ELECTRIC trains are running in Bolton.

That is a sentence that has been a long time coming, but after 10 years since preparation work began, the first electric trains rolled on to Bolton tracks this week.

It has been a long time coming and the town’s commuters have endured a decade of torment on the overcrowded routes through the town, especially in the past few years.

Now all the disruption caused by electrification upgrade work might begin to seem worthwhile.

Passengers travelling between Bolton and Manchester Victoria are likely to see refurbished Class 319 trains which will be more spacious, more efficient and more reliable. These will be the forerunner to the new fleet of high-tech trains and carriages that will be launched next spring.

That £500 million fleet ­— including 58 diesel trains and 43 electric trains ­— will be the holy grail for commuters fed up with overcrowded and unreliable services.

The new carriages will include free wi-fi, air-conditioning and charging points at seats.

In the meantime, the proof will be in the pudding to see whether the refurbished trains make an impact to the daily commute.

It is hoped that this will give them a flavour of what is to come.

Rail bosses are well aware of the conditions the town’s long-suffering commuters have had to endure and are grateful they have been patient for so long.