Preston railway station
Encyclopedia
Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire
, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line
.
It is served by Northern Rail
, Virgin Trains
, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail
overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.
. This concourse gives direct access, down the ramp, to the intercity platforms 3 and 4. There are footbridge
s on either side of this ramp to all other platforms. The eastern footbridge ends at an alternative entrance to the station on Butler Street, giving closer access to Preston city centre and the station car park. There also exists a subway
which provides step-free access to all eight platforms in use at the station and with platform 7, at the south end of which is another entrance serving the station car park.
The island forming platforms 3 and 4 is a very wide island platform with a long series of buildings. Inside these buildings are services and amenities including a newsagent
and several food outlets including a licensed restaurant
. There are also toilets and a large waiting room. A small travel centre on platform 3, near the ramp, is operated by Virgin Trains staff to give information for passengers on the platform. In addition to these main amenities, there is a small coffee shop outlet on platform 4, as well as an additional shop on platforms 1 and 2.
Passenger information systems were updated during 2007 and now use dot matrix
display screens. Preston retains a manual tannoy system, a rarity amongst the larger stations in the UK. In 2009 the station was identified as one of the ten worst category B
interchange stations for mystery shopper assessment of fabric and environment, and was set to receive a share of £50m funding for improvements prior to a public spending review initiated in 2010.
There are currently six through and two bay platform
s in use at Preston, with two more available for emergency use.
Virgin Trains operate one train per hour to both London Euston and Birmingham New Street, whilst services from Birmingham serve Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley station alternately every hour, and services from Euston head to Lancaster
, Carlisle
and Glasgow.
TransPennine Express operate services as part of their "TransPennine North West" operations, running trains between Manchester Airport and Blackpool North, Barrow-in-Furness, Windermere or the Scottish termini. Their role as semi-fast services mean that they often miss out smaller intermediate stations along their routes.
Northern Rail is the major user of Preston Station, with services to Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, York, Blackpool, the Cumbrian Coast and even destinations as far south as Buxton
and Chester
. Northern Rail also operate services along the Ormskirk branch line six days a week.
First ScotRail operate their "Highland" Caledonian Sleeper
service with a call at Preston to and from the Scottish Highlands. They are the only services through the station not operated by the three companies listed above. London Midland
's single evening peak service from Birmingham New Street no longer operates, having been withdrawn at the end of the 2007-08 timetable.
.
, a horse-drawn line connecting two parts of the Lancaster Canal
. It opened in 1805, but never carried passengers and never converted to steam. It ceased operating in Preston in 1862.
The first steam-hauled passenger railway in Preston was the North Union Railway
(NUR). On 31 October 1838 it opened its line from Wigan
to a station on the site of the present-day Preston Station. This immediately linked the town to London, Birmingham
, Liverpool
and Manchester
.
Each subsequent line was built by a different company. Rivalry often prevented any cooperation over shared facilities, and so almost every railway line into Preston used its own station. It was not until 1900 that all lines in Preston shared a single station, by which time all the companies had been taken over by one or both of just two companies.
The second passenger railway into Preston was the Preston and Longridge Railway
, which opened as another horse-drawn tramway on 1 May 1840, to a terminus in . It converted to steam in 1848, but did not run its trains into the North Union station until 1885.
The Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway
(L&PJR) was the third line, which opened on 25 June 1840, initially using the North Union station. However, relations between the NUR and L&PJR soured, and, from 1 January 1842, most L&PJR trains used, instead, Maxwell House railway station, a short distance to the north of the North Union station. A few trains passed through, but the NUR charged a toll of 6d
per passenger. Most passengers refused to pay, preferring to alight at Maxwell House and walk the 200 yard to the North Union station, but the NUR refused to hold the train to allow passengers to walk and rebook. The NUR advised northbound passengers to travel by the Lancaster Canal
rather than the L&PJR. On 1 January 1844, Maxwell House station came into the possession of the NUR, and lack of agreement led to several weeks when hapless L&PJR passengers had to alight on the trackside at nearby Dock Street (off Pitt Street). Lancaster trains were able to use the North Union station from 12 February.
Preston’s fourth railway was the Preston and Wyre Joint Railway
to Fleetwood
, opening, just a few weeks after the L&PJR, on 16 July 1840, to its own terminus at in Leighton Street. After 12 February 1844, regular Preston and Wyre trains used the North Union station, along with the L&PJR, although Maudlands Station continued to be used for excursions for some decades to follow.
