You need a valid ticket before before boarding a train, almost always. If you can't show your ticket plus any supporting travel card then at the very least you incur a penalty fare. You could be fined up to £1000, and repeat offenders can be jailed. Some exceptions:

• No ticket facilities: some small platform halts lack a machine. Here it’s okay to board the train and buy from the conductor, though the full range of cheap deals may not be available. On crowded commuter trains the conductor may not reach everyone: the big city stations have a platform ticket kiosk where you can buy without penalty to be let through the exit gate.

• If the machine is broken, take photo of it on your phone and chew the ear of the conductor when your train arrives. At small stations he / she will probably wave you aboard. At a large station you’ll have to join the irate queue at the staffed ticket office, and there’s no recompense if you miss your train as a result.

• No charge for children under 5 when accompanied by a paying adult. Children 5-15 need a ticket but go half price.

• No charge for one or two pets or assistance animals. Dogs must be on leads, other animals in boxes or cages, and they may not occupy seats. You may need a ticket for larger menageries.

• No charge for bicycles, and Brompton-style bikes that fold into a case are always fine. For other bikes on busy routes you must reserve a bike space, and should always reserve with a group of you. Commuter trains lack storage vans and don’t allow non-folding bikes in rush hour.

Plan again, to confirm times and prices when you’re close to travel and ready to buy. What’s posted on National Rail is definitive, and there’s no reason until purchase to consult any other website – some are frankly rip-off. National Rail also shows any known disruptions such as engineering works, and if the train is already making its way cross-country it displays progress.

Train times seldom alter month upon month, and in particular they don’t change with the clocks in spring and autumn. Thus the 10:02 train to Sheffield still departs at 10:02, but you need to adjust your watch to catch it. Lots of people forget, and miss their trains at the end of March.

Buying tickets can be done just before travel, but the best deals are in advance. Online is simplest, though ticket offices and machines sell advance tickets. You now meet the oddity that (as of 2025) National Rail does not itself sell tickets, but refers you to the train operating companies that do so. There are over 30 of these, and multiple ticket types, with fares that can be offset by over 30 different concession cards. Do the maths, that’s over 5000 ticket combinations on what up to now looked like a simple trip. Fight down the urge to run screaming to the nearest car hire office: most combinations are identical, and the National Rail website tries to guide you to the optimum. Types of ticket, detailed further below, are:

- Anytime are the most flexible but most expensive.

- Off-peak is cheaper but you may not travel in rush hour.

- Advance are usually the least expensive.

- Rover or Ranger tickets are for unlimited travel in a specified area, but are poor value.

- Passes such as season tickets or the Interail pass allow free travel. That's not the same as concession cards such as the Senior Railcard, where you must still buy a ticket but at reduced price.

The format of the ticket is either a conventional card the size of a bank card, or a QR code to be displayed on your phone or printed out. An email confirming your purchase is not itself a ticket.

You can buy a through-ticket from any station in Great Britain to any other. If your plans change and you need to upgrade to a more expensive flexible ticket, this is called "excessing" and is described below, along with the process for refunds of unused tickets.

Suppose you want to travel from London to Sheffield on Wednesday 7 May 2025. This is clear of public holidays so schedules, ticket prices and availability are plumb normal.

Closing the sale: Having perused all the options and concessions set out below, you pick your ticket, probably an advance travelling around midday. National Rail now refers you to the company that operates that train, East Midlands Railway. You could find your way to one of the other 30 companies but there's seldom any point doing so. EMR asks for your e-mail address, how you wish to collect your ticket, then your bank card details. And that's it done. A seat reservation comes free and there are no booking fees over the stated fare.

Anytime tickets are the most flexible but most expensive. In this example an Anytime adult standard-class single is £128, return £256. It enables you to travel in the rush 07:00-09:00 and 16:00-18:00, when business travellers in both directions are trying to make the meeting then get home that evening. It can be bought at any time until the train leaves, and does not vary in price. If you miss the train you're still good for the next. A single is only valid for that day or the following, but in railway terms the "day" is until 04:29 next morning. The outward part of a return is valid for 5 days, and the return part is valid for a calendar month. You may break your journey.

These tickets may be restricted to specific routes or train operators, and this is made explicit as you buy. Here, £128 is for a ticket "via Chesterfield" (the train need not stop there) which is fine because that's the most frequent and direct route. You pay £134 if for some reason you travel from London Kings Cross (right next to St Pancras) and change at Doncaster. The website helpfully points out that some lifts at Kings Cross are out of order, and that engineering there on 17/18 May means no trains.

Anytime Day Returns are a variant with similar conditions for shorter journeys. So from London they're not on offer for Sheffield, but you might use them for an outing to Brighton.

Off-peak tickets are not valid during rush hour, which varies by route but is typically M-F 07:00-09:00 and 16:00-18:00. They may be further restricted as "Super Off-peak". But beyond that they're flexible, with conditions and validity otherwise the same as for Anytime. Here, the price London-Sheffield return drops to £160. Tickets for Saturday or Sunday usually qualify as Off-peak.

If one leg of your journey needs to be rush hour but the other can avoid it, you might do better to buy singles for each leg.

Advance tickets are usually but not always the cheapest. You must travel on the exact trains selected when booking, and you can't break your journey. Tickets usually go on sale 12 weeks beforehand (it varies by operator) and may sell out, but otherwise they remain available until 10 min before departure. No later, because if you fail to get aboard that train you've effectively lost your ticket. However if you buy an Advance with a change of trains and miss the connection because the first runs late, your ticket is good for the next onward train providing you've allowed adequate connection time, which the National Rail website will indicate.

The price creeps up as the travel day approaches. London-Sheffield starting on 7 May 2025 if bought some weeks in advance was only £55 return, but buying on 4 May was £80 return and on 6 May they'd sold out. Return tickets are always sold as two separate singles.

These permit almost unlimited travel in a defined geographical area for a period of one to fourteen days, including options such as "three days in seven". There are over 100 of these, see the National Rail list. Some include buses in the Rover area. Two are international, the Interrail passes described later. Two are national:

• All Line Rover allows 7 or 14 days travel on almost all trains in England, Scotland and Wales. As of May 2025 it costs £625 (7 days) or £949 (14 days) for standard class, and £949 (7 days) or £1387 (14 days) for 1st class. Children pay half-fare and most Railcard holders get 1/3 off.
• Spirit of Scotland allows 4 days in 8 (£155) or 8 days in 15 (£196), with the same concessions for children and Railcard holders.

These are frankly poor value, for instance the All Line Rover is way more expensive than an Interrail pass. To explore the Peak District around Sheffield, insofar as that's possible by rail, you'd pick the Derbyshire Wayfarer, £23.40 for an adult day pass. Yet an off-peak day return to a destination such as Matlock is only £15.30.

These are expensive, and only suitable for regular commuters: use the season ticket calculator for options and prices. Sheffield to London is a long commute but some luckless travellers have to do it: making three return journeys a week costs £400 a week or £1446 a month.

