NETWORK Rail closed the local rail route through Bolton at weekends a few months ago and posters were put up warning that there will be no trains until the summer.

Yet, how odd that this last weekend, the first after the Easter shutdown, that trains were running normally all weekend on the Bolton-to-Blackburn branch, to Clitheroe and also right into Manchester Victoria.

On being asked about what was happening, Northern Railway customer services told me this normal weekend service was news to them.

"But they are your trains, I protested!"

They checked and the computer said "yes", it was so, but only for that weekend, with buses back the coming one.

As to why the travelling public had not been told in advance about the resumed service last weekend so they might actually use the services, perhaps with a poster, Northern had no explanation but would "pass the suggestion on".

I am baffled as to why the town's three MPs are allowing this right royal shambles to carry on and with hardly any obvious weekend rail structure work taking place, why Network Rail has been allowed to inflict this state of affairs on the town.

Very likely the specialist engineers are busy first of all on the Preston-to-Blackpool electrification route, due to complete mid-April.

Network Rail and Northern Railway have questions to answer and the rail isolation of Bolton from other areas at the weekend is not justified for so long.

It should be the basis of a new classic Carry On film.

Simon Pearce

Bromley Cross