A BRANCH station in Burnley is set for a new lease of life after it was announced a major new service to Manchester will stop there.

And as well as making regular visits to Rosegrove, the new East Lancashire to Manchester train will also stop on Sundays at Church and Oswaldtwistle.

The service will not run regularly until May 12 next year, after work is completed on reinstating the Todmorden Curve.

But Community Rail Lancashire has revealed the route for the trains, which should reach the city in around 40 minutes.

Starting in Blackburn, the service will call at Accrington, Rosegrove, Burnley Manchester Road, Todmorden, Rochdale, into Manchester Victoria.

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle said: “We made representations to the rail company over this because originally it was not going to stop there. It seems like they’ve listened to us.”

Rosegrove councillor Charlie Briggs added: "People think of Rosegrove as a little place but it is a large community. This will save people having to travel to Manchester Road station.”

Rosegrove used to be a stop on the Blackpool to York service but was shelved in the 1990s. It now only hosts Blackpool and Colne-bound trains.

The city service is being run by Northern Rail in partnership with Burnley Council and Lancashire County Council.