The fifth railway company to run trains into Preston was the Bolton and Preston Railway (BPR), from 22 June 1843. Its line joined the North Union’s at , 5½ miles (9 km) south of Preston, but the company used Maxwell House station instead of the North Union’s. However, the NUR charged 1s
per passenger to BPR trains over its tracks, and eventually the BPR resorted to ferrying its passengers by road between Euxton and Preston. The BPR was driven into submission and was taken over by the NUR from 1 January 1844.
The sixth line into Preston was that of the Preston and Blackburn Railway, which opened on 1 June 1846, joining the North Union line immediately south of Farrington Station
(respelt “Farington” from October 1857). The railway company was absorbed into the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) on 3 August 1846. Once again, the NUR charged high tolls for the use of its line which led the ELR to build its own line into Preston. The line was initially opposed by Preston Corporation, but was eventually permitted on condition that the embankment north of the Ribble
(which later became the dividing line between Avenham
and Miller
Parks) be ornamentally laid out, and that a pedestrian path (still in use today) be provided on the river bridge. The line ran into new platforms built on the east side of the North Union
station, which were managed and staffed by the ELR, and which had their own booking hall and entrance in Butler Street. The new platforms were effectively a separate station. The new line and station opened on 2 September 1850.
The seventh line in Preston was the North Union’s own Victoria Quay Branch to Victoria Quay on the River Ribble
(later extended to Preston Docks in 1882 and which now connects to the heritage Ribble Steam Railway
). The single-track goods line opened in October 1846 from a south-facing junction immediately south of Preston Station, through a tight curve into a tunnel with a gradient of 1 in 29, emerging north of Fishergate Hill near the riverside.
The eighth line to Preston was the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
, owned by the ELR and connected to its Blackburn line into Preston. It opened on 2 April 1849. From 1891, its trains used a new curve at Farington to enter Preston via the North Union line.
The ninth and final line into Preston was the West Lancashire Railway
(WLR) from Southport
. The railway arrived in Preston on 16 September 1882, by which time all the town’s other lines were owned by the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR) or the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
(LYR), or jointly by both. The independent WLR built its own Fishergate Hill station
. It also built a connecting line to the former ELR (then LYR) line, via which the majority of Southport-to-Preston trains continued to . The railway was not a success, and on 1 July 1897 it was taken over by the LYR. This resulted in the diversion of all passenger services to use the East Lancashire platforms of Preston Station from 16 July 1900.
The network of lines south of Preston allowed great flexibility in the routing of trains. A train approaching the town on any of the lines from the south (except the WLR from Southport) could be routed to enter the station via either the North Union or the East Lancashire line. It was even possible for trains from the north to perform an effective U-turn, a feat sometimes carried out by trains between Scotland and Blackpool that would otherwise have had to reverse.
When the station was first opened in 1838 by the North Union Railway
, the line north of the station passed through a tunnel under the west end of Fishergate (then Preston’s major thoroughfare). It was on a slope so steep that sometimes station staff had to push trains out of the station.
By 1846, the station was already very busy, handling trains from Wigan and the south, Bolton, Fleetwood, Blackpool, Lancaster and the north, and Blackburn. There were no footbridges; passengers had to cross the lines escorted by station staff. North of the station was a network of goods lines around the end of the Lancaster Canal
. The coal yards and sidings here continued to operate long after the canal had fallen into commercial disuse.
The station’s first expansion came in 1850 when the new East Lancashire line used new platforms staffed and managed by the East Lancashire Railway, with their own entrance and booking office in Butler Street. From 1863, trains between London and Scotland, having no dining cars, were scheduled to allow 20 minutes at Preston for passengers to eat in the station’s dining room. The pressure on catering staff was increased when northbound and southbound trains would often arrive about the same time. The condition of the station deteriorated to the extent that on 18 August 1866 part of the roof on the East Lancashire side collapsed injuring three people, one seriously. By then, 150 trains a day passed through the station.
Eventually the station was rebuilt, at a cost of a quarter of a million pounds, reopening in July 1880, with seven through platforms and four bay platforms. At this time, the Ribble
bridge, and the line as far as Euxton, was widened from two tracks to four. A striking feature of the new station was its long and wide central island platform
, 1225 feet (373 m) long and 110 feet (33 m) wide. It was larger than any of the London terminal station platforms, the longest being at 990 feet (302 m). Along the centre of the platform were refreshment rooms, offices, and waiting rooms. A booking hall at the north end of the station was accessed from the middle of a new bridge carrying Fishergate over the railway. A broad ramp led down to the main island platform, with footbridges to smaller platforms on either side. Further south, the platforms were also linked by a passenger subway and a separate subway for luggage, accessed via hoists. At the south end of the main platform, a footbridge led to the nearby Park Hotel, a joint LYR/LNWR property, opened in 1883.
