Salford Central
National Rail
The Station Platforms in June 2023 after refurbishment
General information
LocationSalford, City of Salford
England
Coordinates53°28′58″N 2°15′21″W / 53.48278°N 2.25583°W / 53.48278; -2.25583
Grid referenceSJ831984
Managed byNorthern Trains
Transit authorityTransport for Greater Manchester
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeSFD
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Original companyManchester, Bolton and Bury Railway
Pre-groupingLancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
29 May 1838Opened as Salford
April 1858Renamed Salford (New Bailey Street)
August 1865Renamed Salford
3 October 1988Renamed Salford Central
2 January 2023Service suspended
4 June 2023Service resumed
Passengers
2018/19Increase 0.773 million
2019/20Increase 1.028 million
2020/21Decrease 0.137 million
2021/22Increase 0.464 million
2022/23Increase 0.527 million
Location
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Salford Central railway station is in the city of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, close to Spinningfields and Deansgate. It is served by trains to and from Manchester Victoria, towards Rochdale and Wigan Wallgate.

History

The station as it appeared in 1989

The railway station opened on 29 May 1838 as a terminus on the Manchester and Bolton Railway and was originally named Salford railway station.[1] In 1843, a connection to Manchester Victoria was built, carried on iron columns. The roof suffered from corrosion caused by the sulphurous emissions of locomotives passing through the station and one was replaced after only four years.[2] Between April 1858 and August 1865, to avoid confusion with Salford (Oldfield Rd),[3] the station was named Salford (New Bailey Street), after which it reverted to its original name of Salford.[1]

To avoid confusion with the newly built Salford Crescent station, in 1988 it was renamed Salford Central.[1] For many years the station was served at peak times only.[4]

Graffiti mural on Platform 1, 2018
Eastbound ECS entering the station in 1959
Down local train passing through the station in 1959
Westbound empty stock train passing Salford Station in 1963

With only platforms 1 and 2 currently in use (platforms 3 and 4 have been disused since the early 1990s), the station is now managed by Northern Trains and has undergone a major transformation involving construction of a new ticket office as well as making the station building fully accessible by the use of ramps from the entrances to the ticket office and lifts and ramps from the ticket office to the platforms,[5] however ramped access to the trains was not possible until the second renovation to the platforms in 2023.

Location

Manchester city centre is accessible either on foot or by a short ride on public transport. Salford is also served by Salford Crescent railway station, close to the University of Salford and Salford Precinct. The £700m Middlewood Locks development will be served by Salford Central.[6]

Facilities

The ticket office is staffed from 06:25 to 19:35, six days per week (closed late evenings and on Sundays, so tickets must be purchased on the train at these times). The ticket hall is connected to the platforms via inclined ramps that are suitable for mobility-impaired users. There are shelters and snack/drink vending machines at platform level, along with timetable posters, digital display screens and automated announcements to provide train running information.[7]

Services

The station has a frequent service on weekdays and Saturdays (typically 5 tph each way), with all trains to and from Victoria calling here. Destinations served include Wigan Wallgate and Headbolt Lane (via Atherton) and Southport, Blackburn and Clitheroe (via Bolton) westbound, Leeds and Blackburn (via Todmorden), Rochdale and Stalybridge eastbound (some services also terminate at Victoria).[8]

The station was formerly closed on Sundays, but since the summer 2018 timetable change was introduced on 20 May all trains between Salford Crescent and Victoria now call here.

Services were suspended from this station on 2 January 2023 until Summer 2023 so Network Rail can carry out improvement works, raising the canopies and platforms due to accessibility issues,[9] as well as upgrading the track and the signalling system.[10][11]

Future development

A Network Rail report suggests building platforms on the line to Liverpool (via Newton-le-Willows), the lines of which run through the station but are not provided with platforms.[12] This scheme has since been adopted by Transport for Greater Manchester and included in their Capital Works Programme for 2015–16 to 2020–21.[13] This will see an additional platform built and the old platforms 3 & 4 reopened, at a cost of £20.5 million and will allow Liverpool, Chester & Manchester Airport-bound trains (using the Ordsall Chord) to call here.[14]

All lines through the station have now been electrified and electric working on the Preston via Bolton route commenced on Monday 11 February 2019 utilising Class 319 Electric Multiple Units.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Butt 1995, p. 204
  2. ↑ Crookes 1874, p. 213
  3. ↑ Railway Magazine September 1957 p. 615
  4. ↑ British Railways Timetable 95, 1973
  5. ↑ Station's £5 million transformation unveiled, GMPTE, 22 February 2008, archived from the original on 31 July 2012, retrieved 18 November 2008
  6. ↑ "Middlewood Locks".
  7. ↑ Salford Central station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 22 December 2016
  8. ↑ Table 82 National Rail timetable, December 2022
  9. ↑ "Platform leap is step too far for stretched Salford Central passengers". Manchester Evening News.
  10. ↑ "Major £7.3m station overhaul for Salford Central passengers in 2023". Network Rail.
  11. ↑ "Salford Central station closure". Northern Trains.
  12. ↑ Route Utilisation Strategies (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008, retrieved 17 September 2008
  13. ↑ Transport for Greater Manchester Greater Manchester Transport Plan 3 – Capital Programme 2015–16 to 2020–21 (PDF), retrieved 10 June 2016
  14. ↑ "Salford Central Expansion". Seed Architects.

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Salford Central railway station.
Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Salford Crescent   Northern Trains
Manchester–Preston line		   Manchester Victoria
  Northern Trains
Ribble Valley line		  
  Northern Trains
Manchester–Southport line		  
  Northern Trains
Manchester–Headbolt Lane
Mondays-Saturdays only		  
  Future services  
Deansgate   Northern Trains
Ordsall Chord		   Manchester Victoria
Eccles   Northern Trains
Liverpool–Manchester line		  
  Historical railways  
Oldfield Road
Line open, station closed		   Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Manchester and Bolton Railway		   Manchester Victoria
Line and station open
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