Major £10m investment made to improve Salford Central in 2025

A £10 million investment has been made for major improvements to facilities and accessibility at Salford Central Station. 

The improvements are set to be made by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Network Rail in early 2025.

The investment will hope to offer a better passenger experience and modernise Salford’s biggest railway station, supporting the growth of the city-region.

Salford Central will be closed from Monday 10 February to Monday 21 April 2025, with additional closures on Sunday 27 April and Sunday 4 May.

During this period transport will not stop at Salford Central, and passengers have been encouraged to plan ahead as the station improvements will lead to some disruption on people’s journeys.

The TfGM-led work, will take place between January and October 2025, and include a new customer ticket office and modernisation of the station building.

The £10m investment will also include new accessible toilets built and improvements to the platform ramps and more inclusive passenger information on display, such as braille maps.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “We’re investing to upgrade Salford Central and deliver our plans for a modern, accessible, integrated public transport system across Greater Manchester.

“These improvements are a big step forward on our journey to bringing commuter rail lines into the Bee Network by 2028.”

The improvements will aim to connect more people to new opportunities and provided economic growth in the city.

Alongside the works at Salford Central, Network Rail will build a third platform at Salford Crescent station, reducing delays and improving train congestion through the busy Castlefield corridor.

This work will take place across weekends, closing the station between March and September 2025 – and will be apart of Greater Manchester’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the transport infrastructure.

Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, said:“The upgrades at Salford Central and Salford Crescent will provide long-term benefits for our residents and commuters.

“This is something I have been actively campaigning on with local councillors.

“I now look forward to seeing the positive impact these projects will have on improving everyone’s experiences travelling into the city.”

The investment will also be a significant development for accessibility, and will be major step forward to making journeys welcome for all.

Nathaniel Yates, rail accessibility activist, said: “It’s great to see TfGM prioritising accessibility and working to make journeys better for everyone.

“There is still a long way to go to improving access at train stations, so it is the norm for anyone using them.” 

During the improvement period, passengers are advised to plan their journeys in advance, as there will be disruptions across both stations between February and October. 

Ticket acceptance will be in place on Bee Network buses between Salford Crescent, Salford Central, and key city centre stations, including Manchester Oxford Road.

This arrangement will run from 10 February to 21 April 2025 and on specified weekends, with more information on the projects found here.