Cheapest
Average
The best way to find a cheap fare is to book your ticket as far in advance as you can and to avoid traveling at rush hour.
This is the last train of the day.
Find all the dates and times for this journey
Fastest Journey
33 m
Average
48 m
Trains per day
11
Distance
45 km
Of the 11 trains that leave Manchester for Preston every day 11 travel direct so it’s quite easy to avoid journeys where you’ll have to change along the way.
Distance | 27 miles | |
Average train duration | 34 min | |
Average train ticket price | £9 (€10) | |
Train frequency | 55 a day | |
Direct train | Yes, there are 53 direct trains a day | |
Train companies | Transpennine Express, Northern Rail or TransPennine Express Service |
Trains from Manchester to Preston cover the 27 miles long trip taking on average 34 min with our travel partners like Transpennine Express, Northern Rail or TransPennine Express Service. Normally, there are 55 trains operating per day, including direct services available. You can get the cheapest train tickets for this journey for as low as £4, but the average price of train tickets is £9. Travellers depart most frequently from Manchester Piccadilly and arrive in Preston.
Find the best trains from Manchester to Preston with Omio's travel partners First TransPennine Express 3 and Northern Rail (3) from £4. We can find you the best deals, timetables and tickets when comparing and booking the best route.
Northern Trains is a publicly owned train operator in the United Kingdom, headquartered in York. The train provider operates local and regional trains across the entire north of England connecting regions of the North East, North West, East Midlands, Staffordshire, Yorkshire and the Humber coast line. Tickets such as Advance, Off-Peak and Anytime Day are available to purchase for routes with Northern. There is only one class option on Northern trains: Standard.
Manchester to Preston train information with Northern Rail (3):
Looking to travel by train to Preston from Manchester? Omio can help you find that perfect journey with First TransPennine Express 3. Check Omio to see current First TransPennine Express 3 train timetables, tickets, travel information and prices for the best deals on the Manchester to Preston train and book First TransPennine Express 3 tickets online quickly and easily. When taking a train from Manchester to Preston, you can expect to travel 27 miles (44 km) one-way with First TransPennine Express 3. If you search for trains between Manchester and Preston in the Omio app, you can check if the First TransPennine Express 3 ticket is a mobile ticket, which makes it easy for you to go paperless when travelling without needing to purchase tickets in person at the train station. Whether you’re looking for the cheapest, fastest or earliest train with First TransPennine Express 3, we do the work for you to get you safely to Preston from Manchester. Book that perfect Manchester to Preston train now with Omio and enjoy a smooth and comfortable journey with First TransPennine Express 3!
Manchester to Preston train information with First TransPennine Express 3:
Every day, Northern Rail and First TransPennine Express cover the Manchester-to-Preston route, offering well over 40 direct services. Journey times average around 45 minutes. Travellers can save time and enjoy the most comfortable way to travel by taking a train from Manchester to Preston.
It doesn't matter when travellers need to get to Preston - rail connections will always be available. Passengers can expect a choice of 40-50 trains every day, with few variations on weekdays and weekends. Trains start as early as 6:00 a.m., and run until just before midnight. Between those times, there should be at least 2-3 departures every hour, and none of them will require a change.
Long journeys won't be an issue when booking trains from Manchester to Preston. In fact, TransPennine and Northern Rail cover the 33-mile distance in as little as 35 minutes. Most services will take between 40 and 50 minutes, and the slowest direct trains take around an hour to reach Preston.
Departure train station: When travellers head from Manchester to Preston by train, services will depart from Manchester's Piccadilly or Victoria stations. Piccadilly is the larger of the two, offering plenty of shops, cafés, and other amenities. It also has the most frequent service to Preston, and is in the heart of the city. Victoria, handy for those in northern Manchester, can be reached from the centre by tram in 5 minutes.
Arrival train station: Most trains to Preston from Manchester will arrive at Preston Station. The station is around 200 metres southwest of the town centre, so walking is an option. Taxis to most central locations take 5-10 minutes. Luggage storage, cafés, ATMs, and toilets are all available for the convenience of travellers. Some trains also stop at Bamber Bridge, about 4 miles south of Preston.
Travellers can book train tickets to Preston with a couple of companies. Northern Rail is the major operator on the route, and First TransPennine Express provides an alternative.
First TransPennine Express operates trains from Manchester to Preston from Manchester Picadilly. They make some of the fastest journeys, with many taking less than 40 minutes. However, expect only 5-10 direct options every day, far fewer than Northern Rail offers.
Northern Rail provides the most frequent service from Manchester to Preston, scheduling at least 20 trains per day. Journey times vary from 45 minutes to an hour, and will almost always be longer than those offered by First TransPennine.
First TransPennine offers first-class bookings, which come with perks such as free pastries or biscuits, more space to unwind, and power sockets. Northern Rail also sells first-class tickets, but they come with slightly fewer benefits. Both companies provide WiFi and quiet spaces for professionals, as well as food and drink for all.
Luggage limits don't apply, although travellers are generally restricted to items they can carry on board. Northern Rail allows free bike transport, providing one of the two bike spaces is available on the service. With First TransPennine, bike spaces must be booked 24 hours in advance.
Those with pets can take two dogs on board First TransPennine trains, while smaller animals need to be carried in suitable containers. Northern Rail is similarly relaxed about dogs - they just need to be leashed.
Both companies provide assistance to passengers with disabilities, but it's a good idea for travellers to give them a call in advance to ensure that boarding and alighting can be carried out safely. Passengers in wheelchairs should be able to travel without any hassle.
Saving money should always be possible when travelling by train from Manchester to Preston - especially when travellers choose to book on the Omio platform. Passengers may note that First TransPennine services tend to be cheaper than Northern Rail, even though Northern Rail's journey times are longer.
Booking in advance can often be a good idea, as on-the-day purchases are always much more expensive. And group bookings are another possibility. For instance, Northern Rail offers 25% discounts for couples on some off-peak routes. Finally, passengers should check Omio for seasonal sales. They can occur at any time, and regularly slash ticket prices by 25-30%.
Omio customers who travel this route most frequently depart from Manchester Piccadilly and arrive in Preston.
Passengers booking this journey most frequently board their trains from Manchester Piccadilly and need to travel around 0.6 miles (954 m) from the city centre to get to this train station.
Passengers arriving in Preston most often arrive at Preston and need to travel around 1.4 miles (2.2 km) from this train station to the city centre.
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