Editing Preston, Lancashire (section)

===Rail===
{{main|Preston railway station}}
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[[File: Preston railway station - geograph.org.uk - 5974936.jpg |thumb|Preston Railway Station]]
Preston has a long history with the railways. [[Preston railway station]] opened in 1838 and has since been rebuilt and extended several times. It is a major stop on the [[West Coast Main Line]] between [[London]] and [[Scotland]]. It also provides for local services around Preston as well as regional services to the [[The Fylde|Fylde Coast]], [[Cumbria]] and the [[Lake District]], and various towns and cities in [[Lancashire]], [[Merseyside]] and [[Yorkshire]].

The station has nine (9) platforms, eight (8) of which are in public use, and access is provided for the mobility-impaired. Facilities include:
* Staffed ticket office (limited hours) and self-service ticket machines
* Cafes and news agency
* Lost property office
* Toilets
* Waiting lounges
* Taxi rank
* Bus stop (near by)

The station is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is managed by [[Avanti West Coast]]. For local passenger services outside the city boundaries, there are also stations at [[Bamber Bridge]] and [[Lostock Hall]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/pre.aspx |title=Stations & On Train |publisher=National Rail |access-date=15 November 2021}}</ref>

The lines to [[West Lancashire Railway|Southport]] and [[Preston and Longridge Railway|Longridge]] closed to passengers in 1965 and 1930 respectively. The disused tracks of the Longridge line are extant as far as [[Deepdale, Preston|Deepdale]]. In 2010 plans were put forward to use part of this line for a demonstration tram system.<ref>(26 March 2010), [http://www.lep.co.uk/news/tram_system_demo_could_be_in_place_soon_1_752372 "Tram system demo could be in place soon"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613234209/https://www.lep.co.uk/news/tram_system_demo_could_be_in_place_soon_1_752372 |date=13 June 2018 }}, ''Lancashire Evening Post'', Preston. Retrieved 4 August 2011</ref>

==== Current routes and operators ====
As at May 2022 the station is serviced by the following rail operators providing passenger services on the following routes:

* Avanti West Coast: provides regular services between:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/where-we-go/our-routes/our-route-map |title=Avanti West Coast Network |publisher=Avanti West Coast |access-date=15 November 2021}}</ref>
** [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] and [[Blackpool North railway station|Blackpool]] via [[Birmingham New Street railway station|Birmingham New Street]] or [[Nuneaton railway station|Nuneaton]]
** London Euston and [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Edinburgh]] via Birmingham
** London Euston and [[Glasgow Central railway station|Glasgow]] via Birmingham or Nuneaton
* [[Caledonian Sleeper]]: an overnight [[Sleeping car|sleeper service]] operating between London to Scotland; only the ''Highland Sleeper'' stops at Preston (the ''Lowland Sleeper'' is express to and from [[Carlisle]]). Northbound services operates from Euston station in London to [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Waverley station]] in Edinburgh, where the train divides into three different trains for the final destinations of [[Aberdeen railway station|Aberdeen]], [[Fort William railway station|Fort William]] and [[Inverness railway station|Inverness]]. Southbound services are the reverse, whereby the three trains come together at Edinburgh and continue south to London as one.{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}
* [[Northern Trains]]: provides regular services to many destinations in the North including:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/network-map |title=Rail Network Map |publisher=Northern |access-date=15 November 2021}}</ref>
** [[Blackpool North railway station|Blackpool North]] via [[Poulton-le-Fylde railway station|Poulton-le-Fylde]]
** [[Blackpool South railway station|Blackpool South]] via [[Lytham railway station|Lytham]]
** [[Carlisle railway station|Carlisle]] via [[Barrow-in-Furness railway station|Barrow in Furness]]
** [[Colne railway station|Colne]] via [[Blackburn railway station|Blackburn]], [[Burnley Central railway station|Burnley Central]]
** [[Liverpool Lime Street railway station|Liverpool Lime Street]]) via [[Wigan North Western railway station|Wigan]]
** [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Manchester Piccadilly]] or [[Manchester Victoria railway station|Manchester Victoria]] via [[Bolton railway station|Bolton]]
** [[Morecambe railway station|Morecambe]] via [[Lancaster railway station|Lancaster]]
** [[Ormskirk railway station|Ormskirk]] via [[Croston railway station|Croston]]
** [[Windermere railway station|Windermere]] via [[Kendall railway station|Kendal]]
** [[York railway station]] via [[Blackburn railway station|Blackburn]], [[Hebden Bridge railway station|Hebden Bridge]], [[Bradford Interchange]], [[Leeds railway station|Leeds]]
** [[TransPennine Express]]: provides regular services between:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/routes |title=Routes |publisher=TransPennine Express |access-date=15 November 2021}}</ref>
** [[Manchester Airport railway station|Manchester Airport]] and [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Edinburgh]] via [[Carlisle railway station|Carlisle]]
** Manchester Airport and [[Glasgow Central railway station|Glasgow]] via Carlisle

