Thrill-seekers in Sheffield looking for a day out a bit further afield will soon be able to travel directly from Sheffield to Alton Towers by bus.

The X71 will run between Sheffield Interchange and the Staffordshire theme park on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holiday Mondays, from March 31 this year, taking around 1hr40m.

The new service being launched by Hulleys of Baslow will call at Chesterfield, Bakewell, Monyash and Hartington.

Within Sheffield, it will also stop at Heeley Retail Park, Woodseats Library, and The Norton in Meadowhead.

placeholder image — A logo sits on a sign outside the entrance to the Alton Towers theme park, operated by Merlin Entertainments, in Staffordshire, central England on August 27, 2015. A total of 16 people required medical attention after the rollercoaster carriage they were in hit an empty carriage on The Smiler ride at Alton Towers, in central England, on June 2, 2015. AFP PHOTO/PAUL ELLIS (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) | JPIMedia

On Saturdays, it will leave Sheffield at 8.40am and arrive at Alton Towers at 10.22am, with the return journey leaving at 5.24pm and arriving at 7.05pm.

On Sundays and bank holiday Mondays, it will depart from Sheffield at 8.40am and return from Alton Towers at 5.24pm.

A return ticket will cost £12, or £40 for four people.

For more information, visit www.hulleys-of-baslow.co.uk.