RAIL commuters who fancy an early morning snack and hot drink will soon be able to pop into their own waiting room.

The Railway pub, in Chapeltown Road, Bromley Cross, will also be offering film shows, dance performances and a knitting club when Mike Hales begins operating it in October, following a £250,000 refurbishment.

And nearby residents who had signed a 54-name petition expressing their fears over potential late-night noise are happy to be on board now that concessions over opening times have been made.

The pub has had a chequered history and has been standing vacant for the past two years.

Prior to that, it had been a rock venue and a traditional pub.

Bolton Council’s licensing and environmental regulation committee agreed an application to vary the premises licence at a meeting on Monday. This largely related to opening and operating times.

The pub is owned by Star Pubs and Bars, and it will be run by Bolton born and bred Mike Hales, who aims to turn it into a family-friendly community hub.

Opening times will be 6am to midnight Monday to Thursday and 6am to 12.30am the rest of the week.

Alcohol will be served from 9am to 11.30pm Sunday to Thursday, and from 9am to 12.30am the rest of the week.

Nearby residents, Mr David Weatherall 71, and his wife, Shirley, 65, said they were “happy” with the outcome.

They live in Birtenshaw Crescent, which adjoins the pub, and launched a petition against the pub being open until 1.30am.

Another resident, Mr David Redman, 48, had also objected to the proposed 1.30am opening.

“I remember when it was a pub last time,” he said. “People came out and were playing loud music in the car park, shouting and waking my two young daughters up with all the noise.

“I used to have to go out and ask them to be quiet. To be fair, they were generally okay about it, but I shouldn’t have had to ask them in the first place.”

A spokesman for Star Pubs and Bars said: “We aim to create a pub that welcomes all the community, from parents and children doing the school run, to pensioners and knitting groups and to families who want a good time and a good meal.”