United Kingdom - General Information

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Country Name

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Nomenclature: "Great Britain" comprises the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and the Principality of Wales. "United Kingdom" (in full: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) comprises Great Britain and the Province of Northern Ireland. "British Isles" is a purely geographical description for the British mainland and the island of Ireland; the latter contains the Province of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are usually regarded as part of the British Isles, although independent of the UK government. All but the Republic of Ireland (which is entirely independent of the UK) are under the British Crown (monarchy).

National Railway System

Most infrastructure in Great Britain is owned by Network Rail, a company controlled by the government's Department for Transport (DfT). Most passenger train services are provided by operators under franchise agreements with DfT, Transport for London, Merseytravel, Transport Scotland or the Welsh Government. Most franchisees are subsidiaries of major bus companies or national railways from other countries, including Deutsche Bahn and Nederlandse Spoorwegen. Full details are given by links from the ATOC website. Maps showing where the operators ply are at Barry Doe's and Project Mapping websites.

The operator of each train is indicated in the electronic National Rail Timetable and its printed derivatives by means of two-letter codes; for a de-coder and a chronology of privatisation and transfer/re-branding of Great Britain's passenger railway franchises to date go to the Rail Chronology website. Basic customer information about and links to the websites of each TOC are available through the National Rail website. Some further information about franchise periods and past franchisees can be found in Wikipedia.

A small number of operators provide passenger services on the national network which are not franchised by the DfT. Details are available by links from the ATOC website. These include Eurostar which is a unitary undertaking (Eurostar International Ltd), owned by partners SNCF (controlling interest 55%), SNCB/NMBS (5%) and private investors who acquired the UK government's 40% stake in 2015. In addition

  • Eurotunnel operates a shuttle service for motor vehicles through the Channel Tunnel; this does not carry foot-passengers (although cyclists can be carried by arrangement)
  • North Yorkshire Moors Railway operates timetabled steam trains through between Pickering/Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby during the summer.
  • West Coast Railways operate timetabled steam trains between Fort William and Mallaig, between York and Scarborough, and between York and Carlisle via Settle during the summer.

Railways in Northern Ireland are owned by Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (which remains state-owned) and are operated as the N I Railways (NIR) division of Translink.

All freight trains in Great Britain are operated by competing companies under "open access" conditions. The principal companies are: DB Schenker (formerly English Welsh and Scottish Railway, now a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn of Germany); Freightliner (owned by US railroad Genesee & Wyoming Inc); Colas Rail Limited (part of the Bouyuges group); Direct Rail Services (owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority); and GB Railfreight (a subsidiary of Eurotunnel). Direct Rail Services also operates a limited number of passenger trains for Northern Rail and for ScotRail. DB Schenker, in particular, and GB Railfreight, to a lesser extent, operate charter passenger trains.

There are no longer any revenue freight trains in Northern Ireland.

Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Isles (îles Anglo-Normands) is legally part of the UK but the Isle of Man's active railways and tramways are to be found under Tourist Lines and Trams respectively.

Official Website

Language

English. In addition Welsh is spoken in most parts of Wales, and Gaelic is used to a limited extent in the north of Scotland.

Currency

Pound sterling. Banks in Scotland issue their own notes, which are valid throughout the UK and usually accepted without question. Channel Islands and Manx notes (but not coins) are technically legal tender in the UK, but are best changed at banks. There are several different designs of £1 coin, but all are the same size, weight and colour.

UIC code

  • Great Britain: numeric 70; alpha GB (not used on rolling stock except for class 374 Eurostar trains and freight wagons authorised to operate through the Channel Tunnel or on the now-defunct train ferries).
  • Eurotunnel: numeric 69 (used only for accounting purposes and not shown on rolling stock).

Timetable

Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland)

The official National Rail timetable is published on Network Rail's website (see below), twice yearly (in mid December, to meet an EC directive, and mid May). Services on Mondays to Fridays, on Saturdays (or Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays are usually different and laid out separately in the timetable; there may be several alternative Sunday services, to allow for engineering work, during the currency of a timetable. Barry Doe provides a comprehensive guide to printed and on-line public transport timetables.

Journey Planner

National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner

The Realtime Trains and OpenTrainTimes websites provide a quick-reference way of checking the latest schedule (or amendment) for any particular train

Downloadable Timetable

www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/3828.aspx

Working (Staff) Timetable

Network Rail: Our information and data > Working Timetable.

