A NEW £6 million bus depot in Bolton has been hailed as a "great boost" to the region's public transport services.

First Manchester's state-of-the-art Weston Street depot provides space for 200 buses with custom designed engineering bays and a body repair and paint shop.

It boasts some of the most modern and innovative facilities in Europe with two high-tech bus washes and a chassis wash and a revolving two-storey carousel in the stores area to make selecting parts easier.

The seven-acre site has been purpose built with room for expansion, which bosses of the First bus company say highlights their commitment to enhancing bus services in Bolton and West Manchester.

It replaces First's previous facility on Crook Street which has served as the company's base of operations since the 1970s.

The depot incorporates the company's driver and engineer training arm, to allow better communication between all working divisions of the company.

More than 70 engineering staff and 100 drivers will work from the new base.

Simon Bennett, First's managing director for services in Manchester West, said: "It provides us with a host of advantages including more vehicle marshalling and parking space than we had at Crook Street.

"This will be a tremendous benefit, particularly in ensuring the efficiency of the early morning turn out of buses.

"We'll have more flexibility to park buses in the order they're needed for the next day, which will help us better plan the turn out and hence service reliability for our customers."

The Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Cliff Morris, was on hand to open the new facility, unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion. He said the depot would be a "great boost" to local bus services, adding: "It is great that we are keeping this type of facility in our own town.

"The company is a major employer in Bolton and it will be a wonderful development for the region's transport. First are looking to the future with plans for expansion which can only benefit Bolton's bus services."

Since 1999 First, which carries 120 million passengers in the North West each year, has invested £35 million in improving the region's vehicle fleet.