The Home Counties are more typical terrain: Brighton to London Thameslink for 3 days a week costs £130 a week or £500 a month. It's not valid on London Underground.

Season tickets are available from ticket offices and machines, and you can apply Railcards (eg Disabled Persons Railcard) for reductions on these prices.

These allow unlimited travel without a separate ticket. You pay a supplement for Eurostar and for sleeper berths, but not for seats on the sleepers.

• Interrail is a pass for European residents. The most popular type is the Global Interrail pass, which is valid across all 33 participating countries (including the UK). British residents can also buy Global Interrail passes, but such passes can only be used in Britain on two nominated days within the pass' validity, for travel to/from a port, airport or border. There are two types of dedicated Interrail passes which cover parts of the UK: Interrail Great Britain is valid for travel throughout England, Scotland and Wales, while Interrail Ireland is valid for travel in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
• Eurail is the same as Interrail, but for non-European residents. The pricing for Eurail was historically different, but is now aligned with Interrail.
• Britrail passes can only be purchased by non-UK residents, and must be purchased online or in your home nation before you depart for the UK. Britrail passes cover travel in Great Britain, but not Northern Ireland. As well as a national pass, there are regional Britrail passes covering specific areas of the country.

See European rail passes for more information.

Conventional are credit-card sized printed tickets. They're what you get if you buy at a ticket office or machine, or collect an online purchase from those. (Or if they're sent in the post, seldom a wise option.) Return tickets are printed as separate outward and return legs, along with a receipt. Seat reservations (see below) may be printed on the ticket or separately, since they can be obtained separately. On the back is a magnetic strip for the station entry and exit gates - have the relevant ticket in your hand as you approach, to avoid fumbling in your wallet and dropping valuables in a moving crowd. At exit the gate swallows used-up tickets, ask the gate inspector to let you keep it if it's needed as a receipt or souvenir.

See "At the station" below for collection of tickets from machines or staffed offices.

E-ticket: these are a QR code, which you may receive in PDF form by email or by direct access to the vendors' website. Immediately write down any purchase reference number in case the internet goes pop. Either print out the ticket (plain white single-sided A4 is best), or download it to your phone / iPad etc, which may require using an app from the vendor. Trains and major stations have decent Wifi and charging points, so you shouldn't have problems displaying from a tired phone. M-ticket is a variant sometimes used in Scotland or Wales. Unlike e-tickets you must activate these before travelling (all it takes is a tap of the screen) and display on the vendor's app.

Smartcards are issued by some rail companies, you can load tickets onto these. They're only relevant to regular travellers.

A ticket does not guarantee a seat unless you also have a seat reservation. This may come automatically with the ticket or you may be invited to reserve. It's free so if in doubt do so, otherwise on a busy train you may have to stand all the way. Local and commuter services don't have reserved seats.

It's sometimes cheaper to buy separate tickets for different parts of the same journey, most obviously if there's a change of trains. Say on 7 May you fly into Gatwick and plan to travel immediately to Sheffield. You come off an overnight transatlantic flight and if everything works well you could be clear of immigration and baggage reclaim by 08:00. This is in rush hour, when a return costs £309, but you could easily be delayed. So instead on arrival buy an Anytime single from Gatwick to St Pancras for £15, by the time you get to the city rush hour is over, and you buy an Off-peak to continue. Coming back, you're more able to commit to a specific train, and need to start early to make the flight, so an Advance single might be best. The total price is now at most £270, and on a quiet day could be below £200.

But less obviously, splitting sometimes works with no change of train. For instance on 7 May a day return from Reading to Bristol Temple Meads is £82. But if you buy from Reading to Didcot that's £9 return, and Dicot to Bristol is £36 return, in total about half the price. There is no logic as to which routes this works on, so just experiment, or consult a website such as Split Ticketing. The one essential is that the train must be scheduled to stop at the intermediate station - most Reading–Bristol trains do indeed stop at Didcot. Of course you don't get off the train and back on at Didcot, let alone rush to the ticket hall to buy your onward portion - buy all portions before starting out and stay smugly in your seat. If you buy from a ticket office, specify your split, they're under no obligation to suggest it.

Usually poor value, as they charge a booking fee for something you could have bought without. One exception is Trainline for ferry+train combi tickets, and it's also worth consulting for split-ticket deals.

There may be several different routes or operators to your destination, with different fares. A ticket valid via "Any Permitted" route - valid on all operators and via all routes - will typically be more expensive than a ticket that is restricted to a specific route or company.

Most tickets other than Advance allow you to break your journey as many times as you like within the days they're valid. So from London to Edinburgh with a Super Off-Peak Single, you might stop off at York or Newcastle. Let staff know when they check your ticket, so it isn't marked as "used" when you resume your journey.

Several train companies market themselves as low-cost. Their fares are half those of bigger operators, with further reductions using railcards, so if you're going to the few cities they reach, they may be a good deal. Their drawback is infrequency and reliability. Every expense has been spared, so each route has only a few train sets and crews. Their tickets show on the National Rail website but are not valid on other operators, and if you had to continue your journey with another you might lose the saving, though you could try split-ticketing as above. It only takes one driver to catch flu or one coach to be vandalised and their schedule is kippered. You'd have to buy a walk-up ticket for a rival operator and by-and-by would get your low-cost ticket refunded, too bad about your rock concert or making your flight.

• Lumo runs 5 times a day from London King's Cross to Edinburgh via Newcastle and Morpeth. No stop at York.
• Hull Trains run 7 times a day from Kings Cross to Hull via Grantham, Retford, Doncaster and Selby.
• Grand Central run 3 times a day from Kings Cross to Bradford via Doncaster, Wakefield and Halifax.

They also run six times a day from Kings Cross to York, Thirsk, Northallerton and Sunderland.

Other companies don't market themselves in that way but are cheaper if you commit to only using their trains.

Discounts are available for:

• Children - up to the age of 15, normally 50%
• Small Groups – of between 3 and 9 people, typically a third off
• Large Groups – 10 or more people
• Railcards – discount cards for certain groups
• Regional Railcards – offering discounts within a specific region
• Some European railway staff

The most widely used system of discounts on National Rail are Railcards. Railcards cannot be used for Eurostar fares. Railcards can be purchased from any station ticket office (after completing a form and providing of proof of eligibility and a photograph) or online. Although these are primarily intended for British citizens, the discounts offered makes them useful for visitors to Britain who plan to travel a lot by train; if you are spending more than about £90 then the Railcard would pay for itself. Some Railcard are available in digital form where an image of the Railcard is displayed through a mobile phone app; if you want one, be sure to state it when you apply for one online as you cannot change a paper/plastic Railcard to digital format (and vice versa).

Note that several of the Railcards have a minimum fare of £12, below which the fare won't be discounted before 10am Mondays to Fridays; this should only impact people making a short trip though, and it does not apply to Advance tickets. There are also some Railcards which are not valid before 9:30am or 10am Mondays to Fridays.