On 30 January 1877 a heavy storm blew the roof completely away from the station, but a more serious accident occurred on 13 July 1896 when a to Glasgow
train passed through the station at an estimated 45 mi/h, despite a 10 mph (16 km/h) speed limit. It was derailed on a tight curve at the north end of the station, killing one person. As a result of this, the tracks were realigned. Charles Street, to the west of the station, was demolished, as were more houses northwest of the station. Fishergate bridge was extended on its west side. This allowed more tracks and platforms to be built on the west side of the station, with gentler curves. The Ribble bridge was widened from four to six tracks. These enlargements were completed by 1903. The east side of the station was also extended in 1913.
By 1926, the lines and platforms were used as follows, from west to east:
Later, platforms 11, 12, 13 and 10 were renumbered into the more logical sequence 10, 11, 12, 13.
, which was built in the 1980s, partly over the north end of the former goods yard. The remaining platforms 3 to 9 were been renumbered 1 to 7.
Some of the station's heritage can still be seen:
A free buffet for servicemen was provided on the station during both World Wars. It served drinks and sandwiches free to anyone in uniform 24 hours a day for the duration of the First and Second World Wars. Seven hundred women working 12-hour shifts served over 3 million men between 1915 and 1919. 12 million cups of tea were served between 1939 and 1945. It was funded by subscription and had its own marked crockery. The station was on a major north-south route for troops. There is a commemorative plaque covering World War Two in the waiting room on platforms 3 and 4, the site of buffet.
One of the catenary
stanchion
s on platform 4 is notably better kept than others, and carries a small plaque detailing the visit of Queen Elizabeth II
on 7 May 1974, after the completion of electrification of tracks north of the point where it stands. This was significant because it marked the completion of the total electrification of the West Coast Main Line.
track "Cheap Day Return" on the album Aqualung, referring to a visit made by the protagonist to see his sick father.
Preston is mentioned on the map "Underground" in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
.
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
.
It is served by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
, Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
, and TransPennine Express services, plus First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
overnight sleeper services between London and Scotland.
Station layout and amenities
The main entrance to the station is at the bottom of the station approach, a ramp off the bridge that carries Fishergate over the railway. The ticket office exists within the small concourseConcourse
A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space.-Examples:Examples of concourses include:* Meeting halls* Universities* Railway stations...
. This concourse gives direct access, down the ramp, to the intercity platforms 3 and 4. There are footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
s on either side of this ramp to all other platforms. The eastern footbridge ends at an alternative entrance to the station on Butler Street, giving closer access to Preston city centre and the station car park. There also exists a subway
Subway (underpass)
In England and Wales, the Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong and some Commonwealth countries , the term subway normally refers to a specially constructed underpass for pedestrians and/or cyclists beneath a road or railway, allowing them to reach the other side in safety.The term is also used in the...
which provides step-free access to all eight platforms in use at the station and with platform 7, at the south end of which is another entrance serving the station car park.
The island forming platforms 3 and 4 is a very wide island platform with a long series of buildings. Inside these buildings are services and amenities including a newsagent
Newsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
and several food outlets including a licensed restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
. There are also toilets and a large waiting room. A small travel centre on platform 3, near the ramp, is operated by Virgin Trains staff to give information for passengers on the platform. In addition to these main amenities, there is a small coffee shop outlet on platform 4, as well as an additional shop on platforms 1 and 2.
Passenger information systems were updated during 2007 and now use dot matrix
Dot matrix
A dot matrix is a 2-dimensional array of LED used to represent characters, symbols and images.Typically the dot matrix is used in older computer printers and many digital display devices. In printers, the dots are usually the darkened areas of the paper...
display screens. Preston retains a manual tannoy system, a rarity amongst the larger stations in the UK. In 2009 the station was identified as one of the ten worst category B
United Kingdom railway station categories
The 2,535 railway stations on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom are classified into six categories and four subcategories by the Department for Transport. The scheme was devised in 1996 and there was a review in 2009 when 106 stations changed categories. The categorisation scheme is...
interchange stations for mystery shopper assessment of fabric and environment, and was set to receive a share of £50m funding for improvements prior to a public spending review initiated in 2010.
