Prior to this, the Leeds to York section of the route is thought to have been first operated by Dibbs & Warnes of Tadcaster on 10 July 1922.

[8] In June 2000, a fleet of Alexander Royale bodied Volvo Olympian double-deck vehicles were delivered and entered service on the routes.

[11][12] In Summer 2011, four Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL double-deck vehicles were delivered and entered service on the routes.

[14][15] In 2016, a fleet of ten Wright Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5TL double-deck vehicles were unveiled, representing an investment worth £2.34 million.

[21][20] In May 2018, the 840 service, which runs between Leeds and Whitby, was voted as the "most scenic bus route in Britain" in an online poll.

[24][25] In April 2023, the 840 was among eighty bus routes in North Yorkshire facing potential cancellation due to rising fuel prices, increased wage bills, higher costs for engineering materials and low passenger numbers which had rendered running the route unprofitable.

[26] However, the route was subsequently saved due to the success of the UK government's newly introduced financial support scheme for buses, which capped all single fares at £2.

Route 840 turns north towards Pickering, briefly detouring to Kirby Misperton[b] (for Flamingo Land Resort).

[21] The routes are currently operated by Transdev Blazefield's Yorkshire Coastliner subsidiary with a fleet of thirteen high-specification Wright Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5TL and four Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL double-deck vehicles, branded in a two-tone blue livery.

These vehicles include modern comfort-orientated amenities such as free WiFi connectivity, USB charging capabilities, audio-visual next stop announcements, high back coach-style seats upstairs and a luggage rack next to the doors.