No Salford trains for several weekends over work to tackle Manchester to Preston and Wigan line delays
Rail services have stopped running in Salford for ‘several weekends’ for work to take place at the city’s train stations.
A third platform is being built at Salford Crescent station as part of a £21m investment by Network Rail to reduce delays on the line.
This is set to improve capacity for trains heading through central Manchester and further across the country, as well as easing congestion on the network.
Salford Crescent station is on the busy Manchester to Preston and Wigan lines, with services calling from across the North West and Scotland into Manchester and Manchester Airport.
It is one of the busiest stations in Greater Manchester and had nearly 1.2m entries and exits in 2023/24.
Kaseya Chisala, Network Rail sponsor, said the work will ensure “smoother, more reliable journeys” through Salford Crescent station and beyond.
When the line is closed, rail replacement buses will run between Manchester to Bolton and Wigan stations. Some train services between Manchester, Wigan, Preston and beyond will be diverted via an alternative route, Network Rail added.
Passengers are advised to check before they travel to find out how their specific journey will be affected.
Passengers for Salford Crescent will be able to use their rail tickets on Bee Network buses across the city to link to the station.
Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern, said the work will have “long term benefits” for passengers, adding that “plans [are] in place to ensure people can still get where they want to be during the improvement works.”
A £10M scheme by Network Rail and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is also taking place at Salford Central station this year, with accessibility upgrades and improvements to the building on the way.
The station will get a new customer ticket office, information points and accessible toilets, and there will also be signage for passengers to join up with other transport connections via Greater Manchester’s Bee Network.
Salford Central has closed while work takes place until April 21, with a closure also needed on Sunday, April, 27.
Salford had no rail services running through its stations last weekend on March 1 and 2 with all the , and more weekends without trains are set to come.
Simon Elliott, head of rail at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “The investment at both Salford Crescent and Salford Central will not only improve the passenger experience but help deliver a more reliable and connected railway that works for everyone.”
No rail services across Salford on the following weekends:
- Saturday, March 8 to Sunday, March 9
- Saturday, March 15 to Sunday, March 16
- Saturday, March 22 to Sunday, March 23
- Saturday, April 12 to Sunday, April 13
- Sunday, April 17
- Sunday, April 20
- Sunday, May 4
- Saturday, May 17 to Sunday, May 18
- Saturday, September 13 to Sunday, September 14
A section of University Road West under the bridge is also closed in both directions for around a year. A diversionary route is in place to minimise local disruption and access to properties will always be available, Network Rail said.