a newsagent and several food outlets including a licensed restaurant. There are also toilets and a large waiting room. A small travel centre on platform 3, near the ramp, is operated by Avanti West Coast staff to give information for passengers on the platform. In addition to these main amenities, there is a small coffee shop outlet on platform 4, as well as an additional shop on platforms 1 and 2. Passenger information systems were updated during 2007 and now use dot matrix display screens. Preston retained a manual tannoy system until 30 January 2017, a rarity amongst the larger stations in the UK. A new automated announcement system was introduced. In 2009 the station was identified as one of the ten worst category B interchange stations for mystery shopper assessment of fabric and environment, and was set to receive a share of £50m funding for improvements prior to a public spending review initiated in 2010. Services There are currently six through and two bay platforms in use at Preston, with two more available for emergency use. All lines are electrified, allowing any train to use any platform. Caledonian Sleeper 1tpd to London Euston 1tpd to Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness (departs as a single train and divides at Edinburgh into three portions for each destination) Northern Trains 4tph to Blackpool North (3tph on Sundays) 1tph to Blackpool South 1tph to Liverpool Lime Street 1tph to York via Leeds 3tph to via (2tph on Sundays) 1tph to (11tpd) or (4tpd) 1tph to Colne 1tph to Ormskirk 1tpd to Carlisle (via ) TransPennine Express 1tph to Manchester Airport 1tph to Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Waverley (alternately) 2tpd to Avanti West Coast 2tph to London Euston (one direct, the other via Birmingham New Street) 1tph to Glasgow Central 1tph originating from London Euston via the West Midlands, including 1tp2h to 1tp2h to or (3tpd) Services Summary History In coaching days, Preston was an important centre for both passenger and postal traffic. This importance continued into the railway age, both as a major junction and as a stopping point about halfway between London and Glasgow. Preston's railways The first rail lines in Preston were those of the Lancaster Canal Tramroad, a horse-drawn line connecting two parts of the Lancaster Canal. It opened in 1805, but never carried passengers and never converted to steam. It ceased operating in Preston in 1862. The first steam-hauled