Gating Preston station - how might it be done?

With all the gateline talk on other threads the fairly big gap of Preston station springs to mind. However gating this station is very difficult because of its curious layout.

At present the functionally main (by far the busiest) entrance is the narrow bridge from the entrance opposite the Fishergate Centre, this is also the car and private hire pick up/drop off. To fully gate the station at present it would seem necessary to close this entrance which would be unpopular. The station is I believe listed? This might mean major changes are difficult, though I have suggested a mezzanine bridge as an approach before.

However, major redevelopment of the Fishergate Centre complex is coming soon, could that come with changes to the station if the entrance I mention is no longer as useful?

Has anything been proposed, and does anyone have any of their own thoughts?

I suppose one slightly messy option could simply be to put a TVM by that entrance and a couple of remote monitored gates, the same at the car park entrance and a "full" gateline in the booking office area? People might switch from the Fishergate entrance to that voluntarily if there were delays there or ticketing was less easy as it isn't, unless actually going to the Fishergate Centre, a longer walk?

Could demand for the Fishergate entrance be further reduced by moving the car drop off/pick up to where the black cabs are now by the booking office entrance (or down towards the car park entrance) and moving the black cabs back to the Fishergate Centre side? I'm fairly sure it was like that in the early 1990s.

I seem to recall as a kid there was a bloke in a fibreglass box checking tickets at that entrance, and presumably selling local ones for cash though I never tried.

I thought the 'new' entrance at the other end of the Butler St car park was intended for wider use, though it never happened.

Preston station, operated by Virgin Trains West Coast, has a new entrance on Butler Street.

As a continuation of the project that saw a cycle hub open at the station in December 2016, Virgin Trains have now completed a brand new entrance on the Butler Street side of the station. The new entrance building houses ticket vending machines and the relocated car park payment machines. There is space for retail outlet and the entrance allows direct access onto Platform 7.

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snail said:

I thought the 'new' entrance at the other end of the Butler St car park was intended for wider use, though it never happened.

New Entrance For Preston Station | Community Rail Lancashire

communityraillancashire.co.uk

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It's there, but it's just not in a convenient place for anything other than the multi storey car park.

How might it be done? Don't do it is my suggestion. Crazy

Bletchleyite said:

At present the functionally main (by far the busiest) entrance is the narrow bridge from the entrance opposite the Fishergate Centre, this is also the car and private hire pick up/drop off. To fully gate the station at present it would seem necessary to close this entrance which would be unpopular.

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Exactly

I think that a small structure placed outside the station walls on the Fishergate entrance would be reasonable, built into the existing canopy there. Then gate the main entrance by the ticket counters and machines.

JonathanH said:

I think that a small structure placed outside the station walls on the Fishergate entrance would be reasonable, built into the existing canopy there. Then gate the main entrance by the ticket counters and machines.

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The issue is that with that being the de-facto main entrance/exit a couple of gates may not suffice, and there isn't really room for a large structure with multiple gates.

That said, I don't think that needs to be the main entrance - only for those coming from the Fishergate Centre is it the shortest walk (and unlike in the 90s that is a dying shopping centre full of charity shops and the likes and is going to be redeveloped soon). From Fishergate itself it's the same distance to walk as the booking office entrance unless you're going to P5/6 which are the least used platforms.

I don't know how you'd change habits without a queue developing on the bridge blocking easy access to P5/6, though.

Any changes at Preston should be made with the primary motive of getting people off that bridge - it's too narrow and too steep.

The primary entrance and ticket office needs switching to the Fishergate side using the entrance onto Platform 7 and so routing everyone via the subways. A new ticket office and barriers could then be placed in the covered area between the station and car park.

The bridge can then be safely removed

Acathater said:

Any changes at Preston should be made with the primary motive of getting people off that bridge - it's too narrow and too steep.
The primary entrance and ticket office needs switching to the Fishergate side using the entrance onto Platform 7 and so routing everyone via the subways. A new ticket office and barriers could then be placed in the covered area between the station and car park.
The bridge can then be safely removed

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I don't see any need to remove the bridge as access to P5/6. It's it being the main entrance/exit that is problematic.

I wouldn't move the main entrance to the car park end - that's miles from anything (bar the car park). Improving the current ticket office entrance is probably preferable.

Bletchleyite said:

At present the functionally main (by far the busiest) entrance is the narrow bridge from the entrance opposite the Fishergate Centre, this is also the car and private hire pick up/drop off. To fully gate the station at present it would seem necessary to close this entrance which would be unpopular. The station is I believe listed? This might mean major changes are difficult, though I have suggested a mezzanine bridge as an approach before.

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I knew there was an exit to a car park out that way, but I've only ever used the front (taxi ramp/booking office) exit to Preston before I had no clue there was a whole building out there!

I feel like I pretty much never see people going that way but it's a very sensible way to go now I see it and I'm usually focused on the trains.

Bletchleyite said:

At present the functionally main (by far the busiest) entrance is the narrow bridge from the entrance opposite the Fishergate8 Centre, this is also the car and private hire pick up/drop off. To fully gate the station at present it would seem necessary to close this entrance which would be unpopular. The station is I believe listed?

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I'm with @pokemonsuper9. Is the main entrance/exit from Preston station really the one heading up from the ticket office area across the narrow footbridge towards the Fishergate Centre side entrance on Butler Street? And not the taxi rank on the slope?

Mcr Warrior said:

I'm with @pokemonsuper9. Is the main entrance/exit from Preston station really the one heading up from the ticket office area across the narrow footbridge towards the Fishergate Centre side entrance on Butler Street?