• 16-25 Railcard offers a discount of 1/3 on most tickets for anyone aged 16 to 25 and full-time students of any age (with a suitably stamped form from a university). £35 per year or £80 for three years. The £12 minimum fare applies, except during the months of July and August.
• 26-30 Railcard offers a discount of 1/3 on most tickets for anyone aged 26 to 30. £30 per year, only available as a mobile 'app'. The £12 minimum fare applies.
• Family & Friends Railcard offers a discount of 1/3 on adult fares and 60% on child fares. Up to four adults and four children can travel on one Family & Friends Railcard. At least one named cardholder and one child must be travelling together for the whole journey. £35 per year or £80 for three years. This Railcard is not valid before 9:30am Mondays to Fridays.
• Senior Railcard offers a discount of 1/3 on most tickets for anyone aged 60 or over. £35 per year or £80 for three years. This Railcard is not valid for journeys within the former 'Network SouthEast' area (see Network Railcard below) in London and the South-East during the morning peak.
• Two Together Railcard is a new Railcard introduced in 2014 offering a discount of 1/3 for two named people (over 16) travelling together. Both people must have their photos on the card, and must stay together for the whole journey. If you want to travel with someone not listed on the Railcard, you will have to buy a separate Railcard. This Railcard is not valid before 9:30am Mondays to Fridays.
• Network Railcard is an unusual relic of the pre-privatisation British Rail era: it is a geographically specific Railcard that relates to the now obsolete 'Network SouthEast', the British Rail brand for the region of trains that radiate from London and the south east of England. It offers a discount of 1/3 on most tickets for the cardholder and up to three other adults and up to four children, aged 5 to 15 can save 60% on the child fare. Costs £35 a year. This Railcard is not valid before 10am Mondays to Fridays, and a minimum fare of £13 applies Mondays to Fridays.
• Disabled Persons Railcard offers a discount of 1/3 to eligible disabled or mobility restricted passengers. £20 for one year or £54 for three years. This Railcard does not have a £12 minimum fare restriction.
• HM Forces Railcard provides a similar 1/3 discount to serving members of the British armed forces and their families. It can only be obtained from military facilities and cannot be purchased at a station. The £12 minimum fare applies, except during the months of July and August.

There are also several local Railcards that are only valid within a specific region or on a specific set of lines. A full list of such Railcards is available at National Rail

• Railway staff of the National Rail operators are entitled to discount cards (known as "Priv") to ride free on their own company trains, and pay as little as 25% on other trains. These benefits may extend to their partners, and to retired staff.

Staff of many European railway and ferry companies are eligible for similar discounts in Britain through the FIP scheme - Facilités de circulation Internationales du Personnel des chemins de fer.

In general, there are two classes of travel: standard class and first class. Most commuter and regional trains offer standard class only.

• Standard class accommodation generally has two seats either side of the aisle with a mix of 'facing table' or more private 'airline-style' seats. Some trains, designed for more intensive commuter use, may have three seats one side and two the other, or even just perches along the walls with plenty of standing space.
• First class accommodation on inter-city services has two seats and one seat either side of the aisle, with a larger seat, more legroom, an at-seat service of drinks, refreshments and a newspaper (not all at seat services are available at the weekend). First class on commuter services is usually much more basic and may be two seats either side of the aisle with no at-seat service. Other than on long journeys (2 hours or more) or busy trains (i.e. 8 am train into London) it is almost pointless to buy a first class ticket. This is because, apart from the fact that you are more likely to get a seat (which can be guaranteed if you obtain a reservation), it has almost no benefits for the often significant price difference. Do check prices when booking, though, as Advance first class fares can sometimes be surprisingly reasonable, and on a longer journey extra leg and elbow room as well as the (often quite good) meals and drinks are nice. It's also worth checking the train operator's website to see what first class gets you, for example Avanti West Coast offers a full meal service, while some other operators only offer you a bigger seat. On weekends many operators offer a fairly cheap first class upgrade once you've boarded the train, called "Weekend First" - see details on this National Rail page. This is usually announced, and you pay the upgrade to on-train staff. In some cases it is also possible to guarantee an upgrade by paying in advance at a ticket office.
• Standard Premium accommodation is an additional class of travel offered on most Avanti West Coast services, priced between first and standard class. It allows passengers to sit in the same type of seats and carriages as first class, but there is no at-seat food or drink service. It is possible to upgrade to Standard Premium onboard the train for a fixed upgrade fee, which varies up to £35 depending on the length of the journey being made. The Train Manager takes payment of the upgrade after you have sat down.

Inter-city services (e.g. long-distance services on the Main Lines listed below) typically offer the following onboard amenities:

• Almost all services have seat reservations, which can be made free of charge when buying your ticket, or afterwards at a ticket office or directly through the operator's customer services. These are indicated by a paper tag or electronic display above each seat.
• Most services have a walk-up buffet, or a trolley service of drinks and refreshments moving through the train. Timetables usually indicate whether this is available on a particular service, and if so, whether it is available throughout, or only for part of the journey.
• All services have air conditioning.
• All services have at least one carriage with a fully disabled-accessible toilet and baby changing facilities.
• All services have WiFi internet connectivity. This is free, but often slow and intermittent (particularly in rural areas).
• Many services have a "Quiet Coach" where making unnecessary noise is not permitted. Devices should be set to silent, and telephone calls are not permitted, in such coaches.

Regional services (e.g. those operated by TransPennine Express, and some Chiltern Railways, Transport for Wales, West Midlands Trains and ScotRail services) typically offer the following onboard amenities:

• Many longer distance regional services have seat reservations, which can be made free of charge when buying your ticket, or afterwards at a ticket office or directly through the operator's customer services. These are indicated by a paper tag or electronic display above each seat.
• Some longer distance regional services have a trolley service of drinks and refreshments moving through the train.
• Air conditioning is often, but not always, available.
• All services have at least one carriage with a fully disabled-accessible toilet and baby changing facilities.
• Many services have WiFi internet connectivity. This is free, but often slow and intermittent (particularly in rural areas).

Commuter services (e.g. those operated by Southeastern, Southern Railway, Thameslink, South Western Railway, c2c, London Overground, Elizabeth line) typically offer the following onboard amenities:

• Air conditioning is often, but not always, available.
• Some trains have toilets. Where these are available, there is at least one carriage with fully disabled-accessible toilet and baby changing facilities.
• Many services have WiFi internet connectivity. This is free, but often slow and intermittent.

"Inter-city" is the informal term for the principal trains. These fan out from London to all parts; they travel the fastest (up to 125 mph), make limited intermediate stops, and have the most on board amenities. They also include the Cross-Country route - Britain's longest train ride is 11 hr 30 min from Aberdeen via Birmingham to Plymouth, and until 2025 it continued to Penzance. But there isn't a firm distinction between inter-city and other trains.

Regional, local and commuter trains ply other routes, such as Liverpool - Manchester. Indeed the strength of Britain's railways is in the density of this network. Almost every city or large town can be reached by train: exceptions where you change to the bus include St Andrews and Caernarfon.

