However, the complex system of privatised train operators serving an effectively state-owned network of stations and lines means that the choice of trains and fares can be confusing to the visitor.
The track, stations and infrastructure of Britain's railway network (with the exception of preserved railways) is owned by '''Network Rail''', a British "not for dividend" company limited by guarantee and owned by the government.
Trains are operated by privately owned and commercially run train companies, known as '''Train operating companies''' (TOCs), who lease or own passenger trains to run passenger services as set down in their franchise agreements. Different companies compete to win franchises for a certain number of years. Their continued permission to operate, or their ability to win extensions or repeated franchises, depends on a combination of factors, including value-for-money, performance and customer satisfaction.
The '''Association of Train Operating Companies''' (ATOC) represents all the passenger train companies, and markets them collectively as '''National Rail'''. National Rail has inherited the famous white-on-red "crossing arrows" logo of the former (nationalised) railway company British Rail, which ceased to exist in the nineteen-nineties. It is frequently used on signs to identify railway stations.
As of January 2009, the [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail] network of passenger operating companies consists of:
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One exception of note to the above is in Northern Ireland. The slightly different administrative system and legacy of the Northern Irish transport system means that '''Northern Ireland Railways''' [http://www.nirailways.co.uk/] are not part of the National Rail network, and continue to be state owned. They are largely integrated with local and provincial bus services operated by Translink [http://www.translink.co.uk/] and trains in the Republic of Ireland operated by Iarnrod Eireann. [http://www.irishrail.ie/]
See Rail travel in Ireland for more information.
The best source of information for all aspects of rail travel in the UK is '''National Rail''' [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/]. The site provides journey planning tools, live updates for all stations on the network, station information and ticket information. They also operate the '''National Rail Enquiries''' phone service on +44 (0)8457 48 49 50.
The National Rail website '''does not sell tickets'''. You buy tickets at staffed ticket offices and ticket machines at railway stations, or from one of several websites.
The privatisation of the nationalised British Rail into the current system saw an explosion in the number of tickets, as individual Train Operating Companies introduced their own route-specific discounts or special fares. In 2008, National Rail introduced a simplified system of tickets names and types.
National Rail offers three broad types of ticket, which allow to choose between flexibility and value. In increasing order of cost per mile, tickets are classed as:
Advance tickets are only sold as single (one-way) tickets. With the exception of suburban and commuter trains, '''the cheapest fares are almost always Advance tickets'''. These are released for sale in limited numbers approximately 12 weeks in advance, and '''must be used on the train specified on the reservation'''. They are not valid on any other train, and usually incur an administration fee plus difference in fare if you want to cancel or change them. To check how far ahead 'Advance' tickets are available, visit the [http://www.atoctravelagents.org/ ATOC Travel Agents] website and click on 'Booking Horizons' on the left hand column.
When purchasing a less restricted '''off-peak''' or '''anytime''' ticket, note that '''return fares are normally only a small amount more than a single (one-way)'''.
Discounts on these tickets are available for:
The most widely used system of discounts on National Rail are Railcards. These can be purchased from any staffed railway station (upon completion of a form and provision of proof of eligibility and a photograph) or online from [http://www.railcard.co.uk/ railcard.co.uk] Although these are primarily intended for British citizens, the discounts offered makes them extremely useful for visitors to Britain who plan to travel a lot by train. Railcard discounts are not normally available before 09:30 or 10:00 on weekdays: a flat fare for railcard holders is normally charged, meaning it may be cheaper to travel on a regular ticket instead.
# 07:15 Cambridge - London King's Cross: 870 (494, 176%) # 08:02 Woking - London Waterloo: 865 (492, 176%) # 07:45 Cambridge - London King's Cross: 812 (494, 164%) # 17:45 London King's Cross - King's Lynn: 808 (494, 164%) # 08:22 Oxford - London Paddington: 482 (304, 159%)
Planning journeys outside the rush hours (06:00 - 09:30 & 16:00 - 19:00) can make tickets cheaper and journeys significantly more comfortable.}}
Commuters who use the train every day for travelling to and from work can make savings similar to those offered by a railcard (but at any time of day) by purchasing a season ticket. These are available from staffed ticket offices and tickets machines for a journey between any two stations for periods of 7 days to 12 months. The National Rail website has a Season Ticket calculator. [http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/en/pj/sts]
There are two principal types of rail pass available to visitors to the UK which permit inclusive rail travel throughout the UK. Supplements are normally payable for Eurostar and sleeper trains.