You can also check for the latest variations to working timetable details for specific trains on the Realtime Trains and OpenTrainTimes websites.

TFL (London Underground). The DLR is not included.

Printed Timetable

Rail Times for Great Britain published by Middleton Press. Train operators produce timetable leaflets or booklets for specific services, which should be available at relevant stations.

Engineering Information

www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.html

Northern Ireland

In English.

Journey Planner

www.nirailways.co.uk/jp/jpclient.exe?NewQuery=NewQuery

Downloadable Timetable

www.nirailways.co.uk/present/IndexOpSvc.asp#NIR

Printed Timetable

A series of four free leaflets.

Engineering Information

www.nirailways.co.uk/latesttravelnews.asp then click the "NIR" button.

Maps

Printed Maps

  • The Rail Atlas Great Britain & Ireland by S.K. Baker gives detailed and accurate coverage of the UK railway system, and is widely available. It is mostly at 1:350,000, but with enlargements of many urban areas; an updated edition is published every 2-3 years.
  • TrackMaps publish a series of track diagrams (Quail Track Diagrams) in regional volumes, based on the former British Rail regions.
  • Northern Ireland Railways are in a volume covering the whole of Ireland published by Quail Map Co.
  • Historic atlases have been published by various other publishers.

Web-based Maps

Ticketing

There is no distance-related fare tariff in the UK, and fares are charged on a market basis. Certain fares are regulated and the amount by which franchised train companies can increase some fares is specified by the Department for Transport.

Standard walk-on fares are high, but a wide range of discounted fares is available. These are subject to restrictions as to days and times when they can be used. It can be difficult to obtain accurate information as to fares and their availability, even from official enquiry offices, because the pricing structure is complicated and the different train companies are all making their own special offers. The most heavily discounted fares usually oblige the passenger to travel on specified trains (with no opportunity to alter these) - and only a limited number of tickets may be issued for each service. Train operators are increasingly introducing special offers that can only be taken up through their website.

Tickets for any rail journey in the UK can be purchased from any franchised operator's website, but the best price may be available from the operator whose service is being used. Various other websites act as 'consolidators' and will compare what is available in order to offer the best deal. It is sometimes possible to obtain a lower price for a journey by splitting it and buying a different ticket for each section. In such cases it is necessary to travel on a train that stops at stations where the validity of one ticket ends and another starts. It may also be found that a ticket to a station beyond one's destination is cheaper, but conditions need to be checked carefully. A break of journey may not be permitted, requiring an excess fare to be paid if exiting at an intermediate station.

Overseas visitors should endeavour to purchase a rover ticket, such as a BritRail or InterRail pass, before travelling to the UK. Various rail rovers are available within the UK, but they do not offer the value or wide validity of those available to foreign visitors.

In various areas where all stations have automatic ticket machines, including on the London Underground and most other tram and metro networks, a penalty fares system applies. Passengers found without a ticket are likely to have to pay a fine on the spot.

There is only limited use of smart cards on the national rail system, but they are widely used in urban areas, particularly London.

The three class fare structure disappeared piece-meal from 1875, after the Midland Railway redesignated its Second class accommodation as Third class - at the lower fares. The curiosity of having no Second class was abandoned when Third was redesignated Second from 3 June 1956, to be further redesignated Standard from 11 May 1987. First class tends now to be found only on principal routes; in Northern Ireland it is limited to principal trains on the international route between Belfast and Dublin (where NIRailways call it "First plus" while partner Iarnród Éireann call it "Premium"). Eurostar maintain three classes: Standard; Leisure Select; Business Premier.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

Network Statement

Network Rail: Our information and data > Sectional appendix > National Electronic Sectional Appendix

Gauge

  • Great Britain: Standard
  • Northern Ireland: 1600 mm [5 feet 3 inches]

Electrification

  • Great Britain: Mostly 25 kV 50 Hz. 750 V dc third rail is used on some lines in south east England and around Liverpool.
  • Northern Ireland: no electrified lines.

Rule of the road

Left.

Distances

Other railways

Eurotunnel operates the Channel Tunnel under a long-term concession from the two governments. HS1 Ltd (owner of the link between London and the Channel tunnel) is held by private capital under a 30-year concession from the government. Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited owns the railway between Hayes & Harlington and London Heathrow Airport. Facilities exist for special through running between the national system and some tourist lines. British American Railway Services (a subsidiary of Iowa Pacific Holdings of the USA) operate two lines (Weardale Railway and Dartmoor Railway); both function as tourist lines, while the former also operates freight traffic through to the national system.

