Ribble Steam Railway

The Riverside station is quite a way from Preston city centre, but proposals have been made for a platform to be constructed at Strand Road.

[1] This would be close to the Portway terminus of the Preston park and ride service, Guild Wheel walking trail and the River Ribble.

The project was first started in 1973, a preservation centre opened in Southport, on the former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway steam shed at Derby Road.

[citation needed] However, the shed was becoming a costly burden to handle for the museum, so a relocation scheme was started.

[3] The museum also operates passenger services to Strand Road Crossing and back, from its own station – Preston Riverside.

The Ribble Steam Railway terminates adjacent to the level crossing and it is proposed that a station should be built on the site.

The only regular freight traffic on the line was to deliver bitumen, transported using a consist of 15 tank wagons from Lindsey Oil Refinery, Lincolnshire to the Preston Total facility, three times weekly.

The Ribble Steam railway terminus at Strand Road
A train crossing Strand Road towards the docks in 1989
A Ribble Rail locomotive and bitumen tank wagons