SOME of the over-crowded trains passing through Bolton are fit for nothing but the scrap yard, according to a local MP.

Dr Brian Iddon, who represents Bolton South East, delivered the damning verdict during a debate in Westminster into the state of the railways in northern England.

The adjournment debate, in front of junior transport minister Chris Mole, took place just a day after it was revealed that the Government had slashed the number of trains it was providing to Northern Rail as part of its rolling stock programme from 180 to 106.

Dr Iddon said: “Some of the rolling stock that passes through Bolton station should be scrapped. We need replacement carriages as well as additional carriages to meet the extra demand.

“Many constituents are left on the platforms and have to find an alternative route to work. They either have to take a gamble and stay on the platform for the next train, which will probably also be overcrowded, or they have to take a local bus into Manchester.”

The Bolton MP also revealed that the Government was planning to cut the number of trains promised to First TransPennine from 42 to 24.

He added: “Things are already so bad in my constituency that they cannot, frankly, get any worse.”

Meanwhile, local Liberal Democrat Cllr David Wilkinson has urged the Government to consider re-nationalising Britain’s railways.

This week, the Government announced its biggest franchise — the east coast mainline — was being taken back into public ownership after operator National Express admitted it could no longer match the terms of its agreement.

And Cllr Wilkinson said: “What we have at the minute is a totally disjointed network with most journeys using more than one train company. We need consistency.

“A good quality service is essential for any westernised country and a publicly-owned system, similar to those on the continent, is the way to go about it.”