Bolton

How the public transport investment would affect Bolton

Bolton’s new bus station would be located adjacent to the existing rail station for easy access and would be delivered sooner then previously planned, as part of the transport investment proposals. There would also be improvements to bus and rail services and facilities, and cycling routes. Improvements would be made to the road network to benefit public transport such as new bus priority measures and junction upgrades.

Rail Improvement

TIF proposes:

extra seats on peak time services would be provided to reduce overcrowding
platforms would be lengthened to accommodate longer trains
an earlier train from Clitheroe to Manchester via Bolton in the mornings would help ease overcrowding
Bolton station would undergo extensive improvements
two additional platforms would be built at Lostock station for services between Wigan and Manchester city centre
there would be improved passenger facilities at Hall i’th’ Wood, Bromley Cross, Lostock, Blackrod and Westhougton stations

There would also be additional rail carriages for services across Greater Manchester to allow more journeys to be made every day with capacity for an additional 2,950 passengers in the three-hour morningpeak period. This is as well as the additional capacity for 4,100 passengers in the three-hour morning-peak, which would be funded by the Government without TIF.

Bus improvements

Examples of proposed changes to buses in the Bolton district include:

the existing Bolton–Manchester service via the A666 enhanced to provide a new Bolton–Farnworth–Kearsley–Manchester–Manchester Royal Infirmary rapid transit bus service. The route would feature high levels of bus priority for a fast reliable service into the heart of Manchester including the universities and Manchester Children’s Hospital
it would operate every seven to eight minutes during the daytime (every 10 minutes on Sundays and every 20 minutes in the evenings) using new, high quality vehicles
the existing Bolton–Bury–Rochdale and Bolton–Westhoughton–Wigan services increased to operate every seven to eight minutes in the daytime (every 20 minutes on Sundays and every 30 minutes in the evenings)
the peak-time frequency of the existing Bolton–Little Lever–Radcliffe–Bury service would be increased to every seven to eight minutes (every 20 minutes on Sundays and every 30 minutes in the evenings)
the frequency of the existing Bolton–Markland Hill–Middlebrook–Horwich and Leigh–Westhoughton–Middlebrook–Horwich–Wigan services would be doubled to every 30 minutes in the daytime, and a new evening and Sunday service introduced between Bolton and Middlebrook

180 Yellow School Buses would be introduced across Greater Manchester providing customised services to schools, with seats allocated to pupils and drivers dedicated to the service.

These are some examples of the bus service improvements Bolton would get. Greater Manchester would see an overall increase of 10% to bus services with more services starting earlier, running later and at weekends.

Park and Ride

The TIF proposals would double the existing number of Park and Ride spaces serving Greater Manchester. Money has already been dedicated to this and positive feedback in the recent consultation has resulted in additional funds being set aside in re-allocated Local Transport Plan budgets for further sites across the region – funds that might have been invested elsewhere without TIF.

Park and Ride facilities at Horwich Parkway would be expanded.

Cycling

Improvements for cyclists with 125 miles of cycle routes and cycle parking across Greater Manchester and cycle hire schemes in Manchester and Stockport. Cycle routes planned for Bolton include:

a high quality route along the former Bolton-Bury rail line offering a safer and more attractive environment for cyclists

The route would link Little Lever, southern Breightmet and Darcy Lever to Bolton station.

Metrolink

Bolton residents will be able to access the enhanced Greater Manchester Metrolink network.

Metrolink would be extended as far as East Didsbury, Manchester Airport, Oldham and Rochdale town centres, and Ashton-under-Lyne, with an additional line across Manchester city centre. Funding has been earmarked for a line to the Trafford Centre via Trafford Park.

Trams would have the capacity to carry 30,000 extra passengers in each of the morning and evening peak periods. With the already funded expansion of the system, as well as TIF, the network would be three times larger than its current size across Greater Manchester. TIF will fund 41 new stops and 20 miles of additional track.

Infrastructure

A further £15 million would be provided for Bolton through re-allocated Local Transport Plan (LTP) funds – money that might have been invested elsewhere without TIF.

These additional funds would be invested in transport infrastructure projects such as bus priority measures, bus stop and rail station improvements, cycle routes, traffic management work and pedestrian facilities.

Improvements for passengers

Further passenger improvements would include:

a 20% reduction on public transport fares at peak times for low paid workers (statutory minimum wage);
better and more timely travel information via real-time electronic displays and improved safety and security with CCTV, help points and better lighting at stops and stations
an integrated ticketing and simplified fare structure using a new ‘Smartcard ticket’ would allow prepayment of fares for travel on trains, trams and buses.

80% of the public transport improvements would be in place across Greater Manchester with a significant improvement in public transport in Bolton, before the peak-time congestion charge would begin in summer 2013.