Media centre

Thursday 3 Feb 2022

Railway upgrades to affect weekend journeys into Greater Manchester

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Passengers are being advised about changes to weekend journeys between Bolton and Manchester while Network Rail improves the railway this month.

Track is being upgraded between Bolton, Salford Crescent and Manchester Victoria in February as part of the Great North Rail Project.

The £3.1m investment involves renewing switches and crossings which are moveable sections of track allowing trains to move from one track to another. The essential work will mean smoother and more reliable journeys for passengers in the North West.

The work will be carried out each Saturday and Sunday in February and the first weekend of March 2022. Trains won’t be able to run while the work is being carried out. To keep people on the move rail replacement buses will be in operation throughout the work.*

Journeys will take longer and passengers are urged to check www.nationalrail.co.uk so they know exactly what to expect during the improvements.

Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director, said: “These important track improvements between Bolton, Salford Crescent and Manchester Victoria will mean more reliable journeys for passengers and freight.

“I’d urge anyone planning to travel into Manchester through Wigan and Bolton in February to check National Rail Enquiries to plan their journeys. I’d also like to thank passengers and local people in advance for their patience.”

Train operators Northern and TransPennine Express are running amended timetables during the work.

Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, said: "The work being carried out by Network Rail is vital and will provide our customers with an even more reliable railway.

“To allow track upgrades to take place between Bolton and Manchester, we will be running bus replacement services on weekends until early March and are asking passengers to check the details of their journey on www.nationalrail.co.uk before they travel.

“We will continue to work closely with our colleagues across the rail industry to minimise the impact on our customers and I’d like to thank them in advance for their patience and understanding while the work is completed.”

A spokesperson for TransPennine Express said, “Whilst track improvements take place between Bolton, Salford Crescent and Manchester Victoria, we will be running an amended table each Saturday and Sunday throughout February for our services between Manchester Airport and Glasgow and Manchester Airport and Edinburgh. Passengers are advised to check the latest travel updates for services on the weekend on our website;  www.tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/changes-to-train-times updates will also be available on our social media channels.”

Passengers are also being informed about the replacement of a bridge in Westhoughton on Sunday 20 February to make way for overhead lines which will power greener and more reliable electric trains between Wigan and Manchester via Bolton.

For more information visit: Powering ahead: bridge upgrade for Wigan to Bolton electrification (networkrailmediacentre.co.uk)