The 757 was designed for NY-Miami and the old BEA system (which still existed in BA). As a political project, it was intended to enlist RR and the US-worshipping ends of the Civil Service to drag BAe out of Airbus and into partnership with Boeing. As it happened, RR and P&W beat the snot out of one another coming up with the perfect 757 engine, while GE bailed out and (with Snecma) proceeded to dominate the single-aisle market.
Uncompetitive for most domestic US flights, the 757 was the nastiest way to cross the Pond until the sadists invented the nine-abreast 787 - on a hot day, long-range cruise was the only way to get there and ground speed westbound could be in the low 400s, easily. Not to mention the horrible -300, which shook like a wet dog in crosswinds.
The sooner they're all turned into aircraft-grade aluminum rollaboard frames, the better.