The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the rail regulator, has signed off crucial improvements at Salford Crescent station, paving the way for the new third platform to open later this year. The approval is one of the last stages before the platform can start operating.
The works include a new 157 metre-long platform with a canopy and seating, along with an extension of the footbridge, new ticket gates, and a lift. An official approval statement was issued by the regulator stating the platform is now safe and ready to use.
Key step for busy station
Steve Fletcher, deputy director, engineering and asset management, said: “This is an important step in getting the busy Salford Crescent station ready to open its new platform to help improve how passengers move through the station.”
The £21m plans were first tabled in July 2024, with construction works beginning in March 2025. Originally due to be completed in early 2026, the station extension will start being used in a limited capacity towards the end of October, and is predicted to officially launch in December.
Benefits for passengers and university
Salford Crescent, on the Manchester to Preston line, is said by Network Rail to be one of the busiest Greater Manchester stations, with around 1.3 million passengers crossing through the gates each year. It is hoped the new platform will improve passenger flow and train delays, which has plagued the stop for some time.
The improvements are expected to benefit the University of Salford, right next to the railway line. The Network Rail-led scheme also formed a part of the university’s ‘Campus Connectivity Plan’. Earlier this year, the university launched a search through its art department to commission an artist for a £20,000 mural on the wall of the third platform, which will be unveiled alongside the launch.
