Salford Central railway station

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

Salford Central
The glass frontage of the station
Location
Place	Salford
Local authority	City of Salford
Coordinates	53°28′58″N 2°15′21″W
Grid reference	SJ831984
Operations
Station code	SFD
Managed by	Northern Trains
Number of platforms	2
DfT category	E
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15	0.380 million
2015/16	0.412 million
2016/17	0.483 million
2017/18	0.628 million
2018/19	0.773 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	Transport for Greater Manchester
History
Original company	Manchester, Bolton and Bury Railway
Pre-grouping	Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
29 May 1838	Opened as Salford
April 1858	Renamed Salford (New Bailey Street)
August 1865	Renamed Salford
3 October 1988	Renamed Salford Central
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Salford Central from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

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]

Platform 1 has a graffiti mural

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]

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 manned 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 6 tph each way), with all trains to and from Victoria calling here. Destinations served include Wigan Wallgate and Kirkby (via Atherton) and Preston, Southport and Clitheroe (via Bolton) westbound and Blackburn (via Todmorden) 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.

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.[9] This scheme has since been adopted by Transport for Greater Manchester and included in their Capital Works Programme for 2015–16 to 2020–21.[10] 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.[11]

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. 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 2019
9. Route Utilisation Strategies (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008, retrieved 17 September 2008
10. Transport for Greater Manchester Greater Manchester Transport Plan 3 – Capital Programme 2015–16 to 2020–21 (PDF), retrieved 10 June 2016
11. "Salford Central Expansion". Seed Architects.

Bibliography

• Butt, R.V.J. (1995), The Directory of Railway Stations, Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd, ISBN 1-85260-508-1, R508
• Crookes, William, ed. (1874), "Proceedings of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, 7 April 1874", The Chemical News and Journal of Physical Science, London: Henry Gillman, XXIX (755)

External links

• Train times and station information for Salford Central railway station from National Rail

Railway Lines in Salford
Past, present and future
to Wigan Wallgate   to Bolton Great Moor Street to Wigan North Western   Little Hulton Ellenbrook Walkden Low Level Walkden High Level to Liverpool Lime Street Moorside to Bolton Barton Moss Worsley Swinton Dixon Fold Patricroft   Monton Green Pendlebury to Bury Irlams-o'-th'-Height Eccles Eccles   Clifton Junction Ladywell   Agecroft Bridge Weaste Weaste Brindle Heath Jct Agecroft Jct Langworthy Seedley Pendleton Pendleton Bridge Broadway Cross Lane MediaCityUK Harbour City   Salford Crescent Anchorage Salford Docks Salford Quays Windsor Link Exchange Quay Ordsall Lane   Oldfield Road Metrolink to Manchester Ordsall Chord Salford Central to Manchester Deansgate to Manchester Victoria

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Salford Crescent		Northern Trains Manchester-Preston Line		Manchester Victoria
Salford Crescent		Northern Trains Ribble Valley Line		Manchester Victoria
Salford Crescent		Northern Trains Manchester-Southport Line		Manchester Victoria
Salford Crescent		Northern Trains Manchester-Kirkby Mondays-Saturdays only		Manchester Victoria
	Future services
Deansgate		Northern Ordsall Chord		Manchester Victoria
Eccles		Northern Liverpool to Manchester Line		Manchester Victoria
	Historical railways
Oldfield Road Line open, station closed		Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Manchester and Bolton Railway		Manchester Victoria Line and station open