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It is certainly the one used by the majority of people, because it leads towards the city centre as well as the private car (including Uber etc) pick up/drop off area. It has been for years. There is pretty much always a continuous flow of people in both directions over that bridge.

I do wonder if swapping the private car/Uber area over with the black cab area (by the ticket office) would balance things better, so only those going to/from town would use the bridge. Or even move the private car pick up/drop off right down to by the side entrance by the multi storey and create a plaza with a couple of rail replacement bus stops by the Fishergate entrance.

It's possible of course that the upcoming Fishergate Centre redevelopment may change things, but I can only see it making that entrance busier!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jul 2026 ==

Some Google Maps links to help people see the layout:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/K9xWaLo3NqWkHBVS7 - the Fishergate (de-facto main) entrance on the right with the drop off/pick up car park visible (and a secondary taxi area which is more used for drop off and rail replacement buses but I'm fairly sure was the main taxi rank in the 90s).

https://maps.app.goo.gl/B5mpaGp66gQeAc6E9 - the bit by the booking office, looks like car pick up/drop off is now allowed there too.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/kWTvr9cfJkEC8pYB7 - the new entrance (on the right slightly behind you) looking towards the multi storey and a barely used short stay car park shown empty - should this perhaps be the new car/Uber pickup which would redirect that traffic into the subway rather than the bridge? The new "shed" would have room for a small gateline of maybe 4-5 gates from what I remember and has a couple of TVMs. This is basically only used by people parking in the multi storey.

I suppose you could just make the bridge entrance/exit an emergency exit only, but I don't think it would be popular to do that without other changes, particularly as it's significantly uphill from the "new" entrance/exit.

Are we asking the right question? Might it be better to ask 'what's the best way to enforce ticketed travel at Preston?' If the answer turns out to be 'gates' then that's when to start considering changing station entrances and footbridges.

Mcr Warrior said:

I'm with @pokemonsuper9. Is the main entrance/exit from Preston station really the one heading up from the ticket office area across the narrow footbridge towards the Fishergate Centre side entrance on Butler Street? And not the taxi rank on the slope?

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Both entrances are key. I know that is dodging the question but it is the truth.

Bletchleyite said:

It's there, but it's just not in a convenient place for anything other than the multi storey car park.

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I know that. I use it if picking up or dropping off as you can get to the lift or ramp to the subway and on to platforms without using the stairs. But if I'm just on foot I agree it's very inconveniently sited. If I'm walking into town I'll use the bridge if the train is on P5/P6 or the main entrance if P1-P4.

Bletchleyite said:

I don't see any need to remove the bridge as access to P5/6. It's it being the main entrance/exit that is problematic

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I do ponder on occasion about how accessible the P5/6 bridge really is: steep and narrow steps leading to a narrow two-way thoroughfare probably isn't best practice!

WRT gating Preston more broadly, I'm worried about turning the ramp into a de facto 'holding bay' if the gates are placed at the top with funneling down to P3/4. That could become a crowding concern.

Bletchleyite said:

With all the gateline talk on other threads the fairly big gap of Preston station springs to mind. However gating this station is very difficult because of its curious layout.

At present the functionally main (by far the busiest) entrance is the narrow bridge from the entrance opposite the Fishergate Centre, this is also the car and private hire pick up/drop off. To fully gate the station at present it would seem necessary to close this entrance which would be unpopular. The station is I believe listed? This might mean major changes are difficult, though I have suggested a mezzanine bridge as an approach before.

However, major redevelopment of the Fishergate Centre complex is coming soon, could that come with changes to the station if the entrance I mention is no longer as useful?

Has anything been proposed, and does anyone have any of their own thoughts?

I suppose one slightly messy option could simply be to put a TVM by that entrance and a couple of remote monitored gates, the same at the car park entrance and a "full" gateline in the booking office area? People might switch from the Fishergate entrance to that voluntarily if there were delays there or ticketing was less easy as it isn't, unless actually going to the Fishergate Centre, a longer walk?

Could demand for the Fishergate entrance be further reduced by moving the car drop off/pick up to where the black cabs are now by the booking office entrance (or down towards the car park entrance) and moving the black cabs back to the Fishergate Centre side? I'm fairly sure it was like that in the early 1990s.

I seem to recall as a kid there was a bloke in a fibreglass box checking tickets at that entrance, and presumably selling local ones for cash though I never tried.

Click to expand...

Is another subway replacing the awkward footbridge (with a lowered section by the ticket office after the gates to connect to it) possible if you widen the pavement on Butler St and build a ramp with remotely operated ticket gates starting there?
You'd have to widen P1/2 to accept it as well, but it would make a lot of sense. Access to P1/2 needs sorting in general, that footbridge is at a very awkward angle.

AlastairFraser said:

Is another subway replacing the awkward footbridge (with a lowered section by the ticket office after the gates to connect to it) possible if you widen the pavement on Butler St and build a ramp with remotely operated ticket gates starting there?
You'd have to widen P1/2 to accept it as well, but it would make a lot of sense. Access to P1/2 needs sorting in general, that footbridge is at a very awkward angle.

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To be honest there would be a reasonable case for widening or even moving 1/2. There is space. You could then replace the footbridge with a wider one. Issue is the building being listed, but you can clearly add stuff as they already have.

Bletchleyite said:

To be honest there would be a reasonable case for widening or even moving 1/2. There is space. You could then replace the footbridge with a wider one. Issue is the building being listed, but you can clearly add stuff as they already have.

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Indeed. I wonder if making the old parcels platform platform 1 and using current platform 1 as platform 2 would be a good idea - there's still access to it from the subway, and, as you say, replacing the footbridge is needed anyway.