Work to Start on Preston Station Forecourt

Work will soon start on improvements to Preston Station forecourt which will complement ongoing work to make the city centre more attractive.

On Monday 1 September, the county council will begin work to improve the approach to the Railway Station, which will then be maintained by Virgin. The work will use the same materials as used on Fishergate, to ensure a seamless transition between the approach and Fishergate.

Once work starts, the front entrance of the station will be closed for eight weeks. This means that everyone using the station must use the Butler Street entrance.

The work, which will cost £250,000, will be joint funded by Lancashire County Council and Virgin Trains, who have worked closely together to schedule the work to avoid disruption to passengers.

County Councillor John Fillis, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said:

"This latest phase of work will create a really attractive entrance to Preston for the hundreds of thousands of people who arrive by train every year.

"We can already see how attractive the city centre will look when the project is complete and, with the forthcoming arrival of major businesses such as Sainsburys and Tesco to Fishergate, we are starting to see the long-term benefits of attracting investment, jobs and prosperity.

"It's really important that the £6m announced as part of the recent Lancashire Growth Deal will also enable us to extend the Fishergate scheme up to the bus station."

Harry Dunning, Station Manager from Virgin Trains, said: "Preston Station is one of the key gateways to the city, with a long and proud history, and this work will help present its best face to the world. These improvements will help make both the city centre and the station more attractive for visitors to Preston. During this period of works our station teams will be on hand to ensure that our customers still have easy access both in and out of the station."

This work complements the ongoing Fishergate Central Gateway project, funded by £1.38m from the European Regional Development Fund and £2m from Lancashire County Council, will improve key gateways into the city.

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For further information please contact: Andy Swain on 01772 532781
[email protected]