THE people of Upton have received another boost in the bus route saga as the weekend service has been extended to Tunnel Hill.

Residents of the area can catch a ride from Worcester on Friday and Saturday nights, after a successful application from Upton Town Council, with the new timetable coming into effect on April 12.

The 362 and 364 buses, run by First, currently stop in the town centre of Upton then turn back to Worcester, leaving residents of Tunnel Hill with at least a 15 minute walk.

Town councillor Les Roberts, said: "I am pleased with the outcome, I think it's vital people in Tunnel Hill are served with a bus route on the weekend, so their journey home is safer and easier.

"It's another small victory for the town in securing this extension, but there is a lot of work yet to be done."

Cllr Les Roberts says he is hoping to get the extension to Tunnel Hill added to routes on other nights of the week too.

First will run the weekend service on a commercial basis, so no subsidiary to fund it is needed.

The two weekend routes were secured in August last year, after the £1,000 cost was met by Upton Town Council, parishes Ripple and Severn Stoke and a £500 payout from county councillor Roger Sutton's divisional fund.

It was agreed a review into the demand of the service would be made after six months, and 56 days had to be given before the extension application could be made.

It's been quite the turn-around for the town, which in November 2013 faced the prospect of all bus routes being axed, leading to fears the town would be cut off after it emerged the county council were considering scrapping a £3 million taxpayer's subsidy for public transport in an effort to save £98 million by 2017.

As well as parish councils and the town council placing money on the table to keep bus services alive through the town, a 2, 000 name petition was handed into the county council signed by residents.

Cllr Les Roberts says the turn-around has been great.

"This extension is another step forward in what has been quite a long battle for buses to remain serving our town. "It's an important issue.

"Considering the situation in November with all the cuts we were faced with, it's been a long but great battle to get here" he said.

The buses will travel via Kempsey, Severn Stoke, Kinnersley and Ryall before reaching Upton, up to Tunnel Hill, and take the same route back to Worcester.

The latest buses into Upton high street are set to arrive at 10.58pm, then undertake the three minute drive to Tunnel Hill.