Salford Crescent Station

A pretty average station here.
You can get trains into Manchester, Preston, Blackpool and more. You can buy tickets on the platform too.

A slightly frightening dump. No tickets available, no ticket office (although plenty of signs telling you to buy a ticket), and all the monitor screens malfunctioning. I trust, and hope, this is all temporary, since the station was clearly undergoing some kind of traumatic construction. But for a visitor (as I was) the place did not convey a very pleasant impression.

As Salford’s only real train station it is handy especially for the University area. Apart from that its very basic; 2 platforms, little waiting room.

Ah, the Crescent. Not the pub, this is the train station that serves the university and whomever lives or works in this particular area. It is mere minutes away from most of the university accommodation and hotspots, and it happens to be one of my local train stations. It’s always done me proud, as my hometown used to be Parbold, near Wigan. I was safe in the knowledge that trains from Salford Crescent took me straight back there on a direct route. And I often found myself on those trains with a big bag of laundry. Don’t look at me like that, the laundrettes in my halls of residence were horrid.
You’d be amazed at the widely varying places the trains from here go to, considering it’s a mere two platform station. It is impossible to get lost here, true, that’s a plus point, but the facilities leave a little to be desired. Maybe it’s too small for a coffee shop but it would be nice if it had something. It’s just so desolate. And ever so slightly unkempt. It could do with a lick of paint and a bit of TLC. Some of the staff there can be a bit jobsworthy too, such as not allowing you onto platforms to say goodbye to loved ones à la Gavin and Stacey.
But for its proximity to the university (literally, everything is walking distance from here) and the Salford Museum and Art Gallery, and unbelievable links, I will give it credit. Heck, it’s one of those stations they always make you change at en route, which tells you everything you need to know. It does have a sheltered room for cold or wet days, but it doesn’t do a lot of good, I can tell you this from experience. My trick? Just make sure you’re not waiting there too long. It’s safe enough but there’s nothing worse than an icy bum from sitting on a freezing seat waiting for a train that’s due in half an hour.

Given how close this station is to Salford University, it’s perhaps surprising it’s not a much bigger station — it only has two platforms. But there again, given its size, it’s surprising just how busy a station it can be! Trains here run into Manchester (both to Piccadilly and Victoria) and beyond, and out to Bolton, Wigan and beyond — so there are trains coming and going every few minutes. The signage works well and the announcements are always timely and clear, which is perhaps just as well given how many trains pass through. The waiting room is a little spartan but all in all this is a good little station that fulfills its function well.