Usage and services
Bay platform
Bay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
s in use at Preston, with two more available for emergency use.
- Platforms 1 and 2 are used by local services operated by Northern Rail. Destinations include Blackpool NorthBlackpool North railway stationBlackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....
, Blackpool SouthBlackpool South railway stationBlackpool South railway station is a single platform stop at the end of the Fylde coast branch line from Kirkham, in Lancashire, England. It is unmanned and has an hourly service daily, except winter Sundays....
, ColneColne railway stationColne railway station serves the Lancashire mill town of Colne which is situated close to Pendle Hill. The station, which is managed by Northern Rail, is the terminus of the East Lancashire Line. Trains from Blackpool South run through Preston and Blackburn to Burnley and Colne.Currently the...
and BurnleyBurnley Central railway stationBurnley Central railway station is a station in the town of Burnley, Lancashire and is on the East Lancashire Line. It is managed by Northern Rail, which also provides its passenger service....
. Longer distance services to Liverpool Lime StreetLiverpool Lime Street railway stationLiverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
and YorkYork railway stationYork railway station is a main-line railway station in the city of York, England. It lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London's King's Cross station towards Edinburgh's Waverley Station...
also use these plarforms. Platform 2 is occasionally used by TransPennine Express services also destined for Blackpool. - Platform 3 is the main intercity northbound platform for trains to the north and Scotland. Virgin West Coast services to LancasterLancaster railway stationLancaster railway station is a railway station that serves the city of Lancaster in Lancashire, England...
, CarlisleCarlisle railway stationCarlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
and GlasgowGlasgow Central stationGlasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line railway terminals in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The station was opened by the Caledonian Railway on 31 July 1879 and is currently managed by Network Rail...
most often use this platform. TransPennine Express also use this platform for northbound services to their more northern destinations such as WindermereWindermere railway stationWindermere railway station is the railway station that serves Windermere in Cumbria, England. It is just south of the A591, about 15 min walk or a short bus ride from the lake. The station is located behind a branch of the Booths supermarket chain, which occupies the site of the original station...
and Barrow-in-FurnessBarrow-in-Furness railway stationBarrow-in-Furness railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, England. It is located on the Furness Line to Lancaster and the Cumbrian Coast Line to Workington and Carlisle...
. - Platform 4 is the southbound equivalent of platform 3, although more local services also use platform 4, especially in off-peak hours. Virgin Trains services operate to many destinations on the West Coast Main Line, giving Preston links with BirminghamBirmingham New Street StationBirmingham New Street is the main railway station serving Birmingham, England, located in the city centre. It is an important hub for the British railway system, being served by a number of important long-distance and cross-country lines, including the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line,...
, London Euston, CreweCrewe railway stationCrewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
and StaffordStafford railway stationStafford railway station is an important main line interchange station in the United Kingdom. It serves the county town of Stafford.The present station built in 1962 is a good example of the Brutalist style of architecture - the beauty of the building was perceived to be its very functionality and...
. Southbound Transpennine Express and Northern Rail services also use this platform, usually destined for ManchesterManchester Piccadilly stationManchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
, Hazel GroveHazel Grove railway stationHazel Grove railway station is on the Stockport to Buxton / Sheffield line, serving the village of Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester, England. It was built for the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway by the London and North Western Railway and opened on 9 June 1857...
and Manchester AirportManchester Airport railway stationManchester Airport railway station is the railway station that serves Manchester Airport and is built into the airport's terminal buildings. The station was opened together with the second airport terminal in 1993.- Description:...
. - Platforms 5 and 6 are used as an extension of platform 4, although due to their reversible nature, all three can accommodate northbound trains.
- Platforms 3c and 4c are bay platforms at the south end of the station, between platforms 3 and 4. Local services to OrmskirkOrmskirk railway stationOrmskirk railway station is situated in the town of Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. The station is an interchange between Merseyrail services from Liverpool Central and Northern Rail services from Preston...
often use these bay platforms. These are also used for stabling multiple units or locomotives, and trains that are forced to terminate prematurely so to cause minimal distruption and no platform changes.
- A through-line passes platform 7 (sometimes referred to by railway staff as platform 9, its former number) on the eastern side of the station. It is rarely used as a passenger platform and contains bicycle racks and luggage lockers. The former platform 2 at Preston, which had long been closed to passengers and was used as a mail terminal, was temporarily used for passenger services in 2004 due to engineering works on the eastern side of the station. It was numbered platform 0.
