IF there’s one thing that urgently needs to change in 2017 it is the Bolton to Manchester train service.

Hundreds of people use it daily during the working week, paying above-inflation amounts for season tickets or just daily fares.

Yet it continues to be a regular crush with insufficient carriages leading to standing, frustrated passengers.

Staff must feel totally impotent to help – on one trip recently one staff member urged passengers to write to Network Rail to complain, and it’s the least we can do to get things moving.

Commuters deserve a better service, and the region desperately needs it.