ALMOST a year after the Government pledged to make a Bolton railway station more accessible, passengers are still waiting for action.

Daisy Hill station has been unfit for passengers with access needs. The platforms can only be reached by a flight of stairs, and train users have been sharing their frustration about the problem for years.

In April last year, Access for All funding from the Government was secured for the station, with suggestions that a lift could be installed. Transport for Greater Manchester, Network Rail and Northern Rail were to be working on the project.

But councillors in Daisy Hill have voiced concerns that work has yet to begin, being told by TfGM that it could be 2024 before any changes are seen at the station.

Westhoughton councillors David Wilkinson and Deirdre McGeown said: “Totally unsatisfactory. Another possible four years when people have had to wait years.”

The regional transport group says that the designs are still in the early stages.

A TfGM spokesman said: “We are involved with the scheme at Daisy Hill, along with Northern and Network Rail. Transport for Greater Manchester was pleased to secure Access for All funding for Daisy Hill and Irlam stations last year, and we want to see improvements for passengers at these stations as soon as possible.

“As part of the process to progress these projects, Network Rail uses GRIP (Governance for Railway Investment Projects), which divides a project into eight distinct stages.

“At the end of last year, the Department for Transport approved GRIP 3 design for Daisy Hill station, which includes the recommendation of an outline design. TfGM is now going through procurement to finalise the design up to GRIP 5 – which provides definitive costs, times and resources for the project."

The councillors are urging the transport bosses to speed up, saying: “It is just typical of the lack of can-do attitude from Transport for Greater Manchester and Network Rail."