'Getting station back could be big for our town'

The former goods shed at Golborne South station survives to this day

Residents of a town which has not had a train station for more than 60 years said it would "benefit immensely" from a new one.

Plans to build a £32m train station in Golborne, Wigan - which has no direct bus, train or tram services to Manchester - have been submitted to Wigan Council.

If the plans are approved, work on site should begin in 2026, with the new station scheduled to open in 2027.

Adam Kinnaird, who has lived in Golborne all his life but has never seen the town's original station - which fully closed in 1967 - said it "would be really big for Golborne".

Adam Kinnaird says it can take up to 90 minutes to drive from Golborne to Manchester

Mr Kinnaird said it currently took up to 90 minutes to drive to Manchester in peak traffic.

He added: "I've just started a new company and they're building a lot of other places outside of there now.

"For people working here who've got to catch the train, it would be a big help."

Karim Saoudi, who owns a restaurant and bar right near the proposed site of the new station, said reopening it would be "great for the business".

He said: "People can come in for a coffee, wait here for the train."

Gary Brown, who has lived in Golborne for 30 years, said he hoped the local market - which is also closed - could be reopened.

He added: "I think bringing the train station back to here will bring more investment in.

"I think the town could immensely benefit from this."

Bruce Williamson, from campaign group Railfuture, said re-openings "almost always exceed expectations" in terms of passenger uptake.

He said Golborne was possibly chosen as the site for a new station rather than the nearby and bigger town of Leigh because it was "already on the railway", while Leigh's line had been converted into a busway.

Mr Williamson said: "If you've already got a running railway to put a railway station on, it is a lot cheaper than building a whole new railway."

He said railway infrastructure "really pays off" in long-term in economic benefits to local areas.

"The problem with busways… is they are nowhere near as good as trains or trams at attracting passengers," he added.

"The solution for Leigh is to [also] get its railway link back."