Major UK city train station forced to close for two months reopens after huge £10million revamp
A MAJOR city centre train station is finally back open this week after a two-month shutdown and a whopping £10million makeover.
Salford Central, in the heart of Greater Manchester, is throwing open its doors again from Wednesday following the first phase of improvement works aimed at making the station more accessible.
Commuters will notice a brand new roof, wider platforms, revamped ticket office and clearer signage – with more upgrades, including accessible toilets and braille maps, still to come.
The station was set to reopen on Monday but bosses held off to let Northern carry out last-minute safety checks.
Passengers are being told to plan ahead as the work will clash with a major revamp at nearby Salford Crescent next year, meaning weekend rail services will be hit.
Until then, train users can hop on Bee Network buses between key stations including Salford Crescent and Manchester Oxford Road using their valid tickets – but heads up, more closures are planned for April 27 and May 4.
Simon Elliott, Network Director for Rail at TfGM, said: “The first phase of work at Salford Central is complete and passengers will soon be able to enjoy the upgrades that are being made at the station.”
“While the main work is done, Northern requires more time to carry out essential checks to ensure passengers’ safety prior to the station re-opening.
“We’re sorry for any inconvenience or disruption this may cause to people’s journeys, but safety is our absolute first priority.
“We’ll continue to work closely with Northern and Network Rail, as well as the main contractor, to meet the revised reopening date.”
Matt Rice, Chief Operating Officer for Northern, added: “We realise that Salford Central being closed for a few extra days may be inconvenient, but safety is our top priority and we need to make sure that the station is safe for everybody to use.
“Once the station reopens in a few days’ time, customers will be able to enjoy a fantastic new facility that will truly transform their experience.
“We’re really looking forward to welcoming customers back to the station when it reopens.”
The station was due to reopen on Monday, but couldn’t due to technical issues.
In a statement on its website, the rail operator said: “Salford Central was due to reopen on Monday 21 April but due to some last-minute technical issues, trains will not be stopping here for a few more days.”
Nathaniel Yates, rail accessibility activist, said these improvements are a “welcome step forward” as there was still a “long way to go to improve access at train stations”.
The project promises to deliver the “much-needed modernisation” of the station building and an overall improvement in the customer journey throughout the station.
The Bee Network is Greater Manchester’s bold bid to build a slick, London-style transport system.
First announced in 2018, the integrated network brings together buses, trams, cycling and walking routes under one banner, with commuter rail services set to join the hive by 2028.
Inspired by the city’s famous worker bee symbol, the Bee Network aims to make ditching the car a no-brainer – with yellow-and-black buses and trams zipping across the region as part of a cleaner, smarter way to travel.
Meanwhile in London, no trains will run through or stop at Huddersfield station in West Yorkshire between August 30 and September 29, according to Network Rail.
The train station is used by almost 10,000 people every day is set to close for a month as part of a £70 million revamp.
The works are set to spark travel chaos for the roughly 300,000 travellers who use the station each month.
After the closure, just three of the six current platforms will reopen on a temporary basis.
This is to allow for work on the multibillion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) to continue.
Network Rail says the closure will allow developers to remodel the track and platforms.
This change will “transform the layout of the station and enable more trains with more seats to run through the area on a greener, more reliable railway”.
Huddersfield station has already completed some of its restorative work, which began in November 2023, with the terminus’ canopy roof having its refurbishment finished up in April.
The station’s modernisation programme is due to be complete by 2027.