Way out in the country, some small stations are request stops. Wave your arm at the approaching train for it to stop, and notify the conductor to get off. At some, you may be advised to move through the train to get off, as only a couple of coaches can fit the short platform.

Three sleeper trains trundle overnight Sunday to Friday, no Saturday service. All have a lounge car with buffet where you can sit up all night, either because you're a cheapskate or because the timings mean you won't benefit from the sleep and privacy of a berth.

London to Scotland

[edit]

Caledonian Sleeper trains run to Edinburgh and Glasgow, and to the Scottish Highlands.

The Lowland Sleeper leaves London Euston around 23:00, and divides at Carstairs to reach Glasgow Central and Edinburgh for 07:30. Southbound trains depart Glasgow and Edinburgh around 23:30.

The Highland Sleeper leaves London Euston around 21:00, and divides at Edinburgh to reach Aberdeen for 07:40 (returning 21:40), Inverness for 08:40 (returning 20:40) and Fort William for 10:00 (returning 19:30). Passengers for Edinburgh may not use the Highland Sleeper, as this is just a service halt. This train stops at many intermediate stations (eg Dundee, Stirling and Perth) but very early in the morning: it might be more convenient, and cheaper, to take the Lowland Sleeper to Edinburgh or Glasgow then change to a daytime train.

Reservations are compulsory. If you already hold a flexible ticket or rail pass, you still need to pay a sleeper supplement to get a berth. To travel in a seat, you just need a seat reservation (free through Caledonian Sleeper's website). Across the Highlands you may also use this sleeper as a daytime train (in summer it's a long day at these latitudes) but still likewise need a seat reservation.

Lounge seats are cheapest: these are in a 2+1 layout comparable to daytime first class but with no at-seat service, and the lights stay on all night. It's an uncomfortable way to spend the night, especially on the Fort William portion as you have change carriages in Edinburgh in the middle of the night. Sleeper compartments have two berths in three configurations: "classic" rooms include up & down bunk beds and a washbasin; "club" rooms have up & down bunks with basin, WC and shower, and complimentary breakfast; and double bedrooms have one double bed with basin, WC and shower. These are sold like hotel rooms, so you pay extra for single occupancy, but you don't have to share with a stranger. Pricing is dynamic, you pay less in advance, more at weekends or around the Edinburgh Festival if indeed there are berths available. In 2025 reckon £180 double "classic" to Edinburgh and £85 pp for seating only. Booking is open 12 months in advance and trains often sell out weeks ahead. You're sent an e-ticket which you present on boarding on your phone or printed out.

London to the West Country

[edit]

The Night Riviera Sleeper departs London Paddington Su-F towards midnight and runs via Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth, Truro and ten other stations to reach Penzance by 08:00. The eastbound train leaves Penzance at 21:45 to reach Paddington at 5:45; you may snooze in your berth until 08:00.

Standard-class seats, which don't recline, cost much the same as day-time trains, say £85 in 2025. Reservations recommended.

Sleeper cabins have either two berths (say £160 pp single) or (for a supplement) just one: as with the Caledonian Sleeper, it's like a hotel room. Reservations are essential. Cabins have a washbasin with soap and towel, a compact wardrobe and electric sockets with USB charging ports, and you get a complimentary breakfast. There are no showers on board, but berth passengers may use the showers at Paddington, Truro and Penzance stations free of charge. They may also use the first class lounge at Paddington before or after their journey.

Several cities have metro and light rail or tram lines separate from the railway network. National Rail may show connections with these, but not comprehensively, so check their own website, and see the relevant “Get around” page for network maps and similar. They’re not further described here, but the cities are:

• London Underground is an extensive system, supplemented by Docklands Light Railway and Tramlink. This is in addition to Overground trains which are part of National Rail.
• Birmingham's West Midlands Metro is a tram from city centre to Wolverhampton.
• Blackpool trams run from Lytham through city centre to Fleetwood.
• Edinburgh trams run from the airport through city centre to Leith.
• Glasgow Subway is a single loop aouund city centre.
• Manchester Metrolink is a tram network from the city to towns such as Bury.
• Newcastle’s Tyne and Wear Metro runs north to the airport, west to Tynemouth and south to Sunderland.
• Nottingham Express Transit trams run between Beeston, Clifton, city centre and Hucknall.
• Sheffield Supertram plies the city and out to Rotherham.

Other cities use the term “Metro” in different ways, for instance West Yorks Metro is the coordinating body for buses and trains around Leeds and Bradford, but there’s no separate network.

And not forgetting Metro, the free daily newspaper distributed on public transport, from the same stable as the Daily Mail.

Only in Britain. These are regular trains that you can ride on, not cobwebbed Halloween specials, or the nightmares of the signalman whose mistake consigned an express to tragedy. But they don't appear on timetables or station displays, they run at odd hours, and you'll acquire bragging rights if you catch one.

Trains routinely run dark, not in service, for instance back to the depot after the last timetabled train of the day. Some "service ghosts" you can get on are where a train occasionally takes an offbeat route, just to keep it "live" in case it's ever needed as a diversionary route, and to maintain drivers' familiarity with it.

Other "parliamentary trains" are where the railway company wants to close the station, or a particular service, or the entire line, but the legal process for doing so is complex and expensive. So instead they run the very minimum service that the law requires: just one a week, in one direction only, preferably at an inconvenient time. Examples include:

• London Liverpool Street to Enfield Town via South Tottenham, Saturday at 05:31 (trains normally go via Stoke Newington)
• Wolverhampton to Walsall direct, Saturday at 06:38
• Gillingham to Sheerness-on-Sea, weekdays at 04:56 and return at 21:32
• Northampton to Crewe stopping at Polesworth station, Monday to Saturday at 07:23.

The companies’ behaviour is cynical. The rationale is that an active railway represents a lot of investment, that would be wasted if it fell derelict; so you must either keep it ticking over or go through the full inquiry process before closure. But the same is true of airports and bus stations, and a way needs to be found for railway services to evolve in way that balances public and financial interests.

There are almost 2600 railway stations in Great Britain, not including separate "metro" systems such as the London Underground. Every major city has at least one, with over 330 in the London area. The National Rail website will guide you, so a start point of London "all stations" heading to Sheffield will point you to St Pancras. Other cities with extensive local railways include Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow - these are entirely integrated for timetables, tickets and connections with inter-city services. National Rail has a specific web page for every single station, with details of access, facilities, ticket office opening hours and recommended connection times. You can also view that station's Departures & Arrivals screens, with live updates. Clicking on a particular service shows its progress, eg "Departed Nottingham on time".

London: Most international travellers are destined to transit the capital, so it's worth knowing the principal stations:

• Kings Cross for the north eg Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh.
• St Pancras for the east Midlands eg Nottingham and Sheffield, south to Gatwick Airport and Brighton, and southeast to Ashford and the Kent coast.

International platforms for Lille, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

• Euston for Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow.
• Paddington for Heathrow Airport, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Plymouth and the southwest.
• Victoria for Gatwick Airport, Brighton, Dover ferry port and the south coast.
• Waterloo for Canterbury and Kent.
• Liverpool Street for Stansted Airport, Cambridge, East Anglia and Harwich ferry port.

