Bolton Platform 3 usage

[Ant158]

Bolton Railway Station Platform 3

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How rare is it in recent times for Trains on the Blackburn to Bolton route to use Platform 3 at Bolton? Using the line regularly it seems only Platform 1 is used in both directions.

However whilst travelling between Manchester and Blackburn on 10/09/24, the train was routed through Platform 3. From memory this used to be more frequent in the past. When did Clitheroe line Trains stop regularly using this Platform?

 

[Geeves]

Certainly now trains are booked to pass on both the Hall ith Wood Loop and the recently extended Darwen loop it's rare at Bolton, that and the fact 3 is a very busy platform without wrong direction moves.

I don't think trains used to pass at Darwen regularly in the past and I remember in the 90s trains would pass at Bolton in the peaks. Now there's only one booked passenger train to Blackburn at Bolton booked off 3 and it's at 2330 or if trains get seriously out of kilter due to disruption.

There was quite a few late runners yesterday due to an axle counter failure at Victoria in the afternoon. Always fun!

 

[td97]

Platform 3 is a much faster northbound approach/southbound departure too, avoiding the slow 15mph 3121 points (turnout for P2 bay).
The signalling on MP269 always slows northbound trains down to a crawl, even when nothing else is in the station.