Work is finally set to begin soon on upgrading a Bolton train station that was given a slice of £300million funding nearly five years ago.

Daisy Hill Railway Station was awarded the funding as part of the Access for All scheme, which aims to make train stations more accessible for people with disabilities.

Bolton West MP Chris Green says he helped secure the money in April 2019 and that he will be glad to see the work start soon despite the delay.

He said: “I worked with the Minister to ensure that Daisy Hill Railway Station received the funding for improved accessibility, and I was delighted when I secured it.

“It is so important that our railway network is accessible for everyone and, despite the longer delay, I am looking forward to seeing the work progress over the coming months.”

The Bolton News: Bolton West MP Chris GreenBolton West MP Chris Green (Image: Office of Chris Green MP)

The upgrade has been long anticipated at Daisy Hill Station.

Last July, Cllr Deirdre McGeown, of Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill, and Cllr David Wilkinson, of Westhoughton South, spoke out about the difficulties disabled people were facing.

They said that disabled access was essential at the station but they were concerned about the apparent delays in carrying out upgrades.

Now, Mr Green says that he raised the train station issue over many years with the government after people in his area spoke out about how important accessing public transport was to them.

But he says when funding was granted for the Daisy Hill upgrade in 2019 he did not publicise this because the Department for Transport had not been able to confirm the date work would start.

A letter to Mr Green from the then parliamentary under-secretary of state for aviation and maritime Nusrat Ghani MP dated in April 2019 said that 73 stations had been chosen from across the country.

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But it said that at the time work was expected to be finished by the end of March this year, which will now take several months longer.

The letter said: “We received more than 300 nominations from the rail industry for funding to deliver these improvements and I am pleased to announce that Daisy Hill Station in your constituency is set to be upgraded.

“These stations will, subject to a feasibility design being possible, receive an accessible route into the station as well as to and between every platform.

“All work at the stations is due to be completed by the end of March 2024.”  

According to Mr Green, work is now set to be finished by December this year.