76-807: (Redirected from PRE ) [REDACTED] Look up Appendix:Variations of "pre" in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Pre or PRE may refer to: Places [ edit ] Preston railway station , UK National Rail code PRE Preston railway station, Melbourne Prince Edward station , on Hong Kong's MTR People [ edit ] Steve Prefontaine (1951–1975), an American runner nicknamed "Pre" Arts, entertainment, and media [ edit ] Pre (band) , British band Public Radio East , regional network for NPR Technology [ edit ] <pre>…</pre> , HTML element for pre-formatted text Microphone preamplifier Palm Pre ,
152-551: A centre consisting of cafés, restaurants, shops and exhibition spaces called Granary Wharf , known locally as the Dark Arches. The railway station has 18 platforms, making it the largest by number of platforms in England outside London. There are 12 terminus and six through platforms. Most platforms are subdivided into up to four sections, i.e. 1a, 1b, 1c etc. Altogether, including the numbers, there are 47 platforms. Retail facilities in
228-650: A later date, although it would be over forty years before the Blackpool line was electrified. A free buffet for servicemen was provided at the station during both World Wars. The Preston Station Free Buffet Association served free hot drinks, biscuits and buns and sold sandwiches at cost price to anyone in uniform 24 hours a day for the duration of the First World War . Four 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
304-418: A major rebuilding project took place, branded as Leeds 1st . This project saw the construction of additional approach tracks at the western end of the railway station, improving efficiency by separating trains travelling to or from different destinations and preventing them from having to cross each other's routes. The railway station was expanded from 12 to 17 platforms, with the construction of new platforms on
380-613: 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
456-626: A rarity amongst the larger stations in the UK. An automated announcement system was introduced. 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 £50 million funding for improvements prior to a public spending review initiated in 2010. There are currently six through and two bay platforms in use at Preston, with two more available for emergency use. All lines are electrified, allowing any train to use any platform. The station
532-457: A smartphone Partial redundancy elimination , computer compiler optimization Personal Rescue Enclosure , for spacecraft Other uses [ edit ] Andalusian horse or Pura Raza Española Proportionate reduction of error , in statistics See also [ edit ] All pages with titles beginning with Pre Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
608-526: A station on the site in 1838. It was extended in 1850, with new platforms under the separate management of the East Lancashire Railway , and by 1863 London–Scotland trains stopped here to allow passengers to eat in the station dining room. The current station was built in 1880; it was extended in 1903 and 1913, when it had 15 platforms. A free buffet for servicemen was provided during both World Wars. The East Lancashire platforms were demolished in
684-491: Is a major hub for local and regional destinations across Yorkshire such as to Harrogate , York , Scarborough , Hull , Doncaster and Sheffield . The station lies at the heart of the West Yorkshire Metro commuter network for West Yorkshire providing services to Bradford , Wakefield , Dewsbury , Huddersfield and Halifax . With 24 million passenger entries and exits between April 2022 and March 2023, Leeds
760-625: Is an interchange on the West Coast Main Line ; it is approximately half-way between London Euston and Glasgow Central . It is served by Avanti West Coast , Northern Trains and TransPennine Express services, plus Caledonian Sleeper overnight services between London and Scotland. It is also served by the Calder Valley line to Leeds and York , and by branch lines to Blackpool North , Ormskirk (for Merseyrail services to Liverpool Central) and Colne . The North Union Railway opened
836-409: Is another entrance serving the station car park at the south end of platform 7. 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 such as 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
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#1732851908189912-700: Is designed to encourage visitors and commuters into Leeds to continue their journey from the railway station by bike. Its design is based on the Dutch cyclepoint concept. The railways arrived in Leeds in 1834, when the Leeds and Selby Railway (which became part of the North Eastern Railway ) opened its line. It had a terminus at Marsh Lane east of the city centre. In 1840, the North Midland Railway (a constituent of
988-541: Is served by four train operating companies : Northbound: Southbound: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Long Term Rail Strategy document of October 2017, page 37, states a review in 2020 to introduce new Merseyrail battery trains will be undertaken, in view to put Preston onto the Merseyrail network by extending the Merseyrail Northern Line from Ormskirk to Preston. The aim is to have Preston one of
