Plans revealed for brand new railway station in Preston

Plans have been unveiled for a new railway station in Preston which could open as soon as 2024.
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Cottam Parkway is a new railway station proposed for the north-west side of Preston, to run on the current line between the city and Blackpool.

The new station would deliver journey times of around 5 minutes to Preston and around 20 minutes to Blackpool, say Lancashire County Council, which is seeking the public's views on the proposals.

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It said a planning application will be submitted next year and, if approved, the new station could open in 2024 or 2025.

The station would include a fully-accessible station building with waiting areas, a staffed booking and information office, vending machines and toiletsThe station would include a fully-accessible station building with waiting areas, a staffed booking and information office, vending machines and toilets
The station would include a fully-accessible station building with waiting areas, a staffed booking and information office, vending machines and toilets

Funding comes from a successful bid to the Department for Transport's 'Transforming Cities Fund', as well as a local contribution and through the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal.

LCC said the station is currently known as the Cottam Parkway Railway Station, but this is still a working title and could be subject to change.

About the new station

The station would include a fully-accessible station building with waiting areas, a staffed booking and information office, vending machines and toilets.

The new station would deliver journey times of around 5 minutes to Preston and around 20 minutes to Blackpool, say Lancashire County Council, which is seeking the public's views on the proposalsThe new station would deliver journey times of around 5 minutes to Preston and around 20 minutes to Blackpool, say Lancashire County Council, which is seeking the public's views on the proposals
The new station would deliver journey times of around 5 minutes to Preston and around 20 minutes to Blackpool, say Lancashire County Council, which is seeking the public's views on the proposals
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The station building itself would feature a 'green' roof to encourage wildlife and will also benefit from solar panels.

A footbridge and lifts will link the two platforms, with the whole facility designed to be fully accessible to all passengers.

To encourage people to use sustainable transport, the plans include a bus stop and a new pedestrian and cycle link, as well as secure cycle parking.

Services

Cottam Parkway is the proposed new railway station on the north-west side of Preston, serving the Blackpool to Preston lineCottam Parkway is the proposed new railway station on the north-west side of Preston, serving the Blackpool to Preston line
Cottam Parkway is the proposed new railway station on the north-west side of Preston, serving the Blackpool to Preston line

The facility would be run by Northern Trains and would serve up to two trains an hour between Blackpool North and Preston.

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The journey time would be five minutes to Preston and eighteen minutes to Blackpool North, adding around three minutes to current journey times.

Where would it be built?

The proposed site for the new station is on land between Lea Road and Sidgreaves Lane, close to the former site of Lea Road station.

LCC said the main access to the station and a new car park would be north of the railway line, whilst pedestrian, cycle and bus access will be created from Lea Road.

A new junction will be created on the Cottam Link section of the Preston Western Distributor Road, with the new access road constructed on the west side of Sidgreaves Lane along with a new bridge over the Lancaster Canal.

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A segregated cycle track and footpath would also be created along a section of the existing Sidgreaves Lane and over the Quaker Bridge.

The cycle track would link into Preston’s local cycle network on the Preston Western Distributor Road scheme and along Darkinson Lane.

The station would have cycle storage and lighting to create a safe approach for those cycling and walking to and from the station.

Park & Ride

The plans include a free-to-use car park with around 250 spaces, electric vehicle charging points, mobility and motorcycle spaces, as well as bicycle storage.

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LCC said these facilities would reduce journey times for commuters, as well as reduce traffic and air pollution in the centres of Preston and Blackpool in particular.

Benefits of the station

LCC said the new station would bring better rail access to communities in north-west Preston by providing rail service to a catchment area of around 12,000 homes in areas such as Cottam, Ingol and Lea.

Planners say easier access to rail services would encourage more people to travel via train, relieving road congestion at key congestion hotspots along Preston’s road network.

The Fylde Line already has direct train services between Blackpool and Preston, and onwards to destinations such as Blackburn and Manchester/Manchester Airport

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