A MINISTER has claimed railworks in Bolton are running on time — despite being a month behind schedule.

Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin told Parliament that Farnworth Tunnel has "had problems" but added that it has now been completed — even though the work that should have finished on October 4 is ongoing.

Mr McLoughlin spoke in Parliament last Thursday after Bury North MP David Nuttall raised the issue.

Mr Nuttall told Parliament: "Passengers travelling between Bolton and Manchester are frequently squashed like sardines on that line.

"Will Mr McLoughlin update the House on how engineering works on the line are coming on, and particularly the re-boring of the tunnel at Farnworth?"

Mr McLoughlin said: "My honourable friend is right about what we need to do.

"Farnworth Tunnel has had problems but it has now been completed, and that will help to increase capacity on the line.

"The changes and increased capacity that my honourable friend rightly wants for his area will take place, and I pay tribute to all those who have worked tirelessly on the Farnworth tunnel, which is now running on time."

Mr Nuttall told The Bolton News that he thought Mr McLoughlin had not got his facts wrong, but perhaps did not explain his point clearly, pointing out that the tunnel boring was complete but the project itself is not.

Mr Nuttall said: "Clearly, the work is not running on time as it is already behind schedule, but it seems to be a case of being slightly unclear rather than misleading."

Mr Nuttall said rail passengers will be more interested in learning that the work finish soon.

Bolton Rail User Group chairman Jeff Davies, who said: "What the minister said was not the central issue.

"What matters most is that the boring is finished. There is still a great deal of work to do and hopefully it will be done before the end of the year."

The scheme had originally been planned to be completed by early October but poor ground conditions forced Network Rail to push that date back by about 10 weeks.

Network Rail said completing the final stages of the project will require a 'short closure' of the entire railway and dates and information on this are set to be confirmed soon.

Once the final stages are complete then the rail timetable will return to normal.

However, electric trains will not run on the line until later next year or possibly 2017.