A BOLTON multiple sclerosis sufferer had to cling to a handrail to save his life when a sliding door suddenly opened on an overcrowded train.

David Bird, aged 51, lost his balance in the packed train carriage and fell against the train door -- which opened six to eight inches.

And yesterday his horrific train journey was highlighted in Parliament.

Mr Bird, of Ramwells Brow, Horwich, believes a child could easily have slipped through the gap. He said that he told a rail guard who placed a sticker over the door, but the very next day, Mr Bird said the same train was still operating.

Mr Bird said: "I was on board the Bolton to Salford Crescent train when it had to make an additional stop at Kearsley station. The train was already overcrowded but had to make the extra stop because of a cancellation earlier.

"I was stood in the vestibule because the carriages were full. I suffer with MS and as the train pulled away from the station I felt myself swing against the door and it started to open. "I grabbed the handrail and managed to hang on. It was a terrible situation to be in.

"The mechanism in these trains is that when the doors slide open it activates the brakes. But how far each door slides before this happens varies, and there is not much comfort in the train braking after you have fallen from it.

"I reported what happened to the guard and two labels saying 'out of use' were stuck on. The next day the same train was operating, and the stickers had been removed.

"Since, I have noticed most doors on these units do not slide open, but some do, to varying degrees. This one opened six to eight inches and a small child could have got through that gap.

"It was quite frightening. But of course, if trains were not so overcrowded the problem would not occur."

Mr Bird's plight was raised by Bolton South East MP Brian Iddon during a Commons debate on Bolton's "Cattle Truck" trains.

Dr Iddon told the Prime Minister: "I make no apology for returning to the question of rail safety because commuters are travelling out of Bolton Trinity Street station on extremely overcrowded trains in what many people regard as unsafe conditions.

"Since the original franchises were let by the previous administration, with cost-cutting in mind, is not re-franchising an urgent necessity to improve the comfort and, especially, the safety of passengers?"

Mr Blair replied: "These are decisions that have to be taken in respect of each franchise.

"You are right in what you say about the mess of privatisation that we inherited, but every bit as difficult as that -- in fact possibly more so -- was the chronic under investment over a period of years.

"We have a simple choice in this country: if we want better public services, we have to invest in them and modernise them." That is the choice.

"We cannot carry on thinking that we can get decent public services -- whether it be transport, schools, hospitals or police back on the beat -- unless we are prepared to make that financial commitment. That is why, on our side, we are prepared to make the commitment and the Conservative side wants to cut it."