Sunday train services are set to return to a Bolton train station this year, but no decision has been made to bring them to another stop.

Bolton Council’s transport chief Cllr Stuart Haslam confirmed earlier this month that Farnworth Train Station will once again be able to host Sunday service from December onwards - but admitted that whether of not they also return to Kearsley Station depends on how successful this line is.

 Farnworth and Kearsley First leader Cllr Tracey Wilkson  said the lack of a Sunday service was just one of many problems people had raised.

She said: “Over 50,000 people a year use Kearsley Train Station, the majority being local Kearsley residents who for years suffered from very poor train services.”

She added: “The timetable and the lack of adherence to it both to and from Kearsley is becoming impossible for residents to work with.

“A local resident recently quoted to me, working in Manchester city, the train is a vital part of my day-to-day life, as for many in Kearsley.

“Recently the service has become atrocious, last-minute cancellations, no offered alternatives, lack of communications about what’s going on and the lack of a proper board at Kearsley is a separate issue.”

In response Cllr Haslam, council cabinet member for transport, said that he too had lobbied to bring back Sunday services at Farnworth, Kearsley and Moses Gate stations but said bringing them back at all three would depend on the success of restored Sunday services at Farnworth.

The Bolton News:

Sunday trains will be coming back to Farnworth Railway Station later this year

These were restored after a consultation on the new December timetables in which Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Transport for Greater Manchester made representations.

Cllr Haslam said: “As a result of this Farnworth will again regain a Sunday service for the first time in many, many years from the December.

“Dependent on usage of this new service provision the case may be possible to be made for Sunday services at other stations on the line and obviously Kearsley with its remoteness and unavailability for public transport should be a prime target for this.”