COMMUTERS had the chance to find out more about a project that will see Bolton train station closed at weekends for five months.

On Monday morning, representatives from Network Rail, Northern Rail and First TransPennine Express were on hand during rush hour to chat to passengers.

An ambitious £1 billion electrification project – which transport bosses say will eventually bring faster trains with more seats through Bolton – means the town’s main train station will be closed at weekends between May 2 and October 4.

Three other stations in the borough, Moses Gate, Farnworth and Kearsley, will be closed completely while work is carried out on Farnworth Tunnel.

There will be eight fewer trains running through Bolton every hour on weekdays, none at weekends and no trains running through Farnworth Tunnel after 10pm.

While the station is closed, Northern Rail will provide rail replacement buses at the weekends between Manchester, Preston, Blackburn and Wigan, via Bolton.

From Moses Gate, Farnworth, Kearsley and Clifton there will be a Saturday service only.

Kathryn O’Brien, customer service director at First TransPennine Express, said: “This is really a chance for passengers to find out ‘what does it mean for me’ and get some detail about what is going to be happening in terms of the changes to train times.

“From people we have spoken to, there seems to be a general understanding that this work needs to be done.

“The investment of more than £1 billion in the railway to electrify the north of England is a complex engineering challenge.”

But Sarah Atcha, of Markland Hill, commutes from Bolton station to Salford every day and said the changes could be a “nightmare” for her journey to work.

The 46-year-old NHS employment services manager said: “Recently the service has been really bad because the trains are absolutely packed. If they reduce the service then it will be even worse.

“The reason why I travel by train is to save time and make it easier than sitting in traffic – there is not really an alternative – but this is going to be a bit of a nightmare.”

Chris Briscoe, aged 40, from Little Lever, is currently on a training course in Manchester city centre and travels there by train often.

He said: “I knew changes were happening, but I didn’t know the specific details about the Farnworth tunnel.

“I guess it just means getting to the station a bit earlier to make sure I get into Manchester on time, I have to be there for 10.

“If I need to get up half an hour earlier I need to get up half an hour earlier – it is not the end of the world.”

Similar events are being held at Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria, Chorley, Preston and Blackburn stations.

Bosses will be on hand at Hindley station on Thursday between 8am and 11am and at Farnworth on Friday between 8am and 9am.