SO today is the day that the poorest train-users in Bolton begin to suffer.

That is according to Arthur Kaddu, Bolton Students’ Union president, who was shocked when I told him what Northern Rail had in store for rail passengers.

As of today, off-peak tickets, sold after 9.30am on weekdays, will not be valid between 4pm and 6.30pm. That means people with those tickets will either have to pay the peak fare or wait until 6.30pm to travel home.

Of course, the same applies to people who are starting their journeys.

Mr Kaddu’s concern was that many University of Bolton students have evening jobs and childcare commitments which mean they simply have to travel during this new evening peak time.

Cllr David Chadwick, Bolton Council’s transport representative, and Greater Manchester Transport Campaign, which lobbies on behalf of passengers, share similar views.

Taking an example of a passenger who travels between Manchester and Bolton, they will now have to pay £6.30 for a return ticket — £2.40 more than before.

A student travelling on that route daily over an eight-month academic year would have to fork out £384 extra, and it also hits job-seekers, shift workers and most leisure passengers.

As if that is not bad enough, a cheap evening ticket, which is a quarter of the peak fare, has, from today, been scrapped all together.

It was introduced to help bars in town and city centres pick up extra trade between 6.30pm and 9pm.

Northern Rail bosses, which made the decisions, claims the Government had forced their hand amid claims the service already loses too much money. But that will be little consolation to passengers affected by today’s changes.