1064-607: Is the busiest railway station in the North of England , overtaking Manchester Piccadilly , and the second-busiest railway station in the United Kingdom outside London, after Birmingham New Street . The railway station is situated on a hill falling from the south of the city to the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal basin. Much of it is supported on Victorian brick-vaulted arches situated just off Neville Street which contain
1140-803: Is the hub of the Metro network in West Yorkshire . The typical off-peak service in trains per hour (tph) and trains per day (tpd) is London North Eastern Railway CrossCountry TransPennine Express Northern Trains East Midlands Railway (EMR) and its predecessors operated a number of services to and from London St Pancras via the Midland Main Line until May 2022. Two evening northbound and two morning southbound services operated primarily to cycle InterCity 125 sets through Neville Hill TMD . After EMR withdrew its last InterCity 125 sets in May 2021,
1216-589: Is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is located on New Station Street to the south of City Square , at the foot of Park Row, behind the landmark Queens Hotel . It is one of 20 stations managed by Network Rail . As of December 2023, it was the busiest station in West Yorkshire , as well as in Yorkshire & the Humber , and the entirety of Northern England. It
1292-609: Is the second busiest station in the UK outside of London, after Birmingham New Street . Leeds is an important hub on the British rail network. The station is the terminus of the Leeds branch of the East Coast Main Line (on which London North Eastern Railway provides high speed inter-city services to London King's Cross every half hour from the station) and is an important stop on the Cross Country Route between Scotland ,
1368-461: Is the second-busiest railway station outside London in the United Kingdom, being a very busy railway station, expansion is needed. Passenger numbers at Leeds are expected to surge by 63% by 2029, meaning further expansion is necessary. Future expansion might link the station to the proposed High Speed 2 network. In October 2017, it was proposed that the station could be remodelled for the proposed HS2 scheme. The proposal includes new platforms on
1444-543: 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
1520-480: The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The first rationalisation occurred in 1938, when two railway stations (New and Wellington) were combined to form Leeds City Station , opening on 2 May that year. This was designed by LMS architect William Henry Hamlyn . The third railway station, Leeds Central, was unaffected by the change. Part of Wellington railway station later became a parcels depot. The north concourse and
1596-559: The Midland Railway ) constructed its line from Derby via Rotherham to a terminus at Hunslet Lane to the south. It was extended to a more centrally located terminus at Wellington Street in 1846, known as Wellington Station . Another railway station, Leeds Central on Wellington Street, was opened in 1854 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway and the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). The railway station became owned jointly by
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#17328519081891672-485: The Midlands and South West England connecting to major towns and cities such as Glasgow , Edinburgh , Derby , Birmingham , Bristol , Exeter , Plymouth and Penzance . There are also regular inter-city services to major destinations throughout Northern England including Manchester , Liverpool , Newcastle and Sheffield . It is also the terminus for trains running on the scenic Settle & Carlisle line . Leeds
1748-438: The 1970s as connecting lines closed. As well as inter-city trains to London Euston, Birmingham New Street , Manchester Piccadilly , Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley , the station is served by local trains to other parts of Lancashire, Cumbria , Greater Manchester , Merseyside and Yorkshire . In its coaching days, Preston was an important centre for both passenger and postal traffic. This importance continued into
1824-524: The City Railway Station which became the main railway station serving the city. Central Railway Station was closed and has been demolished. The viaduct leading to Central Railway Station is one of many disused viaducts near Leeds Railway Station. Engineering work included replacing 100-year-old bridges over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, the construction of the south concourse and an overall roof, along with major platform and track layout alterations and
1900-529: The City South station, the former LNWR/NER 'New' station, and called simply Leeds from this time. The station had overhead electrification installed under the ownership of British Rail in 1988, to facilitate usage of the new Class 91 services on the East Coast main line. By the 1990s, the railway station's capacity was exceeded on a daily basis, and the 1967 design was deemed inadequate. Between 1999 and 2002,
1976-538: 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
