Salford: We've seen delay after delay with Network Rail improving Walkden station – it’s a disgrace

Walkden station in Salford is a transport hub for the town, serving local residents and people from the surrounding areas, with services to Salford Central, Manchester Victoria, and beyond.

But councillors are demanding changes to make it easier to get into the station after raising concerns about accessibility.

There are 40 steps leading up to the station from the street, making it difficult for some people to use, including those using wheelchairs, pushing prams, or carrying heavy items.

Joshua Brooks is a councillor for Walkden South who said he has been campaigning for improvements at the station since he was first elected in 2019.

While there are plans in the pipeline for a lift at the station, this is still thought to be years away from being ready for passengers.

“They’re saying it’s going to be completed in 2028, that’s over a decade now and all this just for a single lift, it’s a bit of a disgrace really,” Coun Brooks told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“There’s a real anger about it, everyone is just fed up and they just want the access for all completed. As far as I’m concerned there’s no excuses now.”

Salford council has tried to make improvements around the area, such as by putting a new park and ride facility for commuters at the ‘highly used’ station.

The issues at the station were highlighted by Salford mayor Paul Dennett in a council meeting last week.

The mayor said Network Rail has been “far too slow” in making the station accessible, and called for more progress to be made.

In response, a Network Rail spokesperson said: “We are sorry for the delay to the much-needed Access for All upgrade at Walkden station, which will allow for step-free travel for passengers.

“We share the frustrations of the council and local community, and we are doing everything we can to speed up the process.

“During the initial surveys to prepare for the work, historic mine works were found under the station. This has made the ground conditions incredibly complex and has had knock-on effects on how we design, plan and deliver the accessibility improvements at the station.

“On our current estimates, we could see construction start in autumn 2027 with work continuing into the summer 2028.

“However, these dates are still subject to change, and a more accurate timeline will be developed once our investigation work is finished and we have appointed a contractor to deliver the improvements.

“We would like to reassure passengers and the local community that regardless of these delays, we remain committed to not only delivering this scheme, bringing modern, safe step-free access to Walkden station, but crucially keeping people informed as we go along.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Everyone should be able to travel with ease and confidence, which is why we are continuing to fund the Access for All programme which has successfully delivered step-free accessible routes at over 270 stations across the country.

“As part of the programme, Network Rail are undertaking work to improve accessibility at Walkden station, and we hope to see this completed as soon as possible.”