EAST Lancashire's railway commuters face a summer on the buses, it emerged today.

A train replacement service will operate between Blackburn and Bolton between Friday, July 17, until Monday, August 24 as work is carried out on the lines.

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The buses will call at Hall i’ th’ Wood, Bromley Cross and Darwen while anyone wanting to go to Entwistle, which is a request stop, will be able to catch a bus replacement service on Monday-Friday with a bus only on standby throughout the weekend.

And anyone travelling between Clitheroe and Manchester was told today to check that their trains are even running before they set off..

Over the summer, customers travelling from Clitheroe to Manchester can catch trains during peak hours between the Ribble Valley town and Blackburn, with buses running at other times.

Network Rail is installing an extra track near Darwen Station and, once the work is finished, two trains will use the route between Blackburn and Bolton every hour by 2017.

Passengers from Blackburn heading to Manchester are being advised to travel via Burnley Manchester Road through the recently-reopened Todmorden Curve.

Terry Strickland, area director for Network Rail, said: "I urge passengers to check before they travel for the latest information and thank them in advance for their cooperation and patience.”

Cllr Phil Riley, executive member for regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said the Ribble Valley would benefit economically in the long run.

He said: "We have been working hard for a number of years to secure this very important investment.

"We know there will be disruption over the summer, but it will be for a short period and will bring significant long-term benefits enabling our residents wider access to employment, training and leisure opportunities.

"We also believe it will make our borough a more attractive place to invest in from a business point of view which will enable us to grow and prosper, bringing more jobs to the area."