Train station to stay shut as £10m upgrade delayed by 'last-minute technical issues'

The station was supposed to reopen on Monday

A train station that was supposed to reopen after a £10m upgrade will stay shut due to 'last-minute technical issues'.

Salford Central station has been closed since February 10 to allow for the work by Transport for Greater Manchester and Network Rail to go ahead. The scheme promises to make the station more accessible and deliver the 'much-needed modernisation' of the building.

The station was due to reopen tomorrow (April 21). However, Northern has now announced that the reopening has been delayed.

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.

"Customers can continue to use train tickets on Bee Network buses whilst the station remains closed."

The £10m upgrade includes a new, more accessible customer ticket office, additional accessible toilets, improvements to the ramps and more inclusive passenger information, such as braille maps, wayfinding, Customer Information Systems and Public Address Systems.

The project also promises to deliver the 'much-needed modernisation' of the station building and an overall improvement in the customer journey throughout the station.

The delay to reopening the station comes as all lines between Manchester Victoria and Salford Crescent are closed today (April 20) due to planned engineering work.

It means that trains between Leeds and Chester will start and terminate at Manchester Victoria while trains between Manchester Oxford Road and Southport and also between Clitheroe and Manchester Victoria will run to a reduced timetable.

A reduced service will run between Salford Crescent and Wigan Wallgate via Bolton. Alternative train routes between Manchester Piccadilly, Chester and Stalybridge, or local bus services between Manchester and Salford Crescent, can be used at no extra cost.

---

Day in day out, our reporters in the Manchester Evening News newsroom bring you remarkable stories from all aspects of Mancunian life. However, with the pace of life these days, the frenetic news agenda and social media algorithms, you might not be getting a chance to read it.

That's why every week our Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams brings you Unmissable, highlighting the best of what we do - bringing it to you directly from us. Make sure you don't miss out, and see what else we have to offer, by clicking here and signing up for MEN Daily News.

And be sure to join our politics writer Jo Timan every Sunday for his essential commentary on what matters most to you in Greater Manchester each week in our newsletter Due North. You can also sign up for that here.

You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to see everything we offer, including everything from breaking news to Coronation Street.

If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our news desk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you'll be the first to hear about it.

And finally, if there is a story you think our journalists should be looking into, we want to hear from you. Email us on newsdesk@men-news.co.uk or give us a ring on 0161 211 2920.