==== Former stations ====
Although Preston is now only served by its main railway station, in the preceding decades there were a number of other stations which have since closed (and many demolished). The following is a list of former stations which were located within the boundaries of the current day [[City of Preston, Lancashire|City of Preston]]:{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}

* [[Barton & Broughton railway station|Barton & Broughton]]
* Butler Street (goods only)
* [[Deepdale railway station|Deepdale (Bridge)]]
* [[Deepdale Street railway station|Deepdale Street]]
* [[Preston Fishergate Hill railway station|Fishergate Hill]]
* [[Grimsargh railway station|Grimsargh]]
* Grimsargh WHR (separate station for the Whittingham Hospital railway)
* [[Lea Road railway station|Lea Road]]
* [[Maudland Bridge railway station|Maudland Bridge]]
* [[Maudlands railway station|Maudlands]]
* [[Maxwell House railway station|Maxwell House]]
* {{rws|Oxheys}} (goods only, serviced Oxheys Cattle Market)
* [[Ribbleton railway station|Ribbleton]]
* Whittingham Hospital

==== New stations ====
In December 2020, the Lancashire County Council approved a proposal to construct a new station in [[Lea, Lancashire|Lea]] west of the city, to service new housing estates being built in the area. The proposed station will be located near the site of the former Lea Road station which closed in 1938. Although a timeline is yet to be established and construction yet to begin, government funding of £22.3M (along with local funding of £21.M) is conditional that it must be spent by 2023.<ref name=LEP_LS>{{cite web |url=https://www.lep.co.uk/news/transport/new-preston-suburban-railway-station-moves-step-closer-3057903 |title=New Preston suburban railway station moves a step closer |publisher=Lancashire Evening Post  |author=Paul Faulkner |date=5 December 2020 |access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref>

==== Preston Dock branch line ====
With the industrialisation of Preston in the 19th century a branch line was built in 1846 from Preston's mail station to carry goods to and from [[Victoria Quay, Preston|Victoria Quay]] on the River Ribble. With the opening of the Albert Edward Basin and the new [[Preston Dock]] in 1892, the number and length of tracks increased and at their peak grew to over 25 miles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prestonstation.org.uk/Docks.html |title=Preston Dock |publisher=Preston Station Past and Present |access-date=15 November 2021}}</ref>

With the closure of the docks in 1981 and its subsequent redevelopment, most of the tracks were removed and now only a small section remains, used by the [[Ribble Steam Railway]] (RSR) and for [[bitumen]] trains operating to and from the [[TotalEnergies|Total]] [[refinery]] at the Riversway industrial park.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ribblesteam.org.uk/news/ribble-steam-railway-and-preston-docks/ |title=Ribble Steam Railway and Preston Docks |publisher=Ribble Steam Railway and Museum |access-date=15 November 2021}}</ref>

A single station, [[Preston Riverside railway station|Preston Riverside]], is operated by the RSR for its heritage rail trips.