FRUSTRATED rail commuters could soon have something to shout about - thanks to the Bolton Evening News.

A dossier of BEN articles highlighting "cattle truck" conditions on Bolton's trains will be submitted to rail chiefs.

The reports will be used as part of an official application to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) by train company First North Western in a bid to secure more services.

The company is pleading for government cash to put more trains on routes from Bolton to Manchester.

And bosses hope the BEN's evidence, including exclusive pictures capturing passengers' disgust on overcrowded rush-hour trains, will help persuade rail chiefs extra services are needed.

Paul Bunting, First North Western Commercial Director, said today: "We are very much aware of the overcrowding that has occurred on the Preston to Manchester corridor. As such we are currently compiling all the information in a bid to receive extra funding from the government to use on peak services, some of which will be deployed in Bolton.

"We are aware of the coverage in the Bolton Evening News regarding this situation and would like to use this as supporting material when a detailed document in support of this bid is produced."

It is also thought that even more trains will be called for to cater for the hundreds of commuters expected to travel to next year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

The BEN has repeatedly campaigned for carriage conditions to be improved. Peak-time commuters have said extra services will increase their comfort and security.

Concerns have also been raised in Parliament by Bolton's three MPs, David Crausby, Dr Brian Iddon and Ruth Kelly.

A BEN survey of "crush hour" conditions conducted last year revealed that a 8.11am Bolton to Manchester Victoria train carried a third more passengers than it had seats for.

Later the same day, 80 passengers were forced to stand on a 3.47pm Bolton to Preston train.

The BEN also revealed how multiple sclerosis sufferer 51-year-old David Bird of Ramwell's Brow, Horwich, had to grab a handrail in a packed carriage when he fell against a sliding door which suddenly opened in front of him.

Mr Bird said at the time: "It was quite frightening. But of course, if trains were not so overcrowded the problem would not occur."

Railway watchdog the Rail Passengers Committee (RPC) launched an investigation after the BEN's survey. They concluded extra spaces on Bolton's carriages were needed.

But commuters were then warned to expect five more years of misery in a Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) analysis obtained by the BEN.

The GMPTE report said new rolling stock being introduced by First North Western will only be enough to replace 30-year-old diesel units rather than bolstering busy services.

The report stated: "The new northern franchise, together with a programme of capital investment through the Local Transport Plan, will improve matters but this could take up to three to five years for benefits to start to filter through."