TRAIN stations in Bolton have seen record low passenger figures in the Covid hit year.

The statistics were yesterday revealed by the The Office of Rail and Road for the 2020/21 year and saw every station in Bolton see passenger decreases of at least 58 per cent, with the majority above 70 per cent.

Bolton Station saw passenger numbers drop by 74 per cent, with the station recording less than a million journeys at 865,704, down from 3,262,460 a year earlier.

Office of Rail and Road director of planning and performance Feras Alshaker said: "Throughout 2020-21 the railways remained an essential service for those people who needed to travel during a year which was impacted by the pandemic.

"This year we have seen many railway stations with very few passenger entries and exits. However, we know that recent figures show leisure journeys are nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, while there has been a slower increase in commuter journeys."

Only one other station in the area recorded more than 100,00 entries and exits.

Horwich Parkway received 103,876 passengers, down a massive 85 per cent from the 2019/20 figure of 673,470.

The biggest decrease in the region was seen at Blackrod, where passenger journeys decreased by a mammoth 92 per cent from 606,246 to only 51,754.

A contributing factor for Blackrod was due to the pandemic the station saw no trains stop between the end of July and early September 2021.

The least used station in the area was Kearsley, with only 12,940 people passing through the station.

The low passenger numbers were a common theme throughout the country, as nationally passenger numbers decreased by 78%, the lowest level of rail journeys across Britain since at least before 1872 according to the ORR.

The statistics were expected to be record low numbers, with lockdown restrictions and working from home advice meaning commuting journeys were kept to a minimum.