Overnight clatter jolts residents awake

Taking to Facebook group Chorley then and now Kate Walker started a flurry of messages after she posted: “Does anyone else hear any banging going on right now?”

It promoted Naomi Styles to reply: “I’m on Seymour Street and there’s a lot of clunking and banging tonight.”

It was not long before residents realised the noise was the maintenance work going on at Chorley railway station.

Network Rail is electrifying the route between Manchester and Preston via Bolton, which the company says will pave the way for faster, more spacious trains from December 2017.

The company’s website states: “The tracks near Chorley station have been lowered so that new overhead line equipment required to power electric trains can fit under nearby bridges. The track needs to be realigned through the station so that faster trains can pass each other. To make this possible, we need to rebuild both platforms at Chorley Station.

“Most of the work was carried out during the night and at weekends over the summer and we would like to thank passengers for their patience.”

While many understand the need for the maintenance works to take place overnight it did not stop them taking to Facebook to vent some frustration over their sleepless nights.

Danny McDonald said: “I can hear it I’m on Brooke Street driving me up the wall.”

In another post Paul Prescott wrote: “I for one will miss the constant banging from the local rail works when it is finally complete.

“Hopefully the majority of our neighbours will start to mow their lawns or undertake any DIY at this time of night to fill the void.”

However Frankie Barrow, who is working on the railway posted: “People would moan if they stopped running the trains from 6am to 6pm.”