please empty your brain below
The history is a bit messy, I think that there hasn't been a Sunday service between Ruislip and Hayes via Long Lane since the 98B was abandoned by LT back in June 1968.

There was no Saturday service from July 1969 when the 98A was withdrawn, until March 1979 when the 273 was extended to Hayes.

As for the Mon-Fri service, this was provided (except evenings) by the 273 from 1972 (and Saturdays from March 1979) until the cuts of September 1982.

From September 1982 onwards this section was just covered by separate M-F peak journeys on the 98, these were renumbered 98A in May 1989, this morphed into school route 389 in July 1993, then renumbered again as the 698 in April 1994.

The 698 was the last holdout of the Fleetlines (DMS), using ex-London Buslines examples until October 1996, this was after First had acquired CentreWest in March.

So the 278 restores a regular Mon-Sat service between Ruislip and Hayes for the first time since 1982 and the first Sunday service since 1968, I don't think that there has been an evening service since 1968 either.

Still Anon | 09.12.19 - 9:04 a.m. | #

I find Heathrow Central bus station very useful as it has a National Express coach station alongside, and a tube station below. Saves travelling to Victoria for a coach if you live in West London.

John | 09.12.19 - 10:07 a.m. | #

The 223 linked Ruislip with Heathrow during the 70s and 80s, so the new route is not the first time the two places have been directly connected.

Paul | 09.12.19 - 11:55 a.m. | #

This new route connects with coaches to Oxford at Hillingdon, giving the opportunity for fairly quick journeys between Oxford and Heathrow which are much cheaper than the direct coach. As I live there I'll be making heavy use of it.

Keith | 09.12.19 - 5:57 p.m. | #

I thought you had posted two pictures of the same bus but can see there are many subtle variations which would be ideal for one of those "spot the differences" puzzles. I will start with the curved rails around the front top deck.

kev | 09.12.19 - 6:03 p.m. | #

Now the 98B, in its post-LT, pre-bus deregulation, Elmtree Transit (operators of decrepit rusting buses housed in a back yard in Wealdstone), days, that would have made a fine DG post, had blogging been invented back then.......

Dominic H | 09.12.19 - 6:41 p.m. | #

Delta doesn't fly 787s, they famously cancelled their order.

dg writes: Updated, thanks.

Peter Ward | 09.12.19 - 7:11 p.m. | #

You might have passed me schlepping along the Uxbridge Road towards London, not that it would have done much to improve the route of course!

Mike Newman | Homepage | 10.12.19 - 2:05 p.m. | #











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