Preston Park railway station
Encyclopedia
Preston Park railway station serves the northern suburban areas of Brighton
in East Sussex
, England
. It is on the Brighton Main Line
and Thameslink
2 km (1½ miles) north of Brighton railway station
, and train services are provided by Southern
and First Capital Connect
. There are also two spur lines that run from Preston Park through a tunnel to Hove station
.
and the West Sussex coast line
. The station was then renamed Preston Park although the nearby Preston Park
did not exist until 1883.
In 1881 the notorious railway murderer Percy Lefroy Mapleton
alighted at the station after having killed Isaac Frederick Gold and dumped his body in Balcombe tunnel
.
, almost two miles (3.2 km) further north.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
's Withdean Stadium
is located a short walk from the station, and for this reason the club offers free travel vouchers with its match tickets — allowing fans to travel from Brighton to Preston Park without there being an apparent surcharge of the train fare.
Preston Park station was featured in parts of Rizzle Kicks
Music video for their single "Down with the Trumpets" which peaked at No' 8 in the UK's top 40 in the summer of 2011.
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is on the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
and Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
2 km (1½ miles) north of Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
, and train services are provided by Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
and First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
. There are also two spur lines that run from Preston Park through a tunnel to Hove station
Hove railway station
Hove railway station is in Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by Southern. The only other operator is First Great Western, who provide a limited number of services each day to Wales and the West Country. However Gatwick Express...
.
History
The London Brighton and South Coast Railway opened a new station named Preston, on 1 November 1869 to serve the growing parish of Preston, then north of the Brighton boundary. The station was enlarged and remodelled to its present design in 1879 during the construction of the spur line from the main line to HoveHove railway station
Hove railway station is in Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by Southern. The only other operator is First Great Western, who provide a limited number of services each day to Wales and the West Country. However Gatwick Express...
and the West Sussex coast line
West Coastway Line
The West Coastway Line is a railway line in England, along the south coast of West Sussex and Hampshire, between Brighton and Southampton, plus the short branches to Littlehampton and Bognor Regis....
. The station was then renamed Preston Park although the nearby Preston Park
Preston Park, Brighton
Preston Park is a park near Preston Village in the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. It is located in Preston Park ward to the north of the centre of Brighton, and served by the nearby Preston Park railway station....
did not exist until 1883.
In 1881 the notorious railway murderer Percy Lefroy Mapleton
Percy Lefroy Mapleton
Percy Lefroy Mapleton , a journalist, was the British "railway murderer" of 1881...
alighted at the station after having killed Isaac Frederick Gold and dumped his body in Balcombe tunnel
Balcombe tunnel
Balcombe tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Brighton Main Line through the Sussex Weald between Three Bridges and Balcombe. It is 1141 yards long.-History:The tunnel was constructed by the London and Brighton Railway during 1840-41...
.
Facilities
The station has a pair of island platforms, linked by a subway; only three platform faces are now in operation. The three tracks through the station reduce to two before traversing Patcham TunnelPatcham Tunnel
Patcham tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Brighton Main Line through the South Downs between Preston Park and Hassocks in East Sussex, England. It is 488 yards long.-History:...
, almost two miles (3.2 km) further north.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
's Withdean Stadium
Withdean Stadium
Withdean Stadium is an athletics stadium in Withdean, a suburb of Brighton. Between 1999 and 2011 it was the home ground of football team Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.....
is located a short walk from the station, and for this reason the club offers free travel vouchers with its match tickets — allowing fans to travel from Brighton to Preston Park without there being an apparent surcharge of the train fare.
Preston Park station was featured in parts of Rizzle Kicks
Rizzle Kicks
Rizzle Kicks are a Brithop duo from Southend, Essex, consisting of Jordan "Rizzle" Stephens , and Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule...
Music video for their single "Down with the Trumpets" which peaked at No' 8 in the UK's top 40 in the summer of 2011.
Services
The typical service from the station is:- 2 trains per hour to BrightonBrighton railway stationBrighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
; - 1 train per hour to LittlehamptonLittlehampton railway stationLittlehampton railway station is in Littlehampton in the county of West Sussex. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern....
via HoveHove railway stationHove railway station is in Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by Southern. The only other operator is First Great Western, who provide a limited number of services each day to Wales and the West Country. However Gatwick Express...
and WorthingWorthing railway stationWorthing railway station is the main station serving the town of Worthing in West Sussex. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by Southern. The other operator is First Great Western. It is one of the main stations on the West Coastway Line; all timetabled trains stop... - 2 trains per hour to BedfordBedfordBedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
via Gatwick Airport, London BridgeLondon Bridge stationLondon Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
and London St PancrasSt Pancras railway stationSt Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
(for EurostarEurostarEurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
) ; and - 1 train per hour to London Victoria via East CroydonEast Croydon stationEast Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
and Clapham JunctionClapham Junction railway stationClapham Junction railway station is near St John's Hill in the south-west of Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Although it is in Battersea, the area around the station is commonly identified as Clapham Junction....
.