Rail relief for long-suffering Bolton commuters

Railway services between Manchester and Bolton were restored today (Wednesday, September 6) bringing relief for thousands of commuters.

Bolton station was closed for the last two weeks in August for work on the Great North Rail Project and was originally scheduled to reopen following on the Bank Holiday of August 28.

However, the Moses Gate railway bridge near Bolton was damaged on August 17 by a burst water main forcing a long-than-planned closure of services. Emergency repairs are now complete.

Moses Gate station will be closed until later in the week while work continues to complete upgrades as part of the electrification of the line.

Andy Morgan, senior sponsor for Network Rail, said: “This has been an extremely challenging repair programme and we have been working 24/7 to get passengers moving between Bolton and Manchester.

“To repair the bridge, we have rebuilt a large section of wall which supports the bridge and make it stronger.

“We have been working at Moses Gate station to make sure it is ready for electric trains to run. However, due to the recent wet weather, it has slowed progress meaning the station will be temporarily closed until later in the week.”

Liam Sumpter, Northern regional director, said: “We look forward to welcoming customers back to Bolton from Wednesday as we restart our full train service for journeys into Manchester.

“We want to thank all of our customers for their help and understanding over the last week.”