Latest figures show Bolton’s railways have gone from bad to worse with four of the "UK’s worst five stations" falling in the area. In the four weeks leading up to June 13, Kearsley, Moses Gate, Blackrod and Farnworth all feature in ranking website's Ontimetrains' five "worst of all stations list". All four of the stations are on the Preston-Manchester line, but Blackrod usually serves the Blackpool North-Manchester Airport service which passes through the other three stations.
The Bolton News revealed last month that Kearsley ranked as the country’s "worst performing station" with 81 per cent of stopping trains delayed or cancelled - but at that time only one other Bolton station joined it in the bottom five. Fresh figures provide the station’s commuters with even more misery, 82 per cent of services at the "UK’s worst train station" are now delayed or cancelled – in the 28 days leading to May 13. On June 3 only five per cent of Kearley’s trains arrived on time.
Lostock, Horwich Parkway, Westhoughton and Bolton stations are all in the bottom 15 "worst performing", with 13 of them Northern Rail-operated stations. Bolton train station remains the worst of the "top 500 busiest in the UK" - according to the site - with only 30 per cent of its 8,006 daily passengers arriving in the town on time. Labour Cllr Akhtar Zaman, executive cabinet member for regeneration, said: "Obviously this is very worrying.
"Delayed trains do not help our residents and their everyday acti.