A HUGE £24m overhaul of the public transport system in Worcestershire is in line for the next five years.

The plans involve a vast expansion of the park-and-ride system and a proposed Worcester to Birmingham coach service designed to be as convenient as the London to Oxford tube.

New park and ride hubs will be built at Whittington, West Worcester and Wor-cester Rugby Club as part of a massive extension of the system.

By 2011, users will be able to park their car and access St John's, the city centre, Worcester rail stations, Worcestershire Royal Hos-pital and Shires Business Park by bus. Six buses will leave each park and ride hub every hour.

Chief Executive Rob Sykes said: "There was a time when we felt all we were doing was reducing bus routes, now it's about doing something imaginative."

There will also be a bus link to County Hall and Spetchley Road from the hubs.

The authority will spend at least £4m every year on the project up until 2011.

Worcester Rugby Club will also act as the base for National Express coaches that currently operate from the M5.

Funding for the park-and- ride service is in place and comes as part of a detailed local transport plan.

The idea of a coach service from Worcester to Birmingham, with food and drink services provided at the rugby club, is still being discussed.

The service would be similar to the Oxford-London tube train service but based on a coach system.

Cabinet member for finance Coun Adrian Hardman said: "The funding is in place, we are just waiting for Advantage West Midlands to firm up their contributions.

"The coach service to Birmingham is still being discussed, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. We are talking to Worcester and Birmingham bus companies about it."

The park-and-ride service at Perdiswell diverts 2,500 cars away from the city each week.

Car drivers park their car at the site and jump on buses to complete their journey.

The county council has already agreed to provide free travel for over 60s throughout the whole of Worcestershire on Worcester Express buses from Saturday, April 1.