Railway platforms extended at three local stations Date published: 27 February 2021 Littleborough station Platforms at three stations in the Rochdale borough have been extended as part of a £60 million Platform Extension Scheme as part of the Great North Rail Project and operator’s transformation programmes. Platforms 1 and 2 at Mills Hill, Smithy Bridge and Littleborough have all been extended as the improvements – following the introduction of Northern and TransPennine Express’ new trains – were carried out at 73 stations across the Northern network. Northern, TransPennine Express and Network Rail teamed up to complete the improvements. Tricia Williams, Chief Operating Officer at Northern, said: “Extending the platforms allows us to run longer trains and that, in turn, gives our customers more space on-board. The additional platform space also means there are more places for customers to get on and off our trains which speeds up the boarding process and can reduce delays and improve performance.