Platform 3 at Wigan station is being extended so it will take four-carriage trains, so train operator Northern can provide extra capacity for passengers and move more trains in and out of its newly built £46 million train depot at Ince-in-Makerfield.
Network Rail is delivering the £4 million platform extension scheme, using funding from the Department for Transport, to improve the reliability and performance of train services for passengers across the North West.
The work will start on 12 September and will be complete in December. Train services will not be affected by the work at the station, which is managed by Avanti West Coast. Passengers are being advised to double check which platform their train is leaving from.
Jonathan Hepton, sponsor at Network Rail, said: “This platform extension is designed to put passengers first, helping to improve capacity on trains from Wigan into Manchester and across the Calder Valley into Leeds.”
Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, added: “This vital upgrade work, delivered as part of the Great North Rail Project, will allow us to fully realise the potential of our new Springs Branch depot at Ince. This will, in turn, enable us to provide additional capacity for customers and deliver the quality of rail service they expect and deserve.”