A through ticket is valid on the Underground, but use cross-city railways if possible, the transfer is far more convenient.

Elsewhere: city stations are usually central, or at least at a city transport node. The exceptions are stations called "Parkway", such as Bristol Parkway. These are park & ride facilities some distance from town, and they may have scant public transport or passenger facilities - don't get off here unless you have a ride teed up, stay aboard for Bristol Temple Meads. However use the parkway stations for Southampton and Luton airports.

Airport and seaport stations are described in more detail below.

Getting to city stations may be the most fraught part of the entire journey. There's always excavations in the vicinity or other reason for tailbacks, a scrummage of vehicles trying to access the drop-off point, obscured signage and blocked trolley ramps. Kings Cross St Pancras has a notorious "long walk" between Underground and mainline / Eurostar platforms, if only they had some kind of sub-surface railway . . .

Collect your ticket if not already done, from a machine or ticket office. If you've already bought online, you need the same bank card that you bought with plus the eight-digit reference code. Machines are multi-lingual. Otherwise buy from machine or office for immediate travel: these won't be the cheapest, but for short-haul off-peak travel won't skin you. A few remote stations have neither machines nor offices so you can't collect pre-paid tickets at those.

Ticket collected and safely stowed along with any discount cards, check your departure on the board then you've probably time to relax. Some stations are architectural sights in their own right, worth looking around; Edinburgh Waverley is the prime example. Ten stations including Kings Cross have a Platform 0, worth a photo, see if you can collect the set. There is however no Platform 9 3⁄4 for Hogwarts there, that's at the King's Cross in Orlando theme park in Florida.

Departure info: Almost all stations have screens listing trains in order of departure, platform, any delay, stations called at and the train operating company. Larger stations have screens for arrivals, and the largest will show "Fastest train to..." followed by a list of popular destinations. A small station may only have a signpost: "This platform for Sheffield. Over the bridge for Nottingham."

PA announcements follow a set pattern. Thus at Sheffield you might hear: "The next train to depart from Platform 1A is the 16:18 Northern service to Leeds. Calling at Meadowhall, Barnsley, Wakefield Kirkgate and Leeds. This train is formed of two coaches. Platform 1A for the 16:18 Northern service to Leeds."

So to decode this: Announcements don't use "train numbers" or titles such as "Flying Scotsman". They don't say where the train is from, you need to look at the arrivals screen to know that this one is from Nottingham.

Platforms may be long enough for more than one train to stand, so if it's 1A, don't go ambling off to 1B where that train is for Liverpool.

The train time is what's scheduled, so they might say "the delayed 16:18" but not the revised time - the departure board might show "Expected 16:25". Trains always use the 24 hour clock, so 12:00 is noon, but midnight trains are usually shown as 23:59 or 00:05 to avoid ambiguity.

"Northern" is the company operating that train, which you only need to know if your ticket has restricted validity.

"Calling at" lists every single station halt - for Plymouth this itinerary goes on for some time - ending with the destination.

"Formed of two coaches" is not particularly relevant, but for a long train they might say "First class accommodation is at the rear of the train, standard class is at the front". Long trains may comprise two coupled train sets, which you can't move between except at stations.

“Almost destinations” are a variant, where the train takes a roundabout route, and displays and announcements instead state the penultimate destination, to avoid misdirecting passengers onto a train that wastes their time. For instance the Leeds – Harrogate – York train at Leeds is announced as “Poppleton” the station just before York, and at York is announced as “Burley Park”.

Platforms might not be announced until a few minutes before departure. Listen out for late changes: "This is a platform alteration."

Platforms at many stations are guarded by subway-style ticket barriers. Have your ticket ready before approaching it, to avoid fumbling in your wallet and dropping valuables in a moving crowd. You don't at this stage need to show ID, seat reservations or discount cards, and there's no security screen. The exception is Eurostar, where the business of check-in, baggage and personal screening and passport control is much more like an airport.

Paper tickets are inserted face up, left end (with the arrows logo) first into the slot nearest you. It's returned from the further slot, and your retrieving it opens the barrier. eTickets are scanned on a reader below the paper slot. In London you can tap an Oyster or contactless card on a reader. Staff are always in attendance, mostly to deter scallywags from jumping the gates, and they'll quickly sort any problem. They can also advise which part of the platform you should be on, eg if you need to stow a bicycle.

Platforms have very limited facilities such as toilets or coffee, and may be cold and draughty. Ten minutes before departure is plenty time to be there, as it's difficult to double-back to the station hall. There may be signs for where each coach will stand. At all times stand well back from the platform edge, behind the yellow line, and beware station vehicles. Don't use flash photography, which may distract drivers and platform staff.

On trains with reservations, coaches are lettered, watch the train as it draws in. Coach A may be at the front or back, and some letters may be skipped. Don't muddle the coach letter and seat number with the seat type shown on some reservations, where the suffix A means airline-style, F is facing direction of travel and B is back to direction of travel.

All trains have power-operated doors, press the illuminated button to open. Mind the gap between platform and train; there are ramps for wheelchair access. Doors close automatically before departure but on a cold day with no-one behind you, press the "close door" button to keep the weather out.

Doors lock up to a minute before scheduled departure and the warning on the platform is a shrill "first whistle". You now only have seconds left to get aboard, rush to the nearest door. At the second whistle the doors are locked, unless something obstructs complete closing - it's an offence to do so deliberately to give your lame Aunt Nelly time to hobble up.

Seat reservations are marked either with paper tags on the headrest or a small electronic display above the window. These specify the stations between which the seat is reserved, eg Dundee - York. If that last station is already passed then effectively it's no longer reserved; if it's yet to come then be ready to move when the occupant boards. Most long-distance services have an unreserved carriage. It's not an offence to occupy someone else's reserved seat, you never know they might have missed the train, but you must give it up promptly and gracefully when they appear.

Tuck your ticket, reservation, pass or Railcard away safely for the moment, but you must carry them all if you move about the train, eg to the toilet or buffet car. There'll be an on-train inspection and exit barriers at your destination.

Station stops are announced over the public address system or on scrolling electronic displays in the carriage.

There's often a shortage of space. Trains have overhead racks for small items like a coat, small rucksack, briefcase or laptop bag. Inter-city and regional trains also have racks at the end of each coach for larger suitcases. These fill up quickly, and the scrummage to board at each station is motivated as much by the urge to stow bags as the wish to get a seat. Otherwise use any space you can: bags in the vestibules at the end of coaches are tolerated, but blocking of aisles and doorways is not, it's hazardous.

Some inter-city trains have a luggage van for large items such as skis and bicycles. It's usually the opposite end from the driver, check with platform staff.

Luggage cannot be sent unaccompanied in advance on the railway. Few stations have "left luggage" stores or lockers: check them (and opening hours) via the National Rail website, but they're the main London terminals, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Food: Jibes about railway catering were common until the 1990s, till they discovered the benefits of centralised cook-chill production and plastic packaging. Nowadays you buy sandwiches and baguettes similar to Marks & Spencer or Gregg’s, and probably made in the same factory.

