A MAJOR expansion of a Bolton train station begins today.

Work is due to get under way to add an extra 90 new car parking spaces at Horwich Parkway.

The £510,000 Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) scheme has been part-funded with £221,000 from the national Station Commercial Project Facility Fund.

The additional spaces are expected to open by the end of the year, and will bring the total number of parking spaces to more than 250.

The works will be delivered and managed by Bolton Council on TfGM’s behalf, and will also include some landscaping, environmentally friendly drainage, and a safe pedestrian route to the station. TfGM said all areas will be brightly lit to boost security, while TfGM will extend its CCTV network to cover the new spaces as well as the station’s bike lockers. Contractors moved on to the site on Monday with work due to begin in earnest today, Wednesday.

Cllr David Chadwick, Bolton Council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “It is been obvious that the demand for parking at Horwich Parkway has outstripped the available spaces.

“This new initiative is excellent news for the travelling public and will continue to make travelling into Manchester by train a very attractive proposition.”

As construction progresses, TfGM said some parking spaces will be unavailable. The work is expected to take about 10 weeks to complete.

A spokesman for TfGM said: “Disruption will be kept to a minimum and TfGM thanks drivers for their patience during the works.”

The station opened in 1999 and is the only station in Greater Manchester owned by TfGM.