Salford Central is set to close for nearly five months at the start of 2023 as it’s set to undergo an £7.3 million refurbishment project.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that the busy Salford commuter railway station just on the edge of Manchester city centre will close on 2 January 2023 in order to carry out what is being described as a “significant piece of work”, and it isn’t scheduled to open to the public again until late May.
The refurbishment project will see the heights of platforms one and two at the station – which have previously been branded as “dangerous” for those with mobility issues by Mayor Andy Burnham – raised up, and also see the canopies and coping stones replaced, the MEN reports.
New tactile platform paving and new passenger information equipment will also be installed.
Local councillors have said the upcoming closure is “going to cause a lot of anguish” for rail passengers, but TfGM has assured it will be putting measures in place to minimise disruption as much as possible, and has confirmed that trains will still continue to run through the station during the closure period to maintain a link to Manchester Victoria and beyond, but it will just not stop at Salford Central.
ADVERTISEMENT
TfGM has stressed that bus replacement services will be introduced, and Network Rail – which is leading the refurbishment works – has confirmed it will be meeting with with transport bosses and rail operators, including Northern, to discuss the plans further.
Salford Central is set to close for nearly five months at the start of 2023 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Simon Elliott – Head of Rail Programme at TfGM – said the station is to close so that a number of “essential works” can be carried out.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Salford Central station will have long-awaited station improvements early in the new year.
“Trains will still run through the station not stopping, maintaining service links to and through Manchester Victoria. There will be a number of Sunday possessions that will see service changes across the route in January to March 2023 to facilitate construction works.
“The works will include the replacement of the canopies and coping stones, installation of new platform tactile paving, ducting and drainage, and new passenger information equipment.
ADVERTISEMENT
“TfGM are due to meet with Northern to discuss disruption mitigations.”
The busy commuter station is set to undergo a £7.3 million refurbishment project / Credit: Paul Ashton Architects
Ahead of the upcoming closure, Mr Elliott confirmed that “a quite significant communications campaign” would be introduced in advance to inform passengers of the engineering works and how long they will take to complete.
Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Featured Image – Pxhere
News
Police release footage of Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest by hiding under a bed
Emily Sergeant
Police have released unseen footage of a Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest and justice by hiding under a bed.
David Dale Thompson, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (18 March) where he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of residential burglary at an earlier hearing.
The 43-year-old was caught early last year (15 January 2025) following proactive patrols by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) neighbourhood officers across Rusholme and Moss Side, who were in the area due to a high number of reports of burglaries in the weeks prior.
While on patrol, police spotted Thompson ‘acting suspiciously’ while riding a bike just before 5pm, and once officer subsequently followed him to a property on Boscombe Street, before calling for more officers to attend.
After gaining entry to the address, officers suspected something was wrong when they entered one of the rooms, and after lifting up the bed, they found Thompson hiding in the storage compartment attempting to evade arrest.
GMP has now released footage of the moment Thompson was caught.
Speaking following Thompson’s sentencing last week, Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, of GMP’s Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “This was a fantastic example of proactive policing, which has resulted in a serial offender now behind bars.
“We know how devastating a burglary in your own home can be and this shows our commitment to tackling them head on.
“If you have any information or concerns about neighbourhood crime in your area, make sure you speak to us. In the meantime, we have officers on regular patrols in areas that need us the most.”
Emily Sergeant -
18th October 2022 