Virgin Trains operate one train per hour to both London Euston and Birmingham New Street, whilst services from Birmingham serve Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley station alternately every hour, and services from Euston head to Lancaster
Lancaster railway station
Lancaster railway station is a railway station that serves the city of Lancaster in Lancashire, England...
, Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
and Glasgow.
TransPennine Express operate services as part of their "TransPennine North West" operations, running trains between Manchester Airport and Blackpool North, Barrow-in-Furness, Windermere or the Scottish termini. Their role as semi-fast services mean that they often miss out smaller intermediate stations along their routes.
Northern Rail is the major user of Preston Station, with services to Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, York, Blackpool, the Cumbrian Coast and even destinations as far south as Buxton
Buxton railway station
Buxton railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Buxton in Derbyshire. It is managed and served by Northern Rail. The station is 25¾ miles south east of Manchester Piccadilly and is the terminus of the Buxton Line.-History:...
and Chester
Chester railway station
Chester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
. Northern Rail also operate services along the Ormskirk branch line six days a week.
First ScotRail operate their "Highland" Caledonian Sleeper
Caledonian Sleeper
The Caledonian Sleeper is a sleeper train service operated by First ScotRail and one of only two remaining sleeper services running on the railways of Great Britain, the other being the Night Riviera....
service with a call at Preston to and from the Scottish Highlands. They are the only services through the station not operated by the three companies listed above. London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
's single evening peak service from Birmingham New Street no longer operates, having been withdrawn at the end of the 2007-08 timetable.
History
In coaching days, Preston was an important centre for both passenger and postal traffic. This importance continued into the railway age, both as a major junction and as a stopping point about half way between London and GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
Preston’s railways
The first rail lines in Preston were those of the Lancaster Canal TramroadLancaster Canal Tramroad
The Lancaster Canal Tramroad, also known as the Walton Summit Tramway or the Old Tram Road, was completed in 1803 to link the north and south ends of the Lancaster Canal across the Ribble valley , pending completion of the canal. The canal link was never constructed.-History:The Lancaster Canal...
, a horse-drawn line connecting two parts of the Lancaster Canal
Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal is a canal in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria...
. It opened in 1805, but never carried passengers and never converted to steam. It ceased operating in Preston in 1862.
The first steam-hauled passenger railway in Preston was the North Union Railway
North Union Railway
The North Union Railway was an early British railway company, formed in 1834.-Origins:The North Union Railway resulted from the first railway amalgamation in British history. The two companies were the Wigan Branch Railway and the Wigan and Preston Junction Railway...
(NUR). On 31 October 1838 it opened its line from Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
to a station on the site of the present-day Preston Station. This immediately linked the town to London, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Each subsequent line was built by a different company. Rivalry often prevented any cooperation over shared facilities, and so almost every railway line into Preston used its own station. It was not until 1900 that all lines in Preston shared a single station, by which time all the companies had been taken over by one or both of just two companies.
The second passenger railway into Preston was the Preston and Longridge Railway
Preston and Longridge Railway
The Preston and Longridge Railway was a branch line in Lancashire, England. Originally designed to carry quarried stone in horse-drawn wagons, it became part of an ambitious plan to link the Lancashire coast to the heart of Yorkshire...
, which opened as another horse-drawn tramway on 1 May 1840, to a terminus in . It converted to steam in 1848, but did not run its trains into the North Union station until 1885.
Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway
The Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway was an early British railway company, in Lancashire, England. It later merged with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway.- Construction :...
(L&PJR) was the third line, which opened on 25 June 1840, initially using the North Union station. However, relations between the NUR and L&PJR soured, and, from 1 January 1842, most L&PJR trains used, instead, Maxwell House railway station, a short distance to the north of the North Union station. A few trains passed through, but the NUR charged a toll of 6d
Penny
A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:...
per passenger. Most passengers refused to pay, preferring to alight at Maxwell House and walk the 200 yard to the North Union station, but the NUR refused to hold the train to allow passengers to walk and rebook. The NUR advised northbound passengers to travel by the Lancaster Canal
Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal is a canal in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria...
rather than the L&PJR. On 1 January 1844, Maxwell House station came into the possession of the NUR, and lack of agreement led to several weeks when hapless L&PJR passengers had to alight on the trackside at nearby Dock Street (off Pitt Street). Lancaster trains were able to use the North Union station from 12 February.
