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Thursday 13 Dec 2012

Rail work piles on over Christmas

Region & Route:

While the residents of Salford are piling on the pounds after tucking into their turkey and mince pies, workers from Network Rail and its principal contractor Buckingham will be doing a different kind of piling.

Steel piles will be driven into the ground as part of the £12m refurbishment project at Salford Crescent railway station designed to improve the chronic overcrowding on the platforms.

The piles at the Manchester end of the station will eventually provide the support for the new ticket office, footbridge and staircase that will be in use by early 2014.

By building a new ticket office at road level, and linking it to the platforms with a new footbridge, staircase and passenger operated lift, Network Rail will be able de-clutter the platforms, creating much more space for passengers.

The existing ramp to the platforms is not wheelchair friendly, and causes a bottleneck where it meets the ticket office. Providing a lift makes the station fully accessible and means the ramp can be removed.

Along with the relocation of the ticket office, this will mean passengers can spread out along the platforms, which are being extended to accommodate six-carriage trains as part of the project.

The piling, along with signalling work needed for the platform extensions, will start at 10 pm on Christmas Eve and continue until 5 am on Saturday 29 December.

During this time there will be a limited train service on some routes through Salford Crescent, and on the Manchester Victoria – Bolton and Manchester Victoria to Wigan Wallgate via Atherton routes there will be a replacement road service.

Passengers are advised to check travel plans with their train operator on online at www.nationalrail.co.uk