Place Salford Station code SFD DfT category E Address Salford, United Kingdom Number of platforms 2 | Grid reference SJ831984 Managed by Northern 2011/12 0.265 million Opened 1842 | |
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Original company Manchester and Bolton Railway Pte Transport for Greater Manchester Similar Salford Crescent railway st, Deansgate railway station, Ardwick railway station, Manchester Victoria station, Anchorage tram stop | ||
Salford Central railway station in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, is just across the River Irwell from Manchester city centre, close to Spinningfields and Deansgate. It is served by trains to and from Manchester Victoria, towards Rochdale and Wigan Wallgate. The station was removed from the Manchester station group in 1989.
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History
The railway station opened on 29 May 1838 as a terminus on the Manchester and Bolton Railway and was originally named Salford railway station. 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. Between April 1858 and August 1865, to avoid confusion with Salford (Oldfield Rd), the station was named Salford (New Bailey Street), after which it reverted to its original name of Salford.
To avoid confusion with the newly built Salford Crescent station, in 1988 it was renamed Salford Central. For many years the station was served at peak times only.
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 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.
Location
Manchester city centre is accessible either on foot or by a short ride on public transport, including the free Metroshuttle bus (No. 3) from New Bailey Street outside the station. 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.
Facilities
The ticket office is manned from 06:25 to 19:35, six days per week (closed Sundays). 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.
Services
The station has a frequent service on weekdays and Saturdays (typically 6 tph each way), with all trains to and from Victoria calling here. Destinations served include Southport and Kirkby (via Atherton) and Blackpool North, Wigan Wallgate and Clitheroe (via Bolton) westbound and Blackburn (via Todmorden), Stalybridge and Huddersfield eastbound (some services also terminate at Victoria).
The station is closed on Sundays.
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. This scheme has since been adopted by Transport for Greater Manchester and included in their Capital Works Programme for 2015–16 to 2020–21. This will see three additional platforms built, at a cost of £20.5 million and will allow Liverpool, Chester & Manchester Airport-bound trains (using the Ordsall Chord) to call here.