2052-685: The LNWR and the North Eastern Railway, but other companies had powers to run trains there, including the Great Northern Railway and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway . In 1869, New Station opened as a joint enterprise by the LNWR and the North Eastern Railway. It connected the former Leeds and Selby Railway Line to the east with the LNWR lines to the west. A mile-long connection was built, carried entirely on viaducts and bridges. New Station
2128-480: The London terminal station platforms, the longest being Kings Cross 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,
2204-513: The Longridge line in 1930 and the West Lancashire line in 1964. The old island platforms 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 Ormskirk . This
2280-557: The NUR charged a toll of 6 d per passenger. Most passengers refused to pay, preferring to alight at Maxwell House and walk the 200 yards (200 m) 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
2356-429: 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
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2432-454: The North Union station, along with the L&PJR, although Maudlands Station continued to be used for excursions for some decades. The fifth 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 Euxton, 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (9 km) south of Preston, but the company used Maxwell House railway station instead of
2508-559: The North Union's. However, the NUR charged 1 s 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
2584-734: The Queens Hotel were built at this time. In March 1941, the Luftwaffe launched attacks on Leeds , Armley , Beeston and Bramley . Leeds New Station was one of the primary targets, along with the Town Hall, Kirkgate Markets, the Central Post office, the Quarry Hill flats, Hotel Metropole and part of the Inner Ring Road. The station was bombed, causing damage and an unknown number of casualties, and
2660-513: The barriers at peak times. Platform usage varies depending on operational circumstances but is generally: Leeds Interchange, located at the New Station Street exit, provides onward transport connections from the station. There are five bus stands serving Arriva Yorkshire , First West Yorkshire and Flyer routes 1, 4, 4F, 5, 14, 16, 16A, 19, 19A, 40, 444, 446, 870, A1 and DalesBus services 874 and 875. A 24-hour taxi rank also operates at
2736-447: The commissioning of a new power signal box to control the railway station area. At the time of this rebuilding, the railway station was served by 500 trains on a typical day, with 2.75 million passenger journeys a year. Wellington (or City North) became entirely devoted to parcels traffic at this time with the track layout extensively changed. The remaining Midland line trains which previously used City North station were diverted into
2812-457: The eastern leg of HS2 would be cancelled, terminating at East Midlands Parkway instead of going all the way to Leeds. Eventually, the leg reaching East Midlands Parkway was scrapped too, with no new track north of Birmingham Curzon Street . The railway station is served by long-distance services operated by CrossCountry , London North Eastern Railway and TransPennine Express , as well as local and regional services operated by Northern . It
2888-564: The existing station. These would attach to the southern part of the existing station building, and span the river in a north–south alignment to create a 'T' shape. Whilst not directly linking the rail lines, it will allow a common concourse for easy interchange between high speed and classic rail services. These plans were approved by the Government in November 2016. However, on 18 November 2021, Grant Shapps (Transport Secretary) announced that
2964-401: The former goods yard. The remaining platforms 3 to 9 were renumbered 1 to 7. A new Butler Street entrance to platforms was opened in 2017, designed by AHR, and on account of its inept design and confusing and awkward changes of level was short-listed for the annual Carbuncle Cup , awarded UK-wide for architectural bloopers. Some of the station's heritage can still be seen: In 1970, approval
3040-401: The human-controlled ticket checking, to speed up the passage of passengers. When the gates came into operation at the end of October 2008, they suffered from several faults including accepting expired tickets. An oversight on the part of Northern also meant that the gates were not compatible with West Yorkshire Metro Cards. A £17.3 million southern entrance to allow for easier access from
3116-414: The interchange. Further bus stops are located on Neville Street below the railway station, as well as around City Square outside the railway station. Infirmary Street and Boar Lane bus points are a short walk for more bus connections. Leeds Interchange hosts one of the UK's first cycle hubs that allows a number of cycling services including repair, storage and rental. The facility opened in summer 2010 and
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3192-619: The new entrance. Work on a new terminal platform alongside platform 1 (labelled platform 0) began in late 2018 and was completed in January 2021. In November 2018 Network Rail began work to improve the south concourse. The first phase of works aimed to reduce congestion by moving and expanding ticket barriers. A new transparent roof was installed, matching the design at the Southern entrance, with works completed in October 2019. Leeds railway station
