Lancaster railway station

Lancaster railway station (formerly known as Lancaster Castle railway station) is a railway station that serves the city of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. It is one of the principal stations on the West Coast Main Line.

Lancaster railway station has five platforms currently in use.
 * Platform 1 - North facing bay platform for services to Carnforth, then Leeds to Morecambe Line to Leeds or the Furness Line to Barrow in Furness (These services may also leave from Platforms 3, 4 or 5)
 * Platform 2 - north facing bay platform for services to Carnforth, then Leeds to Morecambe Line to Leeds or the Furness Line to Barrow in Furness(These services may also leave from Platforms 3, 4 or 5)
 * Platform 3 - bidirectional through platform commonly used by trains to the north
 * Platform 4 - bidirectional through platform commonly used by trains to the south
 * Platform 5 - bidirectional through platform

In addition, there are two central through lines for non-stop passenger trains and freight traffic. There was previously a Platform 6, and although the platform face remains, the track has been removed.

Lancaster is served by several train operators.
 * Virgin Trains operate express trains from London Euston to Carlisle and Glasgow Central using Pendolino trains, and from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street using Virgin Voyagers. These services normally use platforms 3 and 4.
 * TransPennine Express operate regional express services using Class 185 units, from Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness via the Furness Line, and to Windermere via the Windermere Branch Line and since December 2007 to Cumbria and Scotland via the West Coast Main Line. These services also use platforms 3 and 4.
 * Northern Rail operate local services, along the Furness Line to Barrow-in-Furness, the Morecambe Branch Line to Morecambe and Heysham and the Leeds to Morecambe Line to Skipton and Leeds. They also operate a single daily service from Buxton, but no corresponding service back. These services are operated using diesel multiple units of Classes 142, 150, 153 and 156, and normally use platforms 1, 2 and 5.

History
Originally known as Lancaster Castle Station in order to distinguish it from the first Lancaster Station (1840–1849), Lancaster station was officially opened on 21 September 1846. The first public service ran into the station on 17 December the same year. The station was built as the southern terminus of the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway after the initial planned route for the line - following the Lancaster Canal and crossing the River Lune from Ladies Walk to Skerton - was changed in favour of a cheaper route west of the city.

The station was remodelled in 1902 when additional lines and platforms were added and further station buildings constructed. The new buildings were styled mock-Elizabethan with the intention of mirroring the battlements of the nearby Lancaster Castle. Platforms 5 and 6 were electrified in 1908 to serve the now-closed Midland Railway route to Morecambe and Heysham. This line closed in January 1966 and the overhead line equipment was removed.

The track layout in the station area was rationalised in 1973 when control of the signalling was transferred to the new Preston Power Signal Box. This included the removal of the track from Platform 6, although this platform had seen no regular use for some time prior to this. The West Coast Main Line through Lancaster was electrified in 1974, and regular electric passenger services recommenced at the station 7 May 1974.