Salford Crescent railway station is a railway station in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, opened by British Rail in 1987. The station is west of Salford Central, west of Manchester Victoria and west of Manchester Piccadilly. It consists of a single island platform with a ticket office and waiting room. The station is near the University of Salford, between the Peel Park and Frederick Road Campus. Salford Crescent is the point of a split in the Manchester-Preston Line, with local services running on to Manchester Victoria and long-distance services going to Manchester Piccadilly, and is also part of the line between Manchester and Southport, frequently being used as an interchange between the two lines. Manchester North signalling centre was formerly located at the station, prior to its closure in April 2015., Ticket gates have been in operation at the station since 2016.
Services
Eastbound: frequent services operate to Manchester Piccadilly, mostly continuing to either Manchester Airport, or and to Manchester Victoria, with many services extending to either, Rochdale, Blackburn via Todmorden and or via Brighouse. Westbound: Northern Trains services operate to Bolton, Clitheroe, Wigan Wallgate via, , , Southport, and First TransPennine Express used to run the services from Manchester Airport to Blackpool North, Windermere & Barrow but this was passed on to the new Northern franchise on 1 April 2016. Barrow and Windermere services now run via Wigan N.W and do not call here. Engineering work on the Manchester to Preston Line electrification project has seen all weekend services here suspended for much of 2017-18 - these blockades continued until November 2018. Electric Service commenced on Monday 11 February 2019 utilising Class 319Electric Multiple Units.
In 2007, Network Rail recognised that Salford Crescent could not cope with existing passenger levels, leading to platform overcrowding. It suggested expansion of the station with extra platforms, greater use of it as an interchange and use as a terminus for services from east of Manchester. It also raised the possibility of moving the station. In 2012, improvement work started at the station, including platform extensions, a new rain canopy and the relocation of the ticket office to street level. The works were completed in October 2013 and officially opened by Mayor of Salford, Ian Stewart.
Electrification
Although it does not include the line via to Wigan, the main line connecting Manchester stations to Preston and Blackpool passing through Salford Crescent is being electrified. The physical-civil engineering work was hit by a number of delays which delayed its completion by two years. The first electric test trains ran on the night of 13 December 2018, and the first electric passenger services commenced in early February 2019, utilising Class 319 electric multiple units.
Facilities
The station's ticket office is manned throughout the week and there is a self-service ticket machine in the booking hall. A waiting room, digital information screens and automated announcements are provided at platform level. Step-free access is via a lift from the road bridge and ticket hall.