Provision is variable so for a long journey or with requirements such as GF bring your own. There’s often a shop / café within the station or close by, but seldom on the platform beyond the ticket gate.

Long-distance trains may have a buffet car with a snack bar or small shop, and heat items such as toasties. They may also have a trolley service to your seat. On crowded trains the trolley can’t reach you: you might yourself get to the buffet car but you couldn’t juggle hot drinks back to your seat.

Meals that are more than a snack are still served on the sleepers, and in first class on a dwindling number of daytime routes. Only the GWR still has a traditional dining car on a few “Pullman” services London-Plymouth and London-Swansea.

Drink: Alcohol is often sold and consumption permitted on trains and at stations. However swilling your own at a station marks you as low-life, a smelly dosser at best and potentially disruptive, and Security will quickly be on your case.

Alcohol is often banned around events such as football matches, when bags may be searched. Scotrail go further – it’s illegal to consume or possess “visible alcohol” at any time, whether opened or not. This doesn’t apply to the Caledonian Sleepers.

Anyone who appears drunk is liable to be slung off the train or station, with arrest if they’re abusive or otherwise disorderly.

Smoking and vaping are illegal on trains, at stations and on platforms, same as any enclosed public place in Britain. Trains are fitted with smoke alarms. Offenders will be arrested and fined.

Most regional and long-distance train services have onboard toilets. Provision varies, but there's usually one every two carriages. All trains with toilets have at least one wheelchair-accessible WC and these usually have a baby-changing table which folds down from the wall. Cleanliness levels are about the standard of other public loos in Britain; they could be better, but they're not disgusting.

Where there is an electric door on the toilet, there is usually a separate button for locking the door which you must press in addition to the one which makes the door close. If you don't press this button, people from the outside can open the door while you're inside. Likewise, you will not be able to open the door to get out without first pressing the unlock button.

Staffed stations usually have public lavatories open while staff are on duty, and they are usually free of charge.

"High speed" is defined as 200 km / hr or 125 miles / hr or better. Such trains need different features, the most critical is "in-cabin signalling" as conventional external signals flash past too quickly for the driver to spot and respond to. There are also external adaptions, such as a continuous rail to run on, as "diddlydee-diddlydah" over conventional track joints at those speeds would shake train and those aboard to bits. And baffles are needed over tunnel exits, to defuse the shock wave boom! of air in front of the onrushing train. For these reasons, British trains are restricted to 200 km / hr though most can run faster, and only the designated HS trains may exceed that speed.

Eurostar (reaching 300 km / hr) was the first such train, but is effectively part of the SNCF train fleet not the British. In 2007 a domestic high-speed spur HS1 was added, leaving the Eurostar route at Ashford in Kent to serve Folkestone and Dover. A conventional spur also links Canterbury to Ashford. These trains are Hitachi Class 395s or "Javelins", running at 225 km / hr or 140 mph, so the journey from Dover to London St Pancras is little over an hour. The Javelin has 6 carriages per set, though two sets can be combined to form a 12 car train. The name comes from their origin in 2012 as a fast shuttle for the Olympic Park in London Stratford, and 24 of the units are named after British Olympians and Paralympians.

Construction of HS2 from London to Birmingham and Lichfield, and planning of extension further north, has been mired for years in delay, cost overrun and political recrimination. No end to this is in sight. The original selling point was speed, but the time gain is small. The argument is now about capacity: passenger numbers have boomed since the Beeching cuts yet little new track has been built. New roads snake everywhere, with the dedicated high-speed network of motorways, while trains are crowded and the lines are too congested to add extra services. New dedicated high-speed railways are therefore necessary.

These travel at up to 125 mph / 200 kph, the network speed limit, and have Wifi and usually a buffet or catering trolley.

Class 800

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Hibachi class 800, 801, 802 are known as Intercity Express Trains (IET) on Great Western routes and Azuma ("east" in Japanese) on LNER services to Leeds and Scotland. They're primarily electric, running at 200 kph / 125 mph, but can switch to diesel running at 160 kph / 100 mph (for instance the Leeds-York line is not yet electrified). Their introduction in 2016 was plagued by teething problems but they're now reliable workhorses, with more spacious interiors, legroom and luggage space than other inter-city services. Some passengers find the seats too hard and upright. They're usually a five-carriage set, sometimes coupled into ten-carriage double sets that you can only move between at stations.

InterCity 125 & 225

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Intercity 125 became the mainstay of long-distance travel from 1975, when Government and British Rail recoiled from the expense of dedicated high speed railways, and sought faster trains for conventional non-electrified tracks. They're straight diesels in push-pull configuration, originally with eight coaches between, which worked fine on routes such as London - Edinburgh with few station stops and no severe gradients. They've proved reliable, spacious and reasonably comfy. Originally they had hinged out-swinging doors, but these could open unexpectedly and one passenger was hurled to his death, so they were modified to automatic electric "van doors".

The 125s have retired from longer routes, but GWR and Scotrail still use them in four- or five-car sets over the medium distance.

The Intercity 225 is an electric version of the 125, capable of 250 kph but restricted to 200. Introduced from 1989, it too is a push-pull with the driving locomotive at the north end, nine carriages, and an remote-operated drive van at the London end. The van is cunningly disguised as a locomotive so you don't notice the southbound train is running backwards. They originally ran London - Edinburgh and a few still ply as far as Leeds or York, serving as back-ups when the Azumas are undergoing maintenance.

Pendolino

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The London-Glasgow line is electrified but north of Lancaster has tight bends and tough gradients, so a push-pull train would toil. The Class 390 Pendolino is an electric tilting train introduced to this route in the early 2000s. It can tilt up to 8 degrees around corners, which at its maximum permitted 200 kph doesn't make passengers suffer G-force or plaster their laptops to the windows. Originally in 9 car sets, they've been extended to 11. They are robust - a high-speed derailment in the Lake District in 2007 had only one fatality - but this means not all seats have a window. Similar trains are used in many European countries with steep hills and sinuous valleys to negotiate.

Voyager

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Cross-country and west country lines resemble London-Glasgow, as west of Bristol they too have tight bends and stiff gradients, but much of the line is not electrified. Class 220 Voyagers were introduced to these routes from 2001: they're diesel-electric, with noisy diesels beneath each car sending electric power to the wheels. Class 221 Super Voyagers can tilt as much as six degrees to take bends at speed. The trade-off is that the top of the coach must be narrow, as a tilted train might otherwise collide with a counter-tilted train, so headroom and overhead luggage space are cramped. And then the operators disabled the tilt mechanism but were stuck with the narrow design. They're in five-car sets and the similar Class 222 Meridian (with up to 7 cars) runs non-electrified routes in the Midlands. Another major difference between the 220 and 221 is the bogie design, but you'd be unlucky to sit next to a fellow passenger intent on explaining all this to you.

