Railway upgrades in Salford
We’re building an additional platform at Salford Crescent station, and working with Transport for Greater Manchester to upgrade Salford Central
Jump to
Project timeline
Work at both stations started in early 2025. At Salford Crescent, the third platform will be open in 2026.
What work is taking place?
Salford Crescent
We’re building a new extra platform at Salford Crescent, which will improve passenger flow and reduce train delays. This will allow more flexibility for trains travelling through central Manchester and across the country.
We’ll also install a new exit ticket gate line, which will improve passenger flow.
Salford Central
We’re working with Transport for Greater Manchester to upgrade Salford Central station.
Following on from the upgrades to the platforms, a new roof has been built on the upper level of the Salford Central station building and platform 2 has been substantially widened, to make it more accessible for disabled people, those with heavy luggage and parents or carers with buggies and pushchairs to access the lift.
Work continues, as we modernise the station building, install a covered walkway from the lift to platform 1, new accessible toilets and improve the ramps to the platform.
Work at the station will continue until October 2025.
When is the working taking place?
Salford Crescent
We arrived on site over Christmas 2024. The main work began in March 2025, with some weekend work needed, until autumn 2025.
The work at the station will continue until October 2025.
Salford Central
Work at Salford Central began in January 2025 and will be completed by October 2025.
How will this work affect me?
Rail closures
To carry out the work, Salford Crescent station will close for several weekends between March and September 2025. The work will be complete in early 2026.
Salford Central will be closed from Monday 10 February to Monday 21 April 2025 as part of major engineering works at the station.
There will be no rail services across Salford on several weekends throughout 2025:
March 2025
- Saturday 1 – Sunday 2 March
- Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 March
- Saturday 15 – Sunday 16 March
- Saturday 22 – Sunday 23 March
April 2025
- Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 April
- Sunday 20 April
- Sunday 17 April
May 2025
- Sunday 4 May
- Saturday 17 – Sunday 18 May
September 2025
- Saturday 13 – Sunday 14 September
Salford Central will also be closed on Sunday 27 April 2025.
We’re working with Northern and TfGM to make sure people in Salford can travel as conveniently as possible during the work.
Ticket acceptance for anyone holding a valid rail ticket will be in place for passengers to use any Bee Network bus service between Salford Crescent – Salford Central – Manchester City Centre – Manchester Oxford Rd station (for V1, V2 and 50 services). This will be in place from 10 February to 21 April 2025, and then weekends 26/27 April and 03/04 May. Please plan your journey on Northern’s website.
Road closures
A section of University Road West, near Salford Crescent station, will be closed during the project to allow the team to safely carry out the work.
From 6 January 2025, a section of University Road West will be closed for around 12 months. There will be a diversionary route in place to minimise local disruption and access to properties will be open at all times.
Why is the work needed?
Salford Crescent station is on the busy Manchester to Preston line. Services call from across the North West into Manchester and Manchester Airport.
In 2022/23 the station handled almost 1.2 million entries and exits, making it one of the busiest stations in Greater Manchester.
The platform will give signallers more options to ease “traffic jams” through the station. As well as through the busy central Manchester rail network.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or need assistance with a specific issue, please contact Network Rail’s helpline on 0345 711 4141 or online at www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/contact-us.
Our community relations team will log your request with the project team, and we will be in touch as soon as possible.
We’ve also introduced a new, digital lineside notification service, which can keep you informed of railway work happening nearby. To sign up, visit www.networkrail.co.uk/sign-up.