BURNLEY's iconic new railway station is finally set to open after a deal was ironed out between council bosses and train operator Northern Rail.

Travellers have been left frustrated as the Burnley Manchester Road station building has been virtually complete since last summer but closed to commuters.

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The station house, complete with an eye-catching blue fin on the roof, has hosted an international exchange with Burnley students and the departure screen inside the building has even been switched on.

But problems with installing energy-efficient lighting were blamed for the delay by town hall chiefs at the start of September, with the station then expected to be open for business in late October.

But now borough council chief executive Steve Rumbelow has signalled it will be mid-November before passengers can take advantage of the new ticket office.

Mr Rumbelow said: “There have been technical issues with the new Manchester Road railway station building.

“We have been working with Lancashire County Council to resolve these issues and to achieve a handover of the building to Northern Rail, who will operate the building on a lease from the county council.

“Northern Rail has engaged really positively and worked pragmatically to put in place arrangements which allow it to open the building and operate it while the technical details of the long-term lease are worked out with the county council.

"As a result we are now working to open the station during the week commencing November 17. We will confirm the exact date in the next few days.”

Council leader Coun Mark Townsend added: "This has been a frustrating few months and I am pleased for the sake of commuters that Northern Rail has stepped up to enable the building to be opened."

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle and rail campaign group STELLA (Save The East Lancashire Line Association) had questioned why the apparently completed station had not been opened to the public.

Council bosses were forced to deny that the launch had been delayed while an appropriate dignitary was secured for an official opening ceremony.

The much-anticipated faster train service to Manchester Victoria, running through Burnley Manchester Road and Todmorden, from Blackburn and Accrington, has been delayed until next spring.

Initially this was because of a lack of rolling stock and then the Lancashire Telegraph revealed that signalling work had not been carried out at both ends of the reinstated Todmorden Curve by Network Rail.