There isn't a clear distinction between "inter-city" and other services - all are timetabled and ticketed in the same way - and some regional routes are lengthy. Facilities and luggage space are limited. But by and large you're destined to spend less time on these, as does this page.

Turbostar is a diesel multiple unit in 2, 3 or 4 car sets, working routes in the Midlands, Scotland and southwest. Electrostar is its electric version, working in the southern counties powered by a third rail.

Sprinter is a diesel multiple unit introduced in the 1980s, with SuperSprinter and Express Sprinter the later versions. They all run at up to 75 mph / 120 kph. Their biggest drawback is the lack of air conditioning; the principal gain from their introduction was that smelly noisy older DMUs could at last retire.

Networker is an electric multiple unit designed for busy commuter lines in the southern counties and powered by a third rail. Network Turbo is a diesel version working in the Midlands and Southwest.

Desiro is an electric train used in the Midlands, but has a diesel version used on Transpennine routes such as those radiating from Manchester airport.

Castle Class are former InterCity 125s re-cycled into four carriage sets, and used in South Wales and southwest England.

London St Pancras is the terminus for Eurostar trains from Lille, Brussels Midi/Zuid, Paris Gare de Nord, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. For instance from Paris they run hourly and take 2 hr 20 min. You can buy through-tickets from many other European cities from their website.

Trains rush through the Channel Tunnel and across Kent non-stop. They no longer stop at Ashford, Ebbsfleet or London Stratford, which are served by the high-speed Javelins from the south coast.

Occasional Eurostar specials run further across the Continent, eg to the French Alps, but expansion has been slow. Cologne-London is an occasional rumour. One hold-up is that the European Schengen Entry / Exit System has not yet been implemented.

Le Shuttle is a vehicle transporter train between Coquelles near Calais and Cheriton near Folkestone. It runs every 30 min, taking 35 min, and you stay in your vehicle; you can step out to stretch your legs but there are no toilets aboard. All customs and immigration checks are completed before boarding, so at the other end you simply drive off. The transporter takes cars, motor homes, caravans, trucks, buses and motorbikes. The ticket is per vehicle, not per occupant, so for a family group of up to nine it's great value. It's also the least stressful way to travel with pets.

This is the old school method where you take a train to the ferry port, hump your bags onto the ferry then off at the other end onto the waiting train.

Always look for a city-to-city Rail & Sail through-ticket - it's probably much cheaper than separate train and ferry tickets. Look up offers on The Train Line - they also sell standard tickets but with a mark-up, but for these routes are better value, and ferry companies such as Stena refer you to them. "Dutch Flyer" for instance is their offer for Hook of Holland via Harwich to London Liverpool Street.

No trains cross by ferry to Britain. The only service that ever did so was Night Ferry, on the London-Paris route 1936-39 and 1947-80. Coaches were shunted aboard and chained down with much clunking and banging, and with this and border checks nobody got much sleep. Travellers preferred the daytime Golden Arrow / Flèche d’Or (conventional boat trains that terminated at the ports) or flying as this become more affordable. Elsewhere in Europe, the Hamburg-Copenhagen train boards a ferry, until 2029 when it's to be replaced by a road and rail tunnel.

Many airports have convenient rail connections, but by no means all. Often they acquired their present footprint in the 1960s/70s, when railways were seen as dirty and obsolete, and when the railways revived the connections were a retro-fit, not always successful. Others are better integrated, and may have a dedicated Airport Express, more expensive but faster and with more luggage capacity than standard trains. Several are on city Metro lines, even slower as they make multiple stops, but frequent and inexpensive.

London

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The five London airports are Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Stansted and Luton. Southend claims to be the sixth though no-one altogether believes it.

• London Heathrow (LHR ^IATA) has three rail routes to the city 05:00 to 00:30. No trains run overnight.
  • Heathrow Express runs every 15 min from Terminal 5 via Terminal 2/3 to London Paddington, 20 min in all. This is the most expensive but by far the quickest to the west city. Paddington has mainline trains to Reading, Oxford, Cardiff, Bristol and the southwest, and is on the Underground.
  • Elizabeth Line is cheaper, and no slower for central London as it avoids a change. It runs every 30 min from Terminal 5 and every 15 min from Terminal 4: these converge on Terminal 2 / 3 and head into the city via Hayes & Harlington (for Reading), Ealing, Paddington and four stops to Liverpool Street. It then forks north of the river to Stratford, Romford and Shenfield, or south to Canary Wharf, Woolwich and Abbey Wood.
  • Piccadilly Line on the Underground is slower but cheaper and more frequent, and reaches the north city without a change. It runs from Terminal 5, or on a one-way loop from Terminal 4 that will convince you it's got lost somewhere beneath rural Oxfordshire. Both services wait 5 min at Terminal 2 / 3 then head to to the city via Hatton Cross then umpteen stations to Earls Court, Green Park, Kings Cross / St Pancras and away north to Cockfosters. You can ride it free between the terminals and Hatton Cross, and this is one way to change terminals ground-side.

• London Gatwick (LGW  ^IATA) is on the main line between London and Brighton. Trains run north every 15 min to London Victoria (for south city), taking 30 min. They also run north every 10 min, taking 45 min via Croydon to London St Pancras (for north city, trains to the Midlands, and King's Cross station adjacent for York, Newcastle and Edinburgh); they continue to St Albans, Luton and Bedford or Peterborough or Cambridge. They run northwest every 30 min via Reigate, Dorking, Guildford and Farnborough to Reading (90 min), for trains towards Oxford, Bristol and the southwest. Frequent southbound trains run from Gatwick to Brighton, Portsmouth and Eastbourne.
• London City (LCY ^IATA) is on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), a driverless overground adjunct to the Underground. Trains run every 4-8 min to Canning Town (for Underground Jubilee line) then either west to Bank in the heart of the City of London or north to Stratford, for mainline trains towards Clacton and the Essex coast. Coming out of the city, DLR trains run to Woolwich Arsenal, for mainline trains to Dartford and elsewhere in Kent.
• London Luton (LTN ^IATA) is one mile east of Luton Airport Parkway. An automated overpriced light railway shuttles frequently 24 hours between airport and station: £5 in 2025, but buy a through-ticket to your destination. Trains from Parkway run to London St Pancras every 15 min or so, taking 30 min, with some continuing south across the city to Gatwick and Brighton. Northbound they may be heading to Luton town, Bedford, Kettering and Corby.
• London Stansted (STN ^IATA) airport station is next to the terminal. The Stansted Express runs to London Liverpool Street every 15 min, taking 50 min; it may stop at Stansted Montfichet, Bishops Stortford, Harlow and Tottenham Hale (for Underground to Kings Cross / St Pancras and Euston). Other direct trains are from Cambridge every 20 min, taking 40 min, and from Birmingham New Street hourly via Nuneaton, Leicester, Peterborough and Cambridge.
• Southend Airport (SEN ^IATA) has its own station, with trains every 20 min from Southend Victoria on the coast, taking just under an hour to London Liverpool Street.

