Preston railway station, Railway station in Preston, United Kingdom
Preston railway station is a railway station in Preston, United Kingdom, serving as a junction on the West Coast Main Line between London and Glasgow. The facility has multiple platforms linked by an underground passage and lifts, along with waiting areas and shops distributed across the building.
The North Union Railway opened the terminal in 1838 as the endpoint of its line. A larger reconstruction followed in 1850, when the East Lancashire Railway moved its services here and added new tracks along with an extended roof.
The main concourse still carries the name Free Raffet in local memory, after volunteers set up tea counters for soldiers passing through during wartime. On busy days more than twenty thousand uniformed travelers crossed the platforms, many stopping for a drink or a sandwich before their train moved on.
Parking spaces sit in front of the main entrance, while bicycle racks stand closer to the platforms. Waiting rooms on the middle tracks offer seating when you have a longer wait for a connection.
Musician Ian Anderson mentioned the terminal in a song on the album Aqualung, describing a train journey to Blackpool. The verse depicts how travelers stepped off or changed trains here before reaching the coast.
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