merkem-Diksmuide service 755. It had possibly worked the 0712 service from Poperinge earlier in the day.
Service 755 operated on schooldays only and the pattern of services had changed little for many years (and basically remains so in 2018 as service 24). Taking around one hour the schedule featured departures from both Poperinge and Diksmuide just after 0700 (Monday to Friday), 1220 (Wednesdays only) and 1720 (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays). There was also a 1908 journey on those four days from Poperinge to Reninge. The trips passed at Oostvleteren and in most cases they met the up with the buses operating on the Ieper to Veurne/Veurne to Ieper service 772. Thus four buses could be seen in the village at the same time.

Services 755 and 772 closely follow the routes of the NMVB tramways 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 The NMVB trams have long gone being replaced by buses – and NMVB has in turn been replaced by ‘De Lijn’.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).