THE END of the line is in sight for services from Blackpool bus station.

Blackpool Transport has announced that from April 8 it will no longer operate routes out of the Talbot Road station.

Operations director David Eaves said: "The decision really paves the way for Blackpool Council to press on with their plans for redevelopment of the area which we know is being considered."

The site has been earmarked for a county court, supermarket, hotel and health centre complex, he said.

He added: "Blackpool Transport wants to invest in new facilities such as low-floor double decker buses and electronic information boards to tell customers when the vehicles are arriving.

"There's no point in making that type of investment within the bus station as it is poised for redevelopment."

It is believed that other operators, including National Express and Stagecoach, will continue to use the bus station for the time being, but that most of the station will be used for car parking once Blackpool Transport leaves.

The new town centre stops are being brought in less than 12 months after the introduction of Blackpool Transport's Metro Lines -- featuring colour-coded buses and modified routes. But the company has pledged to keep confusion to a minimum, with leaflets due out on March 18.

"We have produced considerable information for customers which will be on buses in the form of leaflets to show where their relevant stop will be.

"All the new information is also available at our information offices at Talbot Road bus station. We obviously want to make the changes as simple to follow as possible," said Mr Eaves.

And he denied that the new system would cause traffic problems. "We believe that our planned changes won't add to congestion in the town centre. We have looked at the various sites around the bus station in order to cause customers the least inconvenience."

And it is understood that many of the routes will use existing town centre bus stops, and that where possible new stops will be provided with shelters.

TOWN CENTRE BUS STOPS BY LINE

Line 2

Northbound Stop X (Winter Gardens) Stop I (Abingdon Street)

Stop A (Queen Street) Stop D (North Station) - Grosvenor Street

Southbound Stop E (Cookson Street) Stop D (North Station)

Stop K (Abingdon Street Post Office)

Stop S (St. John's Church) Stop Z (Stanley Terrace)

Line 3 (Same as Line 4)

Northbound Stop V (Winter Gardens) Stop J (Abingdon Street)

Stop B (Queen Street)

Southbound Stop C (Springfield Road) Stop E (Cookson Street) Stop K (Abingdon Street Post Office) Stop T (St. John's Church)

Stop Y (Stanley Terrace)

Line 4 (Same as Line 3)

Northbound Stop V (Winter Gardens) Stop J (Abingdon Street)

Stop B (Queen Street)

Southbound Stop C (Springfield Road) Stop E (Cookson Street) Stop K (Abingdon Street Post Office) Stop T (St. John's Church)

Stop Y (Stanley Terrace)

Line 5

Northbound Stop N (Corporation Street) Stop G (Topping Street)

Southbound Stop H (Talbot Road) Stop Q (Market Street)

Line 6

Northbound Stop L (Corporation Street) Stop U (St. John's Church)

Southbound Stop W (Winter Gardens) Stop P (Market Street)

Line 7

Northbound Stop N (Corporation Street) Stop G (Topping Street)

Southbound Stop F (Talbot Road opp. Wilkinsons) Stop Q (Market Street)

Line 11

Northbound Stop M (Corporation Street) Stop G (Topping Street)

Southbound Stop F (Talbot Road opp. Wilkinsons) Stop R (Market Street)

Line 14

Northbound Stop O (Corporation Street) Stop A (Dickson Road/Queen Street)

Southbound Stop H (Talbot Road) Stop P (Market Street).