Salford Central railway station will close completely for almost five months in the new year for a programme of 'long-awaited' engineering improvements costing £7.3m, it's been confirmed.
The busy commuter station on the edge of Manchester city centre will close on January 2, 2023, and isn't scheduled to open again until late May, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) confirmed today.
A councillor said the closure was 'going to cause a lot of anguish' for rail passengers in Manchester, Salford and further afield, but TfGM bosses stressed bus replacement services would run throughout the duration of the period.
The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has called Salford Central 'dangerous' due to the 'massive gap' between platforms. In April this year, on a tour of railway stations, he hit out at Salford Central, which is just over the River Irwell border in the city centre, describing it as 'third best' and criticising its state of disrepair.
The station, he went on, was 'not a station that people can use' if they have any mobility or disability issues. There are no ramps for boarding or alighting trains, making the station impossible for wheelchair users.
In what bosses called a 'significant piece of work', the project will see the heights of platforms one and two at the station raised up. The work will also see canopies and coping stones replaced, new tactile platform paving installed and new passenger information equipment. go up.
Trains will continue to run through the station during the closure period - maintaining a link to Manchester Victoria - but will not stop at Salford Central. Network Rail is said to be leading the works and transport bosses are due to meet with rail operators including Northern to discuss the plans further.
The closure was announced at a meeting today of the Metrolink and rail sub-committee of the Greater Manchester transport committee. Simon Elliott, Head of Rail Programme at TfGM, said in a report: "Salford Central station will have long-awaited station improvements early in the new year.
"The station will be closed between 02/01/23 until 21/05/23. Trains will still run through the station not stopping, maintaining service links to and through Manchester Victoria. There will be a number of Sunday possessions that will see service changes across the route in January to March 2023 to facilitate construction works.
"The works will include the replacement of the canopies and coping stones, installation of new platform tactile paving, ducting and drainage, and new passenger information equipment. TfGM are due to meet with Northern to discuss disruption mitigations."
Mr Elliott said at the meeting the closure was due to 'essential work that is needed to uplift the platform heights on platforms one and two'.
"It is a significant piece of work that is needed to do these station improvements," he said. "Trains will still operate through the station and there will be a large effort in terms of mitigating customer impacts on that particular station."
Councillor Stuart Haslam, from Bolton Council, said he was 'delighted' at the news of the improvement works, but said the five-month closure could cause 'anguish' for passengers.
He said: "Five months without a station is going to cause a lot of anguish and I know you say you are considering mitigation measures, will that include bus services to Salford Crescent and Victoria?"
Mr Elliott said Network Rail was 'leading the work' and would consider 'disruption management' with train operating companies.
He added a 'quite significant communications campaign' would be in place in advance to inform passengers ahead of the engineering work.
He said: "There will be mitigations in place, bus replacements to ensure that passengers can get to an alternate station to them get their onward travel. That will absolutely be in place."
The station on New Bailey Street dates back to 1838 and was renamed as Salford Central in 1988.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: "We’re investing £7.3m to upgrade Salford Central station for passengers. This important work will raise the height of the platforms to improve stepping distances between trains and the platform edge, as well as a facelift including a brand new canopy.
"These modernising works will improve the station atmosphere, make the station more accessible and services more reliable for our passengers”
"So we can carry out the work safely and as quickly as possible, the station will be closed. We're working with Transport for Greater Manchester and Northern to make sure disruption for our passengers and local communities is kept to a minimum."
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