Salford Central to re-open on Wednesday, 23 April following completion of first phase of £10m upgrade

Salford Central will re-open to passengers next week following major works to modernise the station.

The station has been temporarily closed since Monday 10 February as part of the first phase of a £10 million overhaul to boost accessibility and improve the experience for passengers.

Salford Central was due to re-open to passengers on Monday 21 April following the completion of the first phase of upgrades.

While the physical works at the station are complete, the re-opening has been postponed to allow Northern time to carry out final safety checks before it can be re-opened for trains to stop there.

Following advice from Northern, the station will re-open to passengers on Wednesday, 23 April.

Customers impacted by the closure are advised to plan ahead and will be able to use valid tickets on Bee Network buses between Salford Crescent, Salford Central and key city centre stations, including Manchester Oxford Road, until the station re-opens on Wednesday.

Simon Elliott, Network Director for Rail at TfGM, said: “The first phase of work at Salford Central is complete and passengers will soon be able to enjoy the upgrades that are being made at the station.

“While the main work is done, Northern require more time to carry out essential checks to ensure passengers safety prior to the station re-opening.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience or disruption this may cause to people’s journeys, but safety is our absolute first priority.  We’ll continue to work closely with Northern and Network Rail, as well as the main contractor to meet the revised reopening date.”

Matt Rice, Chief Operating Officer for Northern, said: "We realise that Salford Central being closed for a few extra days may be inconvenient, but safety is our top priority and we need to make sure that the station is safe for everybody to use.

"Once the station reopens in a few days time, customers will be able to enjoy a fantastic new facility that will truly transform their experience. We're really looking forward to welcoming customers back to the station when it reopens."

Upgrades to the station include a new roof on the upper level of the station building, widening of platform 2, a new ticket office and better signage and passenger information points. In the coming months, TfGM will also deliver new accessible toilets, a covered walkway from the lift to platform 1, further improvements to the platform ramps and more inclusive passenger information displays, such as braille maps.

There will be additional closures at the station on Sunday 27 April and Sunday 4 May. Trains will not stop at Salford Central on these days. Passengers are being encouraged to plan ahead as the improvement works will lead to some disruption on people’s journeys.