Tourist lines

A current listing of UK and Irish heritage railways can be found at the UK and Irish Heritage Railways website.

Metro

London (Docklands Light Railway [DLR], an automatic LRT system in east London, is separate from the London Underground system), Newcastle, Glasgow. Although part of the national railway system, the Merseyrail Electrics network in Liverpool is like a Metro. DLR, Glasgow and Merseyrail are third rail, Newcastle is 1500 V dc overhead and London Underground is four rail 660 V dc (two conductor rails). There are several lines where London Underground and main line trains share the same tracks. The Tyne & Wear Metro (Newcastle) operates to Sunderland over the Network Rail line from Pelaw. London Overground is part of the national system on which the franchising has (in effect) been devolved to the Mayor of London.

Trams

Birmingham/Wolverhampton (Midland Metro), Blackpool, Croydon, Edinburgh, Llandudno (cable worked), Manchester, Nottingham, Seaton (Devon) and Sheffield. The Croydon, Manchester, Midland Metro, Nottingham and Seaton systems include extensive running over lines that were previously part of the national railway system. The Manchester and Nottingham systems have been considerably extended in recent years. The Seaton and Llandudno lines are essentially tourist operations, and both are narrow gauge. There are other tourist lines of a mile or more at the National Tramway Museum (Crich, near Matlock) and at Beamish Open Air Museum (near Gateshead), plus several other shorter lines. On the Isle of Man are the Douglas Horse Tram and the Manx Electric Railway, an inter-urban line; both are narrow gauge.

Track plans for most of the significant tram systems in the United Kingdom are available on the Railway Codes site.

Recent and Future Changes

Privatisation of the railways in Great Britain has been completed, but there continues to be debate about the fragmented, expensive and complex nature of the system that has emerged, under the general oversight of the Department for Transport.

Route Closures and Service Reductions

Having undergone extensive cut backs in the 1960s, the present passenger network seems relatively secure. The closure of a passenger railway in the UK currently involves a lengthy legal process, and short-notice closures usually occur only if there is a sudden and dramatic infrastructure failure,or if the closure is deemed a "minor closure". A number of passenger services introduced in recent years were designated "experimental" enabling them to be withdrawn with minimal notice, but all such experimental designations have now expired. Closures and significant service reductions in recent years are:


Lines closed entirely:

Barkston South Junction - Barkston East Junction (replaced by new curve at Allington, October 2005)

Farringdon - Moorgate, London (March 2009; the London Underground line between the same stations is not affected)


Lines closed for conversion to rapid transit or other alternative transport use:

Stratford - North Woolwich, London (December 2006; part being converted to part of Docklands Light Railway and the remainder as part of Crossrail's Abbey Wood line)

Manchester - Oldham - Rochdale (October 2009; most is now part of Manchester's tram/metro system, but that has street running through Oldham, following an interim period when trams used a now-closed section of the former railway)


Passenger service withdrawn, line still open:

Maindee curve, Newport, Gwent (December 2005)

Newhaven Marine Station (Service suspended August 2006 because of the alleged unsafe condition of the platform canopy)

Reading West Junction - Oxford Road Junction (summer Saturday service last ran September 2008)

Acton Main Line - Willesden West London Jn (Cross Country Brighton services withdrawn December 2008)

[Kensington Olympia - ] Latchmere Junction - Longhedge Junction [ - Wandsworth Road] (June 2013)


Regular passenger service replaced by a very limited one:

Darlaston Jn - Pleck Jn [Walsall] (reduction to one Walsall to Wolverhampton train, December 2008)

Trowell Junction - Trent Junction (reduction to 2 or 3 trains a week from December 2008)

Stechford - Aston (closure of open-access operator Wrexham & Shropshire January 2011)

[Wandsworth Road - ] Factory Junction - Battersea Park (reduced to one and a half round trips December 2012)

[Holytown - ] Mossend East Junction - South Junction [ - Motherwell] (reduced to single round trip December 2014)

Wishaw - Holytown (December 2014)

One such route - between Stratford and Tottenham Hale - regained regular interval service from the December 2005 timetable change, while another - the Rose Street curve, avoiding Inverness - had its service improperly withdrawn in June 2006 but restored again from September 2006.


