THE award-winning success of Burnley's state-of-the art bus station is to be commemorated in a plaque due to be unveiled next week.

The futuristic, glass-fronted structure, opened last year, has been officially voted the best in the country, according to judges at the nationwide Bus Industry Awards.

The station also won the separate Interchange Award for the country's best medium-sized interchange project.

The £3million bus station, the result of partnership between Lancashire County Council and Burnley Borough Council, has proved popular with passengers and bus operators since opening in August 2002.

Members of Lancashire County Council and Burnley Council will unveil commemorative plaques at the station at 10am on Monday, January 5, to celebrate both awards.

County Councillor Jean Yates, Lancashire County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: "It was redesigned to make people feel good about travelling by bus in a bid to revitalise public transport.

"We are proud of more than just the bus station. Our quality bus routes across Lancashire show what can be done to attract people back on to the buses.

"We intend looking at similar facilities to Burnley bus station across the county. Also on the agenda are Ormskirk and Rawtenstall which will be looked at in the future."

Lancashire County Council and Lancashire United buses recently won a third award for their marketing of the X1/X2 service between Whalley and Manchester.