Others in England

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• Birmingham (BHX ^IATA): the station is half a mile away, take the free people-mover - the "Air-Rail Link". There are frequent trains to Birmingham New Street in city centre and to London Euston and Coventry. Change at New Street for connections across the country.
• Bournemouth (BOH ^IATA): no train. Take the bus to town for trains towards London Waterloo or along the south coast.
• East Midlands Airport (EMA ^IATA): no train. Take the bus to Loughborough, Derby or Nottingham, all with mainline railway services. East Midlands Parkway station is closer, 5 miles northeast on the London - Sheffield line, but has no public transport from the airport, you'd have to take a taxi.
• Exeter (EXT ^IATA): no train. Take the bus to either Exeter St Davids or Central stations, for trains west to Plymouth and Penzance or east to Bristol.
• Leeds Bradford (LBA ^IATA): no train. Buses run to Leeds railway and bus stations (which are a mile apart), and to Bradford, Otley and Harrogate.

• Liverpool John Lennon (LPL ^IATA): maybe. For city centre take the direct bus. A bus every 20 min runs to Liverpool South Parkway, for trains to Warrington.
• Manchester (MAN ^IATA): walkways from the three terminals converge at “The Station”, for buses, trams and trains. Almost all trains run to Manchester Piccadilly (20 min) then fan out: west to the Welsh coast and Holyhead (for ferry to Dublin), west to Liverpool, northwest via Preston to Blackpool, Barrow and the Lake District, north via Carlisle to Glasgow and Edinburgh, and northeast via Leeds to York (for Newcastle), Middlesborough and Redcar. Take the train to Crewe for Birmingham, the Midlands and London, to avoid back-tracking via Piccadilly.
• Newcastle upon Tyne (NCL ^IATA): the Metro runs every 10-15 min to the main railway station, Gateshead and Sunderland.
• Southampton (SOU ^IATA): Southampton Airport Parkway station is 100 yards from the terminal. There are frequent trains to Southampton Central, many continuing to Bournemouth and Weymouth, and east / northbound trains run to London Waterloo, Reading, Oxford, Birmingham and Manchester.
• Teesside (MME ^IATA): no train. A bus plies between Darlington (on the London-Edinburgh main line), the airport, and Stockton-on-Tees.

Scotland & Wales

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• Aberdeen (ABZ ^IATA): not really. Dyce railway station is a 2 mile walk on a poor path, or take a taxi. It's only worth doing this to catch the train north towards Elgin and Inverness. Otherwise take the bus into the city, where the railway station, bus station and ferry terminal are close together.
• Edinburgh (EDI ^IATA) no train. Take the bus or tram towards Edinburgh city centre and Waverley station, served by all trains. Get off at Haymarket for trains to Glasgow, Carlisle, Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. The tram also stops at Edinburgh Gateway and Edinburgh Park, where a few local north- and westbound trains call. To the north from the airport you can also take the bus over the Forth Bridge to Inverkeithing station.
• Glasgow (GLA ^IATA): no train. Take the airport bus to Buchanan Station, close to Queen Street railway station (for trains north and east) and half a mile from Central station (for south and west).
• Prestwick (PIK ^IATA) has its own station, with frequent trains between Glasgow Central and Ayr. Show your airline confirmation for half price train fares. They're sick of folk asking if that deal works the other way round.
• Inverness (INV ^IATA): not really. It's over a mile on a rough unsheltered path to the station, only worth it to go east towards Elgin and Aberdeenshire. For Inverness city take the bus to the railway station, for trains south to Aviemore, east to Aberdeen, and north to Thurso and Kyle of Lochalsh.
• Cardiff (CWL ^IATA): maybe. For Cardiff centre and points east take the direct hourly bus to town. To go west to Swansea and beyond, take the hourly bus to Rhoose railway station. You can buy integrated rail-bus tickets between any mainline station and the airport, which by rail is coded RIA.

Through-tickets are available via National Rail or at any UK railway station to any station in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, or ferry destination in the islands of Scotland. Railway stations and ferry ports are usually well-integrated, and connections may be held for late-running services.

England

[edit]

• Dover and Folkestone for Calais and Dunkerque.
• Newhaven for Dieppe.
• Harwich Parkeston Quay for Hook of Holland.
• Hull (for Rotterdam): take the shuttle bus to town.
• Liverpool for Douglas, Isle of Man: bus to town from the new terminal.
• Birkenhead for Belfast and Dublin.
• Heysham for Douglas, Isle of Man.
• Newcastle (for IJmuiden): take the shuttle bus to town.
• Poole for Guernsey, Jersey, St-Malo and Cherbourg.
• Portsmouth for Caen, Le Havre and Santander.
• Lymington for Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.
• Southampton for East Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Scotland

[edit]

• Aberdeen for Kirkwall on Orkney and Lerwick on Shetland.
• Ardrossan Harbour Station or Troon for Brodick on the Isle of Arran.
• Stranraer for Belfast or Larne: the ferry port is nowadays four miles north at Cairnryan, take bus or taxi.
• Gourock for Dunoon and Kilcreggan.
• Kennacraig for Islay and Jura: no train, take bus from Glasgow.
• Kyle of Lochalsh is the rail terminus for Skye, change to the bus for Portree and Uig, ferry port for Harris and North Uist.
• Largs for Great Cumbrae.
• Mallaig for the Small Isles, Armadale on Skye, South Uist and Knoydart.
• Oban for Lismore, Mull, Coll, Tiree, Colonsay and South Uist.
• Thurso for Stromness in the Orkney Islands: two miles to walk or taxi to Scrabster ferry pier.
• Wemyss Bay for Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.
• Ullapool for Stornoway on Lewis: no train, take bus from Glasgow or Fort William.

• Inspiration is a railway museum touring the country until July 2026. It has 30 stops available to book (some have already sold out) and more to be announced. The museum itself is free, but some stops are within heritage railways that charge.
• Heritage trains run on the main network as summer excursions, their routes vary year by year. The Jacobite has a regular route, steam-hauled for 41 miles between Fort William and Mallaig on the West Highland Line. There's a photo stop at Glenfinnan Viaduct, famous from many films including Harry Potter. Regular trains from Glasgow use this line, connecting with ferries to Skye.
• Tornado 60163 is a majestic 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in 2008 to the original Peppercorn design of 1948, but with modern braking, signal comms and so on. It moves around the network hauling heritage excursions.
• Flying Scotsman 4472 is an iconic 4-6-2 steam locomotive built in 1923. "Flying Scotsman" is also the name of the fastest London-Edinburgh train, which this loco often hauled until retiring in 1963. It usually resides in York but occasionally tours.

• The Forth Bridge is the one on all the tins of shortbread. You don't get much of a view from the crossing trains, it's best seen from South Queensferry and the Forth Road Bridge footpath.
• York is a must-see walled city. The National Railway Museum is a quarter mile west of the station.
• Bristol has a railway museum at the Harbourside, and many tributes to Isambard Kingdom Brunel who established the Great Western Railway. Its main station Temple Meads may be the most evocatively named on the network - the meadows were owned by the cathedral - but perhaps it's edged by Paisley Canal.