Preston’s fourth railway was the Preston and Wyre Joint Railway
Preston and Wyre Joint Railway
right|256px|thumb|Carleton level crossing between Poulton-le-Fylde and Laytonright|256px|thumb|Thornton for Cleveleys station, 2005The Preston and Wyre Joint Railway – in full, the Preston & Wyre Railway and Dock Company – was the result of a merger in 1839 between:* Preston & Wyre...
to Fleetwood
Fleetwood
Fleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...
, opening, just a few weeks after the L&PJR, on 16 July 1840, to its own terminus at in Leighton Street. After 12 February 1844, regular Preston and Wyre trains used the North Union station, along with the L&PJR, although Maudlands Station continued to be used for excursions for some decades to follow.
The fifth railway company to run trains into Preston was the Bolton and Preston Railway (BPR), from 22 June 1843. Its line joined the North Union’s at , 5½ miles (9 km) south of Preston, but the company used Maxwell House station instead of the North Union’s. However, the NUR charged 1s
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
per passenger to BPR trains over its tracks, and eventually the BPR resorted to ferrying its passengers by road between Euxton and Preston. The BPR was driven into submission and was taken over by the NUR from 1 January 1844.
The sixth line into Preston was that of the Preston and Blackburn Railway, which opened on 1 June 1846, joining the North Union line immediately south of Farrington Station
Farington railway station
Farington railway station served Farington, south of Preston in Lancashire, England.-History:The station opened on 31 October 1838, and was originally named Farrington. In October 1857 it was renamed Farington....
(respelt “Farington” from October 1857). The railway company was absorbed into the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) on 3 August 1846. Once again, the NUR charged high tolls for the use of its line which led the ELR to build its own line into Preston. The line was initially opposed by Preston Corporation, but was eventually permitted on condition that the embankment north of the Ribble
River Ribble
The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...
(which later became the dividing line between Avenham
Avenham Park
Avenham Park is a public park in Avenham, close to the centre of Preston in Lancashire in the northwest of England, and managed by Preston City Council.The park is located in Preston's Conservation area and leads down to the banks of the River Ribble...
and Miller
Miller Park, Preston
Miller Park is a public park under the management of Preston City Council. It is located on the banks of the River Ribble in Preston, Lancashire in the north west of England. The park is one of two city centre Victorian era parks, the other being the adjacent and larger Avenham Park...
Parks) be ornamentally laid out, and that a pedestrian path (still in use today) be provided on the river bridge. The line ran into new platforms built on the east side of the North Union
North Union Railway
The North Union Railway was an early British railway company, formed in 1834.-Origins:The North Union Railway resulted from the first railway amalgamation in British history. The two companies were the Wigan Branch Railway and the Wigan and Preston Junction Railway...
station, which were managed and staffed by the ELR, and which had their own booking hall and entrance in Butler Street. The new platforms were effectively a separate station. The new line and station opened on 2 September 1850.
The seventh line in Preston was the North Union’s own Victoria Quay Branch to Victoria Quay on the River Ribble
River Ribble
The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...
(later extended to Preston Docks in 1882 and which now connects to the heritage Ribble Steam Railway
Ribble Steam Railway
The Ribble Steam Railway is a standard gauge preserved railway in Lancashire, in the United Kingdom. It was opened to the public on 17 September 2005, running along Preston Docks,...
). The single-track goods line opened in October 1846 from a south-facing junction immediately south of Preston Station, through a tight curve into a tunnel with a gradient of 1 in 29, emerging north of Fishergate Hill near the riverside.
The eighth line to Preston was the Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
Liverpool, Ormskirk and Preston Railway
The Liverpool, Ormskirk & Preston Railway was formed in 1846. It was purchased by the East Lancashire Railway. Today the line still operates, with the section between Liverpool and Ormskirk forming part of Merseyrail's Northern Line and the section between Ormskirk and Preston forming Northern...
, owned by the ELR and connected to its Blackburn line into Preston. It opened on 2 April 1849. From 1891, its trains used a new curve at Farington to enter Preston via the North Union line.
The ninth and final line into Preston was the West Lancashire Railway
West Lancashire Railway
The West Lancashire Railway ran northeast from Southport to Preston in northwest England.-History:Construction was started by Samuel Swire the Mayor of Southport, on 19 April 1873....
(WLR) from Southport
Southport Central railway station
Southport Central was a railway station in Southport, Lancashire, England. It was opened on 4 September 1882 as the terminus of the West Lancashire Railway from Preston; it replaced the temporary terminus at Windsor Road which had been in use since 10 June 1878.The station was also known as...
