Kearsley: Bolton Council to call for improved train services

This comes after a meeting of the council heard how people living in Kearsley have been forced to do without Sunday services and with just one train running hourly from Monday to Saturday.

Cllr Paul Heslop, who represents the area, described the train services his community depends on as "appalling" and asked whether the council leadership would support him in calling for improvements.

He said: “I do not accept that the line is at capacity and believe there would be little or no adverse impact of squeezing an extra stop at Kearsley along with a Sunday service when there are even fewer trains.”

Kearsley Railway Station (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Heslop pointed out that a Sunday service has already been reintroduced at Farnworth and, drawing on his own experience of using the line, asked why similar increases in services could not be made at Kearsley.

He also claimed that extra carriages were needed on some of the earlier services.

Cllr Heslop said: “Whilst the introduction of a Sunday service at Farnworth is very much welcome, residents in Kearsley are still not receiving a much-needed half-hourly weekday service nor a Sunday service.

“Having recently used the 7.32am Kearsley to Salford Crescent it was absolutely clear that there is a need for additional services and until these are secured that extra carriages are provided on the 7.32am and 8.32am services.”

Bolton Town Hall (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Heslop asked if the council would agree to write to Northern Trains, Transport for Greater Manchester and the Minister of Transport to press upon them the need to improve train services in Kearlsey, just as they had done in Farnworth.

In response, council cabinet member for transport Cllr Stuart Haslam agreed to make these concerns known.

He said: “Of course I will write a further letter and will continue to lobby for train services for Kearsley as I will for all Bolton train services.”

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Cllr Haslam pointed out that evening services had recently been reintroduced for Kearsley, and that starting from December 12, Farnworth will again be served by a Sunday timetable.

But he accepted that given the district is far more "isolated" than Farnworth, more could still be done.

Cllr Haslam said: “I sincerely hope for the reintroduction of reliable train services for Kearsley and for all Bolton rail passengers.”

He added: “The case for Kearsley is just as powerful as that for Farnworth.”