A NEW bus service from Christchurch to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital will launch early next month.

Yellow Buses’ new service, the 2h, will run from Two Riversmeet Centre at 7.17am, arriving at the hospital for 7.43am before travelling onto Jewell Academy and Castlepoint.

The return service will leave Castlepoint at 6pm and 7.34pm, arriving at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital at 6.14pm and 7.41pm, and its final destination at Two Riversmeet Centre at 6.25pm and 7.55pm.

It begins running on April 8.

Simon Newport of the bus company said: “The new service is a result of our partnership with the hospital.

“We know there are people catching the 1a from Christchurch and changing onto a 2 at Iford which takes them to the hospital.

“The 2h does the same route but without the need to change.”

A series of changes will come into effect on April 7 in time for the Easter holidays.

Route 1a will be extended from Sainsbury’s at Somerford at Highcliffe and New Milton.

In New Milton the route will provide a regular link to the Tesco store throughout the day Monday to Saturday.

Customers can also use the 1a to provide transport links to Bournemouth and Boscombe.

Buses will run direct every hours along Lymington Road to provide a new link for Highcliffe residents to Sainsbury’s and Stewarts Garden Centre.

Route 6 is to be extended from Bearwood to Wimborne via Magna Road and Merley. It will run every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday from around 7am until 7pm.

Route 7 will be transformed into ‘Buster’s Beach Bus’ this summer, running hourly from Sandbanks to Boscombe via Branksome Chine, Alum Chine, Westbourne, East Cliff and Boscombe Pier from Sunday, April 7.

The service ramps up further from May 25 and will run every 30 minutes until September, when it will then drop back to every hour.

Single and return fares will still be charged on this service for adults, children and groups and it also remains part of the concessionary scheme.

Full details of the new service, and other changes from April 7, can be found on Yellow Buses’ website at yellowbuses.co.uk