A new bus service is set to be introduced linking residents in Blackburn with a Lancashire hospital.

Funding has been found to create a new 2A service between Blackburn and Chorley - via Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.

The fledgling Blackburn Bus Company route will still run via Feniscowles, Abbey Village and Brinscall, like the existing '2' bus.

County council transport chiefs have confirmed the '2' bus between the two towns will run every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes.

The 2A bus, run in partnership between the firm, Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council, will run to the hospital rather than via Eaves Lane, again half-hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes.

No changes are being made to the Monday to Saturday evening and Sunday service operated by Stagecoach on behalf of local councils though.

An announcement on the new bus service has been made alongside extra journeys countywide, boosting services in Lancaster, Garstang, Poulton, Blackpool, Morecambe, Heysham, Halton, Caton, Hornby, Blackpool, Preston and Tarleton.

The updated services are being supported by Lancashire’s share of the government's Bus Service Improvement Plan funding, from which Lancashire County Council has secured £41.9m so far, in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

County Councillor Rupert Swarbrick, transport cabinet member, said: "Thanks to the funding we have secured from the Department for Transport for our Bus Service Improvement Plan, there will be many improvements to services in Lancashire.

"One of our main aims is to encourage more people to use the bus by providing extra journeys at times that people find convenient.

"Enhanced daytime frequencies and later services are often helpful to people who use the bus to get to and from work, as well as being convenient for anyone going out for the evening or visiting friends and family.

"I'm also really pleased we are working in partnership with our bus operators and neighbouring authorities to provide better links right across Lancashire and beyond so that more people have easy access to bus services.

"We've been working closely with operators to build passenger numbers with the aim of making these services sustainable over the long term."

Evening fares of £1, after 7pm, still apply seven days a week in Lancashire.