Trivia: Route numbers named after aircraft models?

[JetBlast]

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/transdev-blazefield.192373

News from Mr Hornby this evening suggests Transdev Blazefield have won the contract to supply Leeds Bradford Airport services 737, 747 and 757 from September from Yorkshire Tiger. The three services are run with a PVR of 10 vehicles, currently a mix of E200 and Versa from Arriva.

Are the route numbers deliberately numbered the same as Boeing aircraft models?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Are the route numbers deliberately numbered the same as Boeing aircraft models?

Yes - it's a common thing with airport services!

The Green Line services in the late 1970s and into the early 1990s were numbered 727, 737, 747 and 757 though they then continued and adopted 767 and 777 before the planes actually appeared!! 757 is still going.

737 was also used for Truro to Newquay Airport, Sheffield to Robin Hood Airport, Darlington to Teesside Airport (yes, I know it's DTV but it's a stupid name) and 747 for Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh - there are loads of examples that I'm sure others can list so yeah, it's very deliberate

 

[bluenoxid]

330 was used for Manchester Airport and 350 is used for Heathrow Airport

 

[bussnapperwm]

Yes - it's a common thing with airport services!

The Green Line services in the late 1970s and into the early 1990s were numbered 727, 737, 747 and 757 though they then continued and adopted 767 and 777 before the planes actually appeared!! 757 is still going.

737 was also used for Truro to Newquay Airport, Sheffield to Robin Hood Airport, Darlington to Teesside Airport (yes, I know it's DTV but it's a stupid name) and 747 for Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh - there are loads of examples that I'm sure others can list so yeah, it's very deliberate

The opposite is true for Birmingham. The main Airport routes are X1 and X12 (formerly 900/966!)

 

[Jordan Adam]

Yes - it's a common thing with airport services!

The Green Line services in the late 1970s and into the early 1990s were numbered 727, 737, 747 and 757 though they then continued and adopted 767 and 777 before the planes actually appeared!! 757 is still going.

737 was also used for Truro to Newquay Airport, Sheffield to Robin Hood Airport, Darlington to Teesside Airport (yes, I know it's DTV but it's a stupid name) and 747 for Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh - there are loads of examples that I'm sure others can list so yeah, it's very deliberate

To add to that we've (in Aberdeen) also had the 27, X27, 117, 727, 737, 747, 757 & 777! There does seem to be an obsession with the number 7 when it comes to Airport routes, it does make sense though as people do associate 7x7 numbers with Boeing. Although perhaps given recent circumstances the number 737 isn't the best of ideas!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

To add to that we've (in Aberdeen) also had the 27, X27, 117, 727, 737, 747, 757 & 777! There does seem to be an obsession with the number 7 when it comes to Airport routes, it does make sense though as people do associate 7x7 numbers with Boeing. Although perhaps given recent circumstances the number 737 isn't the best of ideas!

Only if Arriva gave it Max branding.

As I said, there's multiple examples of 7*7 for airport services and Green Line were exponents of that with the 737/747 and extended the series ahead of the Boeing models appearing!

 

[Jordan Adam]

Only if Arriva gave it Max branding.

As I said, there's multiple examples of 7*7 for airport services and Green Line were exponents of that with the 737/747 and extended the series ahead of the Boeing models appearing!

That's true! Obviously the majority of services do take inspiration from Boeing, however it is a interesting coincidence as you note that there were other 7x7 Airport services prior!

 

[RustySpoons]

7x7 route numbers are easier to remember too, ideal for foreign travellers looking for buses from the airport. More memorable than using Airbus' model numbers.

 

[Statto]

330 was used for Manchester Airport and 350 is used for Heathrow Airport

Manchester had a 757 City Centre-Airport branded as Airport shuttle, this was renumbered from the pre d-reg 200 & upgraded to express standard deckers

 

[aliceh]

Bournemouth Airport has the 'Jetbus' 737 (which at one point in the past was 747, then A1).

Though back in the day, Southampton Citybus had a route 727 (Southampton to Portsmouth) which must be one of the few 7x7 routes that didn't go anywhere near an airport

 

[Ianno87]

I recall the short lived Coventry Airport shuttle bus from the City Centre was the 737.

 

[Eyersey468]

East Yorkshire runs the 747 (Pocklington to York via Fangfoss, Full Sutton, Stamford Bridge). Not numbered after the aircraft, simply followed on from the old 744/745/746 routes which ran between Pocklington and York via various places.

 

[PeterC]

Yes - it's a common thing with airport services!

The Green Line services in the late 1970s and into the early 1990s were numbered 727, 737, 747 and 757 though they then continued and adopted 767 and 777 before the planes actually appeared!! 757 is still going.

737 was also used for Truro to Newquay Airport, Sheffield to Robin Hood Airport, Darlington to Teesside Airport (yes, I know it's DTV but it's a stupid name) and 747 for Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh - there are loads of examples that I'm sure others can list so yeah, it's very deliberate

Green Line always numbered in the 700 series and I think 727 happened to be the next unused number anyway.