Glory days of rail travel return to Bolton

Train enthusiasts gathered to watch the ex-LMS ­— London, Midland, Scottish ­— Stanier Class 5 as it pulled into Bolton Train Station.

The train, which had two locomotives to take it from Blackburn to Sheffield, was common in the North West right to the end of the stream operation in 1968. Its second locomotive 45407, later named Lancashire Fusilier proved particularly poignant in this week of remembrance.

And since the completion of the electrification of Bolton's railways, more historic trains are set to stop or pull through the town centre train station including in the very near future The Flying Scotsman recreating the heyday of steam travel.

Electrification work started last year to make ready the rail lines for electrical trains, which are more environmentally friendly and can be made longer and faster than a lot of the current diesel-powered stock.

Professor Paul Salveson, chair of the Bolton Station Community Partnership and author of The Settle-Carlisle Railway, said: "Now the electrification work is complete, there will be quite a few steam trains coming through Bolton.

"The Flying Scotsman will be coming through in the coming months."

He added: "Seeing and travelling on a steam train is a fantastic experience, it is special.

"Some trains will just travel through Bolton, but the Flying Scotsman will stop so people have travel on it from here and experience it.

"People do turn out to see these trains, there have been incidents­— not in Bolton ­— but other areas where people have gone on to the tracks to get a better picture, but trespassing like that is extremely dangerous and sets a bad example to children."

Having stream trains travelling through Bolton could, it is said, boost tourism as travellers catch a glimpse of the beautiful countryside and the history of the town.

The Flying Scotsman ­— the world's most famous steam train ­— will be coming through on December 18.