THE opening of the Todmorden Curve rail line has sparked a big rise in passenger numbers – and more improvements are planned to meet growing demand.

The success of the faster service to Manchester has now prompted the announcement of further expansion plans for two railway stations.

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An extended car park at Manchester Road is proving so popular that negotiations are already under way to secure additional land to provide more space for city-bound commuters.

And a new bus interchange is being scheduled for Rose Grove station, which is undergoing a major overhaul as the main staging post for travellers in Padiham and the west of Burnley.

The announcement was made at an official opening ceremony for the rebuilt Manchester Road station, one of the main calling points for the Manchester service.

Overall £2.3million has been spent on a new station building, car park and real time information screens.

County councillor Tony Martin told guests: “These are just some of the projects which we have in mind for the Burnley and Pendle ‘growth corridor’. Enhanced car parking is being suggested for both stations and there will be a bus interchange at Rose Grove.”

He added that passenger feedback had been ‘very positive’ over the first month of the line’s operation.

Council leader Cllr Mark Townsend said that currently three per cent of the borough’s workforce travel to Manchester for work and it was the authority’s goal to expand on that number.

He said: “It will bring national and international markets closer to Burnley. We are also exploring ways of attracting new employers to the borough in future.

“Land values around rail routes have also been shown to increase by 12 per cent and this is part of our overall economic strategy for Burnley.

Richard Watts, Community Rail Lancashire manager, said that ‘step-free access’, removing unnecessary restrictions for disabled passengers, was also being investigated.