The reinstatement of three platforms at the railway station in a bid to increase its capacity has been shelved due to “a lack of industry support”.
A report to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s transport committee said that discussions about the proposed expansion of Salford Central had failed after the rail industry pushed back on the scheme.
Stakeholders including the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Northern Trains and Transpennine Express, told Manchester’s Recovery Taskforce that the project was “unacceptable to the rail industry”.
The stakeholders cited the operational impact of reinstating the platforms as a reason for its recommendations.
In addition, the rail industry believes that reopening platforms three, four, and five – which have not been used since the 1990s – would not work because of the platform lengths, “which won’t allow for future proposed train fleet to stop”, according to Transport for Greater Manchester.
TfGM had been leading the additional platforms project. However, any future work around expanding the station’s capacity will be the responsibility of the rail industry, it is understood.
A report to the GMCA earlier this year said the project could have begun in 2024 if TfGM had received the relevant approvals from the rail industry.
While the expansion project has hit the buffers, another element of the upgrade of Salford Central will still go ahead.
The station will be closed from January to May next year for a £7.3m package of works that includes reducing the gap between trains and the platform edges.
Salford Central is located in an area undergoing significant transformation. English Cities Fund’s New Bailey office development and the Greengate residential quarter are both within easy walking distance.