Rail bosses in East Lancashire are celebrating an early milestone for a returning ramblers' favourite service.

More than 1,000 passengers, as of last Saturday, have now boarded the Yorkshire Dales Express service from Clitheroe to Ribblehead.

And Community Rail Lancashire (CRL) officials say the journey - along the picturesque line to Settle - has also had knock-on benefits for Clitheroe.

Rail enthusiasts had feared for the route, then run on Sundays, when it was axed last summer amid a shortage of drivers.

But the express service was introduced in June on Saturdays and has proved popular with explorers.

Around a quarter of those passengers are said to have taken part in a guided walk organised by either the Lancashire Rail Ramblers or Friends of the Settle Carlisle (FoSCL)

Another 33 per cent had arranged their own walks and 43 per cent have taken part in other activities or "simply ridden the line".

A CRL spokesman said: "Coach links have helped extend the reach of the service and on June 29 walkers were able to take part in guided walks in the Forest of Bowland using a coach link from Clitheroe Interchange and on July 27 walkers were able to enjoy a day out in Swaledale using a special coach link from Ribblehead."

Rail officials say a number of groups have joined the service including MAD, which is part of the Manchester Rail Ramblers, the Manchester Weekend Walkers, Humraaz, an organisation which supports black, Asian and ethnic minority women in East Lancashire and DARE, the Darwen Asylum and Refugee Enterprise.

The CRL spokesman added: "From feedback from the stewards it appears that there is a growing number using the return working from Ribblehead to visit the Ribble Valley and in particular Clitheroe."

Before arriving in Clitheroe on Saturday mornings, the explorer service sets off from Darwen, calling at Blackburn and the intermediate stations in the Ribble Valley, Ramsgreave and Wilpshire, Langho and Whalley.