Preston Park railway station spur tracks which run from Preston Park through a tunnel to . The London Brighton and South Coast Railway opened a new station named "Preston", on 1 November 1869 to serve the growing parish of Preston, then north of the Brighton boundary. The station was enlarged and remodelled to its present design in 1879 during the construction of the Cliftonville Curve spur line from the main line to Hove and the West Sussex coast line. The station was then renamed "Preston Park" although the nearby Preston Park did not exist until 1883. In 1881 the railway murderer Percy Lefroy Mapleton
Preston railway station 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. In June 2018, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) approved an application by Great North Western Railway for 5 direct services per day from Blackpool North to London Euston calling at: , , Preston, and . The service is planned for September 2019. Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Long Term Rail Strategy document of October 2017, page 37, states a review in 2020 to introduce new Merseyrail battery trains will be undertaken, in view