. The railway arrived in Preston on 16 September 1882, by which time all the town’s other lines were owned by the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) or the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
(LYR), or jointly by both. The independent WLR built its own Fishergate Hill station
Preston Fishergate Hill railway station
Preston Fishergate Hill was a railway station at the bottom of Fishergate Hill in Preston. It formed the northeastern terminus of the West Lancashire Railway which built a direct railway link between Southport and Preston...
. It also built a connecting line to the former ELR (then LYR) line, via which the majority of Southport-to-Preston trains continued to . The railway was not a success, and on 1 July 1897 it was taken over by the LYR. This resulted in the diversion of all passenger services to use the East Lancashire platforms of Preston Station from 16 July 1900.
The network of lines south of Preston allowed great flexibility in the routing of trains. A train approaching the town on any of the lines from the south (except the WLR from Southport) could be routed to enter the station via either the North Union or the East Lancashire line. It was even possible for trains from the north to perform an effective U-turn, a feat sometimes carried out by trains between Scotland and Blackpool that would otherwise have had to reverse.
Station development
North Union Railway
The North Union Railway was an early British railway company, formed in 1834.-Origins:The North Union Railway resulted from the first railway amalgamation in British history. The two companies were the Wigan Branch Railway and the Wigan and Preston Junction Railway...
, the line north of the station passed through a tunnel under the west end of Fishergate (then Preston’s major thoroughfare). It was on a slope so steep that sometimes station staff had to push trains out of the station.
By 1846, the station was already very busy, handling trains from Wigan and the south, Bolton, Fleetwood, Blackpool, Lancaster and the north, and Blackburn. There were no footbridges; passengers had to cross the lines escorted by station staff. North of the station was a network of goods lines around the end of the Lancaster Canal
Lancaster Canal
The Lancaster Canal is a canal in the north of England, originally planned to run from Westhoughton in Lancashire to Kendal in south Cumbria...
. The coal yards and sidings here continued to operate long after the canal had fallen into commercial disuse.
The station’s first expansion came in 1850 when the new East Lancashire line used new platforms staffed and managed by the East Lancashire Railway, with their own entrance and booking office in Butler Street. From 1863, trains between London and Scotland, having no dining cars, were scheduled to allow 20 minutes at Preston for passengers to eat in the station’s dining room. The pressure on catering staff was increased when northbound and southbound trains would often arrive about the same time. The condition of the station deteriorated to the extent that on 18 August 1866 part of the roof on the East Lancashire side collapsed injuring three people, one seriously. By then, 150 trains a day passed through the station.
Eventually the station was rebuilt, at a cost of a quarter of a million pounds, reopening in July 1880, with seven through platforms and four bay platforms. At this time, the Ribble
River Ribble
The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...
bridge, and the line as far as Euxton, was widened from two tracks to four. A striking feature of the new station was its long and wide central island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
, 1225 feet (373 m) long and 110 feet (33 m) wide. It was larger than any of the London terminal station platforms, the longest being at 990 feet (302 m). Along the centre of the platform were refreshment rooms, offices, and waiting rooms. A booking hall at the north end of the station was accessed from the middle of a new bridge carrying Fishergate over the railway. A broad ramp led down to the main island platform, with footbridges to smaller platforms on either side. Further south, the platforms were also linked by a passenger subway and a separate subway for luggage, accessed via hoists. At the south end of the main platform, a footbridge led to the nearby Park Hotel, a joint LYR/LNWR property, opened in 1883.
On 30 January 1877 a heavy storm blew the roof completely away from the station, but a more serious accident occurred on 13 July 1896 when a to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
train passed through the station at an estimated 45 mi/h, despite a 10 mph (16 km/h) speed limit. It was derailed on a tight curve at the north end of the station, killing one person. As a result of this, the tracks were realigned. Charles Street, to the west of the station, was demolished, as were more houses northwest of the station. Fishergate bridge was extended on its west side. This allowed more tracks and platforms to be built on the west side of the station, with gentler curves. The Ribble bridge was widened from four to six tracks. These enlargements were completed by 1903. The east side of the station was also extended in 1913.
- Southwest of the station was Christian Road Goods Station (previously known as Charles Street Goods Station before 1903).
- Next was the single-track goods line that curved west to enter the tunnel to the docks.
- North of the tunnel was a goods loading platform, added in 1903.
- Then were two through lines for non-stop traffic, added in 1903.
- Platforms 1 and 2 formed a large island platform, added in 1903, with station buildings, handling through traffic to and from BlackpoolBlackpoolBlackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
. Platform 2 was also used as a terminal platform for trains, and as a reversal platform for trains between and Blackpool. - Between platforms 2 and 3 was a centre line used as a run-around loop.