3268-476: The northside of Leeds as well as HS2 services running into the existing east–west platforms as well as the proposed terminal platforms allowing links to proposed 'Northern Powerhouse Rail'. In November 2017, details were released about how the station might look. Plans are being drawn up to expand the railway station's capacity with new lines and platforms alongside platform one in the Riverside Car Park on
3344-682: The parcel platform on the western side of the station, which will be reopened to passenger traffic and renamed to Platform 0. The following HS2 services are planned to call at Preston: length Will run combined with the Liverpool train (see above) between London and Crewe if Phase 2a is open. If Phase 2 is completed, the following routes are planned to call at Preston: length The two portions will divide/attach at Crewe. 200 m The two portions will divide/attach at Carlisle. 200 m length Leeds railway station Leeds railway station (also known as Leeds City railway station )
3420-422: 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 London to Glasgow train passed through
3496-562: The platforms. A new footbridge was also provided, replacing the previous underpass. Ancillary improvements included a new multi-storey car park and railway station entrance, refurbishing the North Concourse and expanding retail facilities. A small temporary railway station called Leeds Whitehall was provided to handle some services while the railway station was being remodelled. This was used between September 1999 and February 2002. In 2008, automated ticket gates were installed in place of
3572-624: 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 Maudlands in Leighton Street. After 12 February 1844, regular Preston and Wyre trains used
3648-496: The railway age, both as a major junction and as a stopping point about halfway between London and Glasgow. The first railway lines in Preston were those of the Lancaster Canal Tramroad , 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
3724-406: The ramp, is operated by Avanti West Coast 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 retained a manual Tannoy system until 30 January 2017,
3800-573: 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
3876-525: The site of the original Leeds Wellington railway station to cater for predicted growth. Also Metro announced plans to replace platform 1 with three separate platforms using the car park next to it. This would increase platform numbers from 17 to 20. The original plans for High Speed 2 proposed a separate new station in Leeds to the south of the River Aire at New Lane . However, a later review in November 2015 instead recommends that HS2 platforms be added to
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#17328519081893952-434: The south completed on 3 January 2016. It widens the railway station's western footbridge and provides escalators, stairs and lifts to a partial deck over the River Aire in an iconic structure. The deck provides access to either side of the river for passengers to access Granary Wharf and Little Neville Street or Holbeck . It contains extra ticket vending machines and cycle storage. Around 20% of passengers are expected to use
4028-419: The south side, and reopening of the disused parcels depot to passengers on the north side. The majority of the track, points and signals were also replaced and the 1967 power box closed – control being handed over to the signalling centre at York . The most visible change to passengers, however, was the replacement of the 1967 metal canopy with a new glass roof, considerably increasing the amount of daylight on
4104-450: The station at an estimated 45 mph (70 km/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
4180-403: The station include coffee shops, fast food outlets, a bar, newsagents, chemists and supermarkets. A British Transport Police station on New Station Street houses officers who police the West Yorkshire railway stations. Leeds railway station retained staffed ticket barriers through the 1990s until 2008, when they were replaced by automatic barriers by Northern Rail to reduce congestion around
4256-499: The station on Butler Street, giving closer access to Preston city centre and the station car park . There are two subways , one of which provides step-free access to all but one platforms in use at the station; the second, adjacent to the passenger subway, was formerly a freight subway and only had access by staff operated freight lifts; these were converted to passenger operated lifts in the 1990s, giving full step-free access to all platforms for wheelchairs, trolleys and pushchairs. There
4332-403: 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