Other closures and service reductions:

In connection with the Thameslink project, passenger services between London Blackfriars and London Bridge ceased in December 2014 and do not resume until 2018. The main line between London Bridge and New Cross Gate is temporarily out of use between Spa Road and Bricklayers Arms Junction, with all trains running via South Bermondsey Junction.

Some routes have been reduced to just one or two trains per day (or, in some cases, per week) in order to reduce operating costs without having to go through the closure procedure. These are included in the list of sparse services.

Passenger services via, or in connection with those through, the Channel Tunnel do not enjoy statutory protection from closure, and - from Eurostar's transfer to St.Pancras International on 14 November 2007 - their services no longer serve Waterloo International; in consequence, passenger services were then withdrawn between Nine Elms Junction and Linford Street Junction and between Fawkham Junction and Southfleet Junction.

Trains between Belfast and Portrush or Londonderry have been diverted via Bleach Green Junction and, as a result of this, passenger services between Lisburn and Antrim have been withdrawn.

Stations at Airports

In addition to airports served by stations on through lines, branch lines or extensions have been opened over recent years and now serve airports at London Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle and London Heathrow (where Heathrow Express/HeathrowConnect and London Underground have three separate pairs of stations: Terminals 1-2-3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5).

Electrification

Main line electrification in Great Britain had been virtually at a standstill, because private sector train operators and rolling stock companies preferred the flexibility of diesel traction. The most recent schemes had been the line between Crewe and Kidsgrove (near Stoke on Trent) (electrified for diversionary use), the reconstructed Larkhall branch line in Scotland and High Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel rail link) [see below].

However, in 2009 DfT policy shifted towards extending electrification, and lines electrified since are:

Manchester - Newton-le-Willows (December 2013)

Earlestown - Edge Hill (March 2015)

Huyton - Wigan via St Helens (May 2015)

Work is under way between Manchester and Blackpool North via Bolton and Preston and between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley. The largest project in progress is Great Western lines from London Paddington to Oxford, Newbury, Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea (this route was anyway to be electrified as far as Maidenhead under the Crossrail project (see below), with branches to Windsor, Marlow and Henley on Thames). Approval in principle has been given to electrification of Gospel Oak to Barking; Oxenholme to Windermere; and that section of the East West Rail Project (see below) between Oxford and Bedford. Schemes to electrify Manchester to Leeds and York and the Midland Main Line north from Bedford have been delayed on cost grounds.

Following the re-opening and electrification of lines to Larkhall and through Bathgate, the Scottish Government is funding wholesale electrification in the central lowlands, with work complete thus:

Glasgow (Shields Junction) - Paisley Canal (November 2012)

Cumbernauld - Springburn and to Mossend (Motherwell) (May 2014)

Rutherglen - Whifflet (December 2014)

Electrification work is under way between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk and will continue to cover Cumbernauld to Stirling, Dunblane and Alloa; and Holytown to Kirknewton via Shotts.

The Welsh Government is sponsoring electrification of the Valley Lines from Cardiff (to Merthyr, Aberdare etc), which is jointly-funded with the UK Government.

Infrastructure Upgrades

Major work has been carried out to upgrade the West Coast Main Line, including the London to Manchester route, for 125 mph running (although the tilting Pendolino trains will not be able to reach their design maximum speed of 140 mph). The scheme included the construction of additional running lines on parts of the Trent Valley section in Staffordshire.

The first 70km section of the Channel Tunnel rail link, between Dollands Moor and Southfleet Jn, opened to passengers on 28 September 2003 and the 40km second phase, between Southfleet Jn and London St Pancras International, opened on 14 November 2007. The whole CTRL is now dubbed HS1 ("High Speed 1"). Internal services between London St.Pancras International and destinations in Kent commenced on a trial basis from June 2009, and in full service from December 2009. Higher fares are charged for journeys to and from London via HS1, but not for those between Kent and places beyond London.

There are two major infrastructure schemes to increase the capacity of the rail network in London. These are reconstruction of the Thameslink route through central London, in connection with which the line from Farringdon to Moorgate has closed (see above), and a new Crossrail east-west tunnel under central London between Paddington and Whitechapel, whence two "branches" will project.

Debate has opened on a high speed line ("High Speed 2") between London and the provinces but, under any scenario, opening is many years away. Consideration is also being given to a second Crossrail line, linking lines in North East and South West London.

