A UNIQUE exhibition has launched at Bolton station to showcase the art of railway workers down the years.

Bolton Station Community Partnership is hosting the exhibit at its platform five gallery on Bolton Station. 'Routed – an exhibition of railway workers’ art' displays the work of active and retired railway employees and is the only show of its kind in the UK.

It includes paintings and photographs by five artists and runs until Saturday, August 28, culminating in the first-ever Station Mela, which will feature stalls and music. The exhibition is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 4pm and admission is free.

Barrier staff will let visitors through the gates on request.

Curator Julie Levy said: “We’re really excited to host this latest exhibition, building on the success of the first-ever Railway Workers’ Art exhibition in 2019.”

The show features the work of Nigel Valentine, Susan Skully, Richard Hall, Josh Watkins and Paul Salveson.

The subject matter is largely but not exclusively rail-related. Some of the photographs were taken in the Bolton area and include images of railwaymen at work.

The paintings of railway manager Josh Watkins feature scenes from the Welsh narrow-gauge railways, while Richard Hall’s paintings include a dream-like scene at the former Mop pub in Halliwell.

Northern employee Nigel Valentine displays a stunning photo of a German steam loco on the Harz system.

Julie added: “It’s a great show and follows on from our last exhibition featuring Bolton artists including Julia Uttley and Dave Burnham.

“People really like the cosy atmosphere of the gallery and everyone can be assured of a friendly welcome”

Retired railway worker Paul Salvespn is a former signalman in Bolton, who started his career at Horwich Loco Works

He has several of his photos on show. He said: “It’s nice to be able to show some of these photos, which date back to the late 60s in some cases, for the first time.

“Some of my pictures feature railway workers themselves, like Fred Arrowsmith, of Bolton, and Kenny Whittle, a driver at Astley Green Colliery in the late 60s.”