Salford Central railway station

Salford Central National Rail

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 Rail
Number of platforms 2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05  0.102 million
2005/06 Increase 0.117 million
2006/07 Increase 0.119 million
2007/08 Increase 0.125 million
2008/09 Increase 0.222 million
2009/10 Increase 0.226 million
2010/11 Increase 0.238 million
2011/12 Increase 0.265 million
2012/13 Increase 0.321 million
2013/14 Decrease 0.316 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE 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 Regulation 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. There is no Sunday service on the Kirkby line.

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, 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.[3]

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 Rail 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.[4]

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.

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.[5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Butt 1995, p. 204
  2. ↑ Crookes 1874, p. 213
  3. ↑ British Railways Timetable 95, 1973
  4. ↑ Station's £5 million transformation unveiled, GMPTE, 2008-02-22, retrieved 2008-11-18
  5. ↑ Route Utilisation Strategies (PDF), retrieved 2008-09-17

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Salford Central railway station.

Salford Lines

Legend
 Past, present and future 
to Wigan
to Bolton
to Wigan
Little Hulton
Ellenbrook
Walkden Low Level

Walkden High Level
to Warrington

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(proposed)
Salford Central
to Manchester (Deansgate)
to Manchester (Victoria)
Preceding station National Rail Following station
Salford Crescent   Northern Rail
Manchester-Preston Line		   Manchester Victoria
Salford Crescent   Northern Rail
Ribble Valley Line		   Manchester Victoria
Salford Crescent   Northern Rail
Manchester-Southport Line		   Manchester Victoria
Salford Crescent   Northern Rail
Manchester-Kirkby
Mondays-Saturdays only		   Manchester Victoria
Historical railways
Oldfield Road
Line open, station closed		   Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Manchester and Bolton Railway		   Manchester Victoria
Line and station open