AN MP has blasted train operators for the lack of buses available to replace trains at a Bolton station.

Sir David Crausby said the situation at Bromley Cross railway station "makes no sense" and criticised the use of single hourly bus services to replace trains, which usually pass through the station every half hour.

The problems came on the first working day of nine-day period of cancelled trains through Bolton, as part of a national upgrade scheme between Preston and Manchester.

The Bolton North East MP said he had received complaints from constituents who were "left behind" by buses in the morning and had to find alternative routes to work.

He said: "Replacing a three carriage service every half an hour with a single coach per hour makes no sense. Northern have let down Bromley Cross, Hall i'th'Wood and Bolton passengers this morning.

"Ive written to Northern to ask for urgent action to add extra buses for the rest of the week."

In response, Raj Chandarana, Northern stakeholder manager for Greater Manchester and Cheshire, said the problems had likely been caused by miscommunication between staff and commuters.

He explained that the company had planned single buses to visit each Bolton station hourly to collect passengers, with between four and five other vehicles "on standby" to collect passengers who were unable to fit on the initial services.

Adding: "My operations colleagues advise me that there were no incidents of this system not working this morning.

"The likely reason for some of your constituents thinking they would have to wait a further hour might be that this information was not communicated to them by either on the ground staff or, where there are no addition personnel, other passengers waiting for an additional bus to arrive."

Mr Chandarana however, admitted to the MP that further buses are planned at peak times in Bolton through the rest of the work.

He said transport would now come in the form of two double decker buses, with a further two or three on standby, the company claims this would account for around 150 seats in each convoy.

Trains will return to Bolton on Monday, September 3, at which point engineers hope to have completed a large quantity of the work necessary to upgrade the railway lines.

However, buses will continue to replace rail services on weekends until November 4, when delayed electrification is expected to have been completed by Network Rail.

Travellers who are having trouble with the replacement bus system are advised to speak to station staff or contact Northern directly by calling 0800 2006060 or via the Twitter account @northernassist.