The main line between Belfast and Dublin has been upgraded, and new and faster trains provided. This service is operated jointly by NIR and Iarnród Éireann.

Re-openings and Openings

Most projects involve upgrading existing routes, but some re-openings have occurred and are about to do so.

Other new and reinstated passenger services in recent years are:

Maryhill - Anniesland (September 2005)

Hamilton - Larkhall (December 2005)

Ebbw Vale Parkway - Cardiff (February 2008) (a link to Newport should reopen later)

Stirling - Alloa (May 2008)

Kettering - Corby - Manton Junction [Melton Mowbray] (April 2009, limited service Kettering - Corby from February 2009)

Drumgelloch - Bathgate (December 2010)

Ebbw Vale Parkway - Ebbw Vale Town (May 2015)

Todmorden Curve (allowing trains to run direct between Todmorden and Burnley Manchester Road) (May 2015)

The Docklands Light Railway extended to Woolwich Arsenal in January 2009 and to Stratford International in August 2011. The first phase of the resuscitated East London line (partially reopened/partially new construction) opened in April 2010, with full service extending into south London the following month, and to Highbury & Islington in February 2011; the links from Surrey Quays to the South London line and between Wandsworth Road and Clapham Junction reopened in December 2012. Since December 2011 curve from Slade Green to Barnehurst (Perry Street Fork Junction), which had previously had a limited service, has been used by trains for most of the day, Mondays to Fridays.

Remodelling the railway at Reading has included construction of a new dive-under from the Wokingham line to the north side of the station, with a limited passenger service, a flyover west of the station used by fast trains to and from Didcot and an alternative route between Reading West and the north side of Reading station.

Two lines have gained regular passenger services on a temporary basis. Since January 2015 some late-evening passenger trains from London Charing Cross have been routed via London Cannon Street, using the curve from Metropolitan Junction that is normally used only by empty stock. This is expected to be a temporary measure until August 2016, while Thameslink construction works prevent Charing Cross trains from calling at London Bridge. TransPennine Express trains between Manchester and Scotland use the curve from Parkside Junction to Golborne Junction, but only until the route via Bolton and Chorley is electrified. This is scheduled for completion in 2017.

A number of new curves and flyovers have been built, in order to increase network capacity by reducing conflicting moves. These include a flyover at Hitchin, used by most passenger trains towards the Cambridge line, which came into use in 2013. New curves north of Ipswich, north of Doncaster and north of Nuneaton are normally used only by freight trains.

South West Trains is to run a regular passenger service between Yeovil Junction and Yeovil Pen Mill from December 2015. Through trains are expected to run on a seasonal basis between Swanage and Wareham from 2016.

The Welsh Highland Railway - 2ft. gauge, closed in 1937 - has been rebuilt and extended to run between Caernarfon and Porthmadog (25 miles). The final section - including a flat crossing with the standard gauge line in Porthmadog, to effect a link with the Ffestiniog Railway - opened in April 2011. Extension of the Bluebell Railway from Kingscote to East Grinstead in 2013 completed a restoration of a link with the national network.

Projects under construction are:

Public passenger trains on "Borders Railway", between Tweedbank, Galashiels and Edinburgh, start on 6 September 2015.

A new curve at Bicester, allowing a direct service between London Marylebone and Oxford, is scheduled to come into public use on 25 October 2015. The Marylebone to Oxford trains will initially terminate at a new station, Oxford Parkway, with the service being extended to the main station in Oxford in 2016. A service between Oxford and Bedford, re-opening the line between Bicester and Fenny Stratford, is expected in 2017.

The long-awaited Thameslink project includes a new link from St Pancras International to the East Coast Main Line. This should be complete for use by empty trains in 2015, but no passenger service is expected before 2018.

The Crossrail service (see above) is due to commence between Abbey Wood and Heathrow Airport in December 2018. The Shenfield service will run initially to Liverpool Street and not through the cross-London tunnels until December 2019.

A new section of main line and a flyover to the Stoke-on-Trent line are being built at Norton Bridge.

It is planned that work will start on the new link between the LUL Watford branch and the erstwhile Watford - Croxley Green branch in autumn 2015. This will result in the closure of the Watford LUL station but the re-opening of most of the Croxley Green branch in 2018. Legal powers have been granted for construction of a branch of the LUL Northern Line from Kennington to Battersea; this will not be completed until 2020 at the earliest.

