BURNLEY'S state-of-the-art bus station has been shortlisted for its third prestigious award.

The futuristic, glass-fronted structure, opened last year, is already one of six bus stations nominated for the Small Urban Interchange Project of the Year, the winner of which will be decided at the Interchange Awards in London, in November.

And it reached the finals of the National Transport Awards given out in August when it was chosen from 400 other entries from across the country for a shortlist of 30 in the Bus Transport Award category.

Burnley is now among three other Lancashire public transport services to be shortlisted for more bus industry awards.

The £3million bus station has been placed amongst the best in the country in the 'Bus Industry Oscars.'

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

It is one of the County Council's new and improved bus stations and public transport interchanges.

County Councillor Jean Yates, Cabinet Member for highways and transport, said: "This is just one of our recent success stories.

"Lancashire regularly picks up awards for its innovative schemes, but to be nominated for the 'Bus Industry Oscars' is a great achievement."

"Burnley bus station is a great example of how major investment can be used to radically improve a town or city's transport facilities.

"By working together with the borough council we have built a truly first-class facility that is very much a flagship for the town."

Burnley bus station uses the council's pioneering Rural Intelligent Bus Stops (RIBS), and the successful Information and Marketing Group which have all been placed amongst the best in the country.

RIBS bus stops give travellers on the Carnforth Connect bus routes up-to-the-minute information on when their bus is due as they wait.

Similar technology is soon to be installed in Preston as part of a multi-million pound revamp of the city's transport system.

The Information and Marketing Group's joint marketing campaign with Lancashire United of the once ailing X1 and X2 services has resulted in a large increase in passengers.

At one time the route, a link which runs from Clitheroe and connects Pendle, Burnley and Rossendale to Manchester, could have been axed.

But intervention by the Lancashire County Council which currently subsidises the service, and a new operator means that the service may become commercially viable once more.