THE Blackburn Bus Company has returned to East Lancashire’s streets with its Burnley equivalent to follow soon.

The new firms are part of a £2million-plus investment and rebranding exercise by operator Transdev Blazefield which will see the Lancashire United name disappear.

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Already the X41 bus between Blackburn, Accrington and Manchester has been renamed Red Express to complement the X43 Witch Way service from Burnley to Manchester.

Lancashire United came out of mergers following bus deregulation in the 1980s involving council companies and private operators including Ribble Buses.

The new Blackburn Bus Company will have a fleet of new vehicles in a striking blue livery complete with the latest passenger-friendly features operating between Blackburn and Accrington,.

A new Burnley Bus Company will be created with new vehicles in the next few months as the Lancashire United brand is dropped.

The investment and rebranding is a response to the £40million Pennine Reach road improvement public Transport scheme by Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough and the Department of Transport.

The new vehicles entered service last month on the circular 6 and 7 routes, serving Blackburn, Rishton, Great Harwood, Clayton-le-Moors, Accrington, Oswaldtwistle and Intack.

The buses, built in the North of England, are equipped with superfast and free Wi-Fi, USB power points at every seat, next-stop announcements, and stylish interiors with high-back seating.

Each new bus has a ‘countdown’ destination display showing the remaining time before the bus begins its next journey.

The Blackburn Bus Company is part of the Transdev group, which runs bus services across Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Blackburn General Manager, Shaun Walmsley said: “We’re delighted with the initial reaction to these amazing new buses, as we launch our new name – The Blackburn Bus Company.

“It reflects our long and proud 85-year history of operating services from and to Blackburn since 1929, but it’s also very much about looking to the future.

“Following on from the opening of new bus stations in Blackburn and Accrington, these new buses will ensure we are supporting the area’s regeneration and providing a real alternative to the car.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council regeneration boss Phil Riley said: “We welcome any investment to support improvements in public transport.

“It is good to see old names return reflecting the heritage of East Lancashire.”

Existing ticketing arrangements across the Lancashire United and Transdev services in the county and Yorkshire remain unchanged.