4408-732: The terminals of the Northern Line. The document states, "The potential use of battery powered Merseyrail units may improve the business case" . Preston will be a part of the classic compatible sections of the High Speed 2 network. This will see journey times from London reduced by 50 minutes to 1 hour and 18 minutes. Travel times from Birmingham will be reduced by 46 minutes to 50 minutes. In order to accommodate HS2's 400 m (1,300 ft) long trains, platforms 3c and 4c will be filled to allow for platforms 3 and 4 to be extended. Services that currently use platforms 3c and 4c will be diverted to
4484-512: The title Pre . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pre&oldid=1235970607 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Preston railway station Preston railway station , in Preston , Lancashire , England,
4560-533: The total electrification of the West Coast Main Line. 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 is located within the small concourse , which provides direct access, down the ramp, to the intercity platforms 3 and 4. There are footbridges on either side of this ramp to all other platforms. The eastern footbridge ends at an alternative entrance to
4636-412: 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 Blackburn . The railway was not a success, and on 1 July 1897 it
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#17328519081894712-452: The west side of the station, with gentler curves. The Ribble bridge was widened again, 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 and 13. A number of lines around Preston have closed, including
4788-487: 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
4864-495: Was built partially on a bridge over the River Aire , adjacent to Wellington railway station. The arches created under the station are known as 'The Dark Arches'. The map to the right shows the variety of different railway lines in Leeds in 1913. Following the 1921 Railways Act , when railways in Great Britain were grouped into four companies, New Station was jointly operated by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and
4940-515: Was followed by the closure of the East Lancashire line, between Preston and Bamber Bridge 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 Centre , which was built in the 1980s, partly over the north end of
5016-476: Was funded by subscription and had its own marked crockery. The station was on a major north–south route for troops. There are three commemorative plaques related to the First World War buffet in the waiting room on platforms 3 and 4, the former site of WWI buffet. One of the drama segments of the televised Preston Passion of 2012 was set in the First World War servicemen's buffet. The Second World War buffet
5092-405: Was given to electrify the rest of the West Coast Main Line from Weaver Junction through Preston to Glasgow Central. Electric trains began serving Preston in 1973. This was accompanied by new signals on the line and a power signal box was constructed north of the station close by Fylde Junction. An electrification over run also took place at this junction to facilitate electrification to Blackpool at
5168-433: Was lambasted in 1967 by poet John Betjeman who said it blocked all the light out of City Square , and was a testament to money with no architectural merit. In 2010 the building was bought by property company Bruntwood which is (as of 2017) redeveloping it to provide serviced offices, with a new look to the façade. In 1967, further remodelling of the site took place and trains using Central Railway Station were diverted into
5244-704: Was later rebuilt. The Transport Act 1947 nationalised nearly all forms of mass transport in Great Britain and came into effect on 1 January 1948. British Railways came into existence as the business name of the Railway Executive of the British Transport Commission (BTC) on 1 January 1948. In 1962, British Railways House, now City House, was added to the railway station. It was designed by architect John Poulson providing British Railways with administrative buildings. The building became dated and hard to let before refurbishment in 2009. The building
5320-407: Was located in the southern building further down platforms 5&6 (now platforms 3&4). One of the catenary stanchions on platform 4 is notably better kept than others; it 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
5396-460: 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 Deepdale Street . It converted to steam in 1848, but did not run its trains into
5472-406: 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
5548-467: Was rebuilt, at a cost of a quarter of a million pounds, reopening in July 1880, and with seven through platforms and four bay platforms. At this time, both the Ribble bridge and the line as far as Euxton, were widened from two tracks to four. A striking feature of the new station was its long and wide central island platform , 1,225 feet (373 m) long and 110 feet (34 m) wide. It was larger than any of
5624-506: 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
5700-448: 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 the cities of London ], Birmingham , Liverpool and Manchester . Each subsequent line was built by a different company. Rivalry often prevented any co-operation over shared facilities, and so almost every railway line into Preston used its own station. It
5776-468: 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
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