Preston railway station

Preston
Main entrance and train sheds.
General information
Location	Preston, City of Preston England
Coordinates	53°45′22″N 2°42′26″W / 53.7560°N 2.7072°W / 53.7560; -2.7072
Grid reference	SD534290
Managed by	Avanti West Coast
Platforms	9 (7 in public use)
Other information
Station code	PRE
Classification	DfT category B
Key dates
31 October 1838	Opened
2 September 1850	East Lancashire platforms added
July 1880	Rebuilt
1903	New platforms added to west side
1913	New platforms added to east side
1972	East Lancashire platforms closed
Passengers
2018/19	4.646 million
Interchange	1.400 million
2019/20	4.937 million
Interchange	1.353 million
2020/21	1.156 million
Interchange	0.286 million
2021/22	4.165 million
Interchange	1.036 million
2022/23	4.237 million
Interchange	1.083 million
Location Preston Location in Preston city centre Show map of Preston city centre Preston Location in Lancashire, England Show map of Lancashire
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Preston railway station, in Preston, Lancashire, England, is an interchange railway station on the West Coast Main Line, half-way between London Euston and Glasgow Central (209 miles (336 km) from London Euston,^[1] 194 mi (312 km) from 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 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 and 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 the 1970s as connecting lines closed.

As well as intercity 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.