A MAN has died after being hit by a train in Bolton this morning, causing rush-hour delays for rail commuters.

The British Transport Police received reports shortly before 7am that someone had been hit by a train at Moor Lane tunnel, just outside Bolton town centre, on the Horwich-bound side of the tracks.

Greater Manchester Police and the North West Ambulance Service also attended the incident and a BTP spokesman confirmed that a man had died at the scene.

All lines between Bolton and Preston were blocked while emergency services dealt with the incident.

The trains between Preston and Bolton were up and running again by 8.50am, although there were delays on some routes.

A Northern Rail spokesman said the line towards Manchester reopened at 8.10am and the line in the opposite direction was reopened 10 minutes later.

Replacement bus services were being used.

Ben Haydock, aged 22, from Chorley, was travelling to work as an accounts manager in Manchester.

He said: “It’s shocking. You can’t really complain about the commute when there are bigger things in the world than being late for work on one day.”

System engineer Gareth Evans, aged 52, from Farnworth, was also travelling to Manchester.

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He said: “It just makes you think. I’m worried that it’s becoming a fact of life that people are that desperate that they would do something like this.”

Manju Ghosh, a retired woman from Lostock, added: “It so sad and my thoughts are very much with the family at this moment. You can’t complain about delays because of incidents like this.”

A British Transport Police spokesman said: “We were called shortly before 7am following reports of a person being struck by a train at Moor Lane tunnel, West Portal, Bolton.

“Our officers are currently on scene, alongside colleagues from Greater Manchester Police and North West Ambulance Service, and have discovered the body of a man who appears to have been struck and killed by a train.

“At this stage the incident is not being treated as suspicious and we are now working to determine the identity of the deceased.

"Once this has been achieved a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

The train involved was the 6.36am Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness service.