- Platforms 3 and 4 formed a narrow island platform without buildings. Platform 3 was used for terminal and reversal trains, as Platform 2. Platform 4 was a loop platform for Platform 5.
- Platforms 5 and 6 formed the main, wide island platform, with a full set of buildings along its centre. The platforms were used mainly for West Coast Main LineWest Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
services, northbound and southbound respectively. At the south end were two bay platformBay platformBay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
s, between platforms 5 and 6, used for short trains and goods vans. - Platforms 7 and 8 formed another narrow island platform, somewhat shorter than the other platforms. Platform 7 was a loop platform for Platform 6. Platform 8 was the northbound East Lancashire through platform.
- Platform 9 was the main southbound East Lancashire through platform, containing more buildings and linked to the Butler Street station entrance.
- Platform 10 was added in 1913, as another southbound East Lancashire through platform, which trains accessed via a short tunnel underneath a rebuilt Butler Street entrance.
- Platform 11 was a bay platform, set back at the south end of Platform 9, and curving sharply to the east.
- Platforms 12 and 13 were bay platforms, between Platforms 11 and 10, also curving east. All three bay platforms were for terminating services to and from Southport, Blackburn and Liverpool via Ormskirk. Platform 13 was added in 1913.
- To the east of the station was Butler Street Goods Station, with a large number of sidings and two warehouses.
Later, platforms 11, 12, 13 and 10 were renumbered into the more logical sequence 10, 11, 12, 13.
Contraction
A number of lines around Preston have closed, including the Longridge line in 1930 and the West Lancashire line in 1964. The old island platform one and two were closed in 1970 together with the goods lines to the west of the station, but it was then extended northwards to allow platform two to become a dedicated parcels platform. The line towards Liverpool was truncated and singled in summer 1970, with Preston services terminating at . This was followed by the closure of the East Lancashire line, between Preston and , via its original direct route, in April 1972. The East Lancashire platforms 10 to 13 were demolished, along with the Butler Street Goods Yard. Their site is now covered by car parks for the station and the adjacent Fishergate Shopping CentreFishergate Shopping Centre
Fishergate Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in the city of Preston in Lancashire, England.- Centre Information :The shopping centre opened in the 1980s as part of a development to revive the western end of Preston's main street, Fishergate. Its northern side is on Fishergate, and its southern...
, which was built in the 1980s, partly over the north end of the former goods yard. The remaining platforms 3 to 9 were been renumbered 1 to 7.
Some of the station's heritage can still be seen:
- At the far north end of platform 4 are the remains of the Ladywell Sidings, most of which was swept away by the ring road built in the 1990s.
- At the north end of platform 3, a disused bay platform can be seen. It follows the original alignment of the main platform before the 1903 expansion.
- There is a tunnel between platforms 3 and 4, under the station approach. Locomotives and trains are occasionally stored there.
- At the north of platform 7 is the blocked up remains of the tunnel which took the platform 13 (originally number 10) through-line from the north, under the Butler Street entrance.
- At the southern end of platform 7, the platform edge curves away to the east but the line now turns westward to join the main line.
- The former platforms 1 and 2 are also still in existence, but closed to passengers, and was used for Royal Mail Parcelforce services until recently. Old platform 1 and the lines to its west have been broken to form two bay platforms. Network Rail has its offices here.
Special features
One of the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
stanchion
Stanchion
A stanchion is an upright bar or post, often providing support for some other object.* An architectural term applied to the upright iron bars in windows that pass through the eyes of the saddle bars or horizontal irons to steady the leadlight. A stanchion is an upright bar or post, often...
s on platform 4 is notably better kept than others, and carries a small plaque detailing the visit of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
on 7 May 1974, after the completion of electrification of tracks north of the point where it stands. This was significant because it marked the completion of the total electrification of the West Coast Main Line.
In popular culture
Preston station is mentioned obliquely in the Jethro TullJethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
track "Cheap Day Return" on the album Aqualung, referring to a visit made by the protagonist to see his sick father.
Preston is mentioned on the map "Underground" in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, with Raven Software having assisted in development...
.
External links
- Preston Station : Past & Present Covers the history of the station and associated lines. Many photos, old and new.
- 1850s map of Preston on Lancashire County Council's MARIO map system
- 1890s map of Preston on Lancashire County Council's MARIO map system
- Modern-day map of Preston on Lancashire County Council's MARIO map system