Network Rail has obtained legal powers to construct the Ordsall Curve in Salford, which will allow passenger trains to run direct between Deansgate and Manchester Victoria. It is not certain when construction work will start. Network Rail has applied for powers to construct the Tinsley Chord, which will connect the Sheffield tram system to the Tinsley to Rotherham freight line near Meadowhall. The trams to work the planned service to Rotherham were ordered in 2013.

In the private sector, Moorland & City Railways intend to reopen the 18 mile line between Stoke-on-Trent, Leek Brook Junction and Caldon Low (which they call Cauldon Lowe). Services between Leek Brook Junction and Caldon Low (operated as an adjunct to the Churnet Valley Railway) started in November 2010 (although the section beyond Ipstones is presently closed for relaying) and are seeking to resuscitate the line to Stoke-on-Trent. The Llangollen Railway started operating passenger services to a provisional terminus at Corwen in October 2014. The Strathspey Railway is extending to Grantown-on-Spey and since July 2014 has offered a limited summer service between its normal terminus at Broomhill and the river bridge at Dulnain. The first (very short) section of the Aln Valley Railway officially opened in October 2013, from a new station on the edge of Alnwick. The line is to be extended to the National Rail station at Alnmouth, with a projected completion date of 2020. The Gloucester Warwickshire Railway is extending its line to Broadway, with trains initially running as far as Laverton. Most ambitiously, the two Great Central Railways at Loughborough are to be linked by means of a reinstated bridge over the Midland Main Line. Other heritage schemes in progress include Milton of Crathes to Banchory, Robertsbridge to Junction Road (Bodiam) and Dereham to County School.

Special Notes

Trains, other than Eurostar, are not identified in timetables and on departure sheets by numbers. Services are publicly identified by their journey and departure time, but with variations to allow for intermediate stops. There is no standard convention, but as an example a train would be described as the 09:00 London King's Cross to Edinburgh, though at an intermediate stop would probably be announced as the "10:32 Doncaster to Edinburgh, the 09:00 from King's Cross". An alpha-numeric system is used for operating purposes and these train reporting numbers can be found at Realtime Trains and OpenTrainTimes or through traveline (remember to uncheck all Mode of Transport boxes except "Train" and ensure end points are "Railway Station"); in the results see the column labelled Service". Some operators have their own four-digit train numbering systems for reservation purposes which is displayed on train sides and reservation tickets.

Departure sheets listing trains from a station in chronological order are rarely used. The usual format is to list destinations in alphabetic order, and provide details of all trains to each. Most stations have electronic displays, which indicate all departures (and often arrivals) within the next hour or so.

Facing pairs of seats in trains have traditionally had the same number, being distinguished by being either "facing" or "back" relative to the direction of travel. They are distinguished on seat reservation labels and tickets by suffixes F and B. This can cause some confusion with seat reservations on trains that reverse en route. The practice is being replaced by most operators (including Eurostar) by numbering each seat uniquely, particularly on new trains.

There are very few long-distance overnight trains in Great Britain (and none in Northern Ireland). Couchettes are not provided and seating, when available, is in saloons with non-reclinable seats, where passengers may have no control of the lighting. Completely new trains are to be introduced on Anglo-Scottish overnight services by 2018, with four categories of accommodation.

Some carriages remain in service where it is necessary to open a window and use an outside handle to open an external door from inside but (apart from heritage operations) all doors are now centrally locked when trains are underway.

Taking bicycles, other than folding ones, by train can be difficult. Space may be limited and some operators require advance reservations for bicycles. More information can be found in the National Rail Cycling by Train leaflet.

Train services at weekends, and especially Saturday evening and Sunday until mid-afternoon, can be extensively altered because of engineering work. With the paucity of alternative routes and a growing aversion to temporary single line working, buses frequently substitute for trains in such circumstances.

The risk of terrorism in Great Britain should not be over-stated - but this is due in part to stringent precautions, so very few stations have left luggage facilities. Unattended luggage may be removed by the police and processes to check that it is safe can be very destructive.

Railway enthusiasts are welcomed on stations - for guidance when on and about stations refer to National Rail's advice.

No stations sell international tickets or can make international reservations (although there are facilities to make through bookings from certain stations by Eurostar and there is an independent travel agent at London St. Pancras International which can effect such bookings). Even the range of tickets available from Eurostar UK is very limited. For guidance on booking travel to and from Europe visit The Man in Seat Sixty-One's website.

See also

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