Salford Central railway station

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 / 53.4828°N 2.2558°WCoordinates: 53°28′58″N 2°15′21″W / 53.4828°N 2.2558°W
Grid reference	SJ831984
Operations
Station code	SFD
Managed by	Northern
Number of platforms	2
DfT category	E
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2010/11	0.238 million
2011/12	0.265 million
2012/13	0.321 million
2013/14	0.316 million
2014/15	0.380 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.
UK Railways portal

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.

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]

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 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, 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.

Services

The station has a frequent service on weekdays & Saturdays (typically 6 tph each way), with all trains to and from Victoria calling here. Destinations served include Southport & Kirkby (via Atherton) and Blackpool North, Wigan Wallgate & Clitheroe (via Bolton) westbound and Blackburn (via Todmorden), Stalybridge & Huddersfield eastbound (some services also terminate at Victoria).^[6]

The station is however 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.^[7]

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, 2008-02-22, retrieved 2008-11-18
6. GB eNRT December 2015 Edition, Tables 39 & 82
7. Route Utilisation Strategies (PDF), retrieved 2008-09-17

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

Salford Lines
Legend
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 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 Bridge Broadway Cross Lane | Pendleton MediaCityUK Harbour City Salford Crescent Anchorage Salford Docks Salford Quays Windsor Link Exchange Quay Ordsall Lane | Oldfield Road to Manchester (Metrolink) Ordsall Chord(under construction) Salford Central to Manchester (Deansgate) to Manchester (Victoria)