A relic of the nationalised British Rail era, '''Ranger''' and '''Rover''' tickets are tickets that permit unlimited travel with relatively few restrictions over a defined geographical area for a period of anything from one to fourteen days. A full list of tickets is available with their terms and conditions from [http://nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/promotions/rangers_and_rovers.html National Rail]. These tickets include Rovers for almost every region of the UK, but notable tickets include:
In addition to the tickets and discounts detailed above, the transport operator Stagecoach sells heavily discounted [http://www.megatrain.com/ Megatrain] tickets from as little as __1.50, alongside similarly priced 'Megabus' services. The 'Megatrain' is not a distinct service, but a limited number of seats on selected trains operated by Stagecoach owned or partially Stagecoach owned Train Operating Companies. Current routes include those operated by [http://www.virgin.com/trains Virgin Trains] between Birmingham, Manchester and Scotland; [http://www.swtrains.com/ South West Trains] between London Waterloo and the south west of England; and [http://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/ East Midlands Trains] between London St Pancras and the Midlands.
The [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail] website has an information page for every railway station in Britain, with details of access, facilities, ticket office opening hours and recommended connection times. The 'live' Departures & Arrivals screen for every station can also be viewed online, with up-to-the-minute train running information.
If you are unfamiliar with your journey, arrive at the station with time to spare, and be aware that you may be asked to show your ticket or open a ticket barrier with it.
Larger stations will have electronic departure screens listing trains in order of departure, their platform, any delay, calling points and the operator. Trains do not have publicly announced numbers; they are identified at each station by their departure time and destination (eg. "The 12:15 to Manchester Piccadilly"). Platforms may not be announced until a few minutes before the train is due to depart, and can subsequently change if the train is delayed. Listen out for audio announcements. Platform staff can also advise where to stand if you are travelling with a bicycle.
At smaller stations without electronic displays, signs will indicate which platform to wait on for your destination station.
If you have a reservation, watch the outside of the train as it arrives for your coach number (some main line railways will have signs on the platform telling you where to wait). Coach A is not necessarily at the front of the train, and some letters may not be included. If you are the last person to board or alight through a manually operated door (which can be opened by pushing down on the handle on the outside of the train) don't forget to close it behind you.
Seat reservations are marked either with paper tags on the headrest or an electronic display above the window.
Keep your ticket and any pass on you when you move about the train, as you may be asked to show it. Station stops are normally announced over the public address system or on scrolling electronic displays in the carriage.
There are approximately 2,600 railway stations throughout the UK, not including the London Underground.
When making a journey that involves a connection between London stations, a through ticket will normally allow connecting travel on London Underground services. Bold type indicates a terminus station; with the exception of the north-south 'Thameslink' link (Bedford, Luton, St. Pancras International, Blackfriars, London Bridge, Gatwick Airport, Brighton) no National Rail lines provide continuous travel across the capital.
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Outside London, [http://nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/connections/ National Rail] list the following as major connecting stations, where passengers changing trains on multi-leg journeys are most often routed. {|
This list is not comprehensive, mentioning only Britain's main line railways.
The six historic 'mainlines' of Great Britain are:
Due to the fragmented management of the train companies that provide passenger services in Britain, there is no nationally recognised standard of, for example, InterCity or Regional services. However, passengers travelling on any of the six main lines listed above can expect their train to feature:
On all other services, the differentiation between standard and first class is much less noticeable, normally with a slightly larger seat but no complimentary service. Regional and local trains are unlikely to carry first class at all.
When booking tickets in advance for travel on long distance trains, you will normally be offered a reservation for no extra charge (although as of spring 2009, National Express East Coast and National Express East Anglia charge __2.50 for a reservation). This will normally be issued in the form of a second ticket, which will indicate your coach and seat number. While you are not obliged to sit in this seat, you may ask someone who has taken it to move so that you may sit down. If travelling without a reservation, it is advisable to check the seat reservations before taking an empty seat, as you may be asked to move later.
The fragmented and long-winded process of ordering and commissioning new trains to the National Rail network has lead to some noticeable overcrowding on many parts of the network, especially during the daily rush hours or around holidays. If travelling with luggage, it is strongly advised to limit yourself to one large suitcase or backpack, as trains have been designed with more seats than there is luggage room. Keep a close eye on your luggage during your journey, and avoid blocking aisles and doorways.
There are five scheduled sleeper trains that operate every night of the week except Saturday.
Reservations are mandatory, and supplements are payable on top of the basic fare to reserve a berth. Special advance purchase tickets known as '''Bargain Berths''' are available on the Scottish sleepers, starting at __19. They are only available from [http://www.scotrail.co.uk/ ScotRail.co.uk]. All sleeper trains offer:
London St. Pancras is the terminus for '''Eurostar''' high speed trains to Lille, Brussels, Paris and seasonal French destinations such as Avignon and the Alps. Connections to many major European cities can be made in Lille, Brussels, Paris, and through tickets are available from [http://www.eurostar.com/ Eurostar], [http://www.raileurope.co.uk/ RailEurope] and staffed ticket offices to European destinations.
Most airports without integrated rail services offer a bus connection to the nearest station.
Through tickets are available from any UK railway station to any station in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. In the west of Scotland, rail and ferry timetables are often integrated, and through tickets are available. For details of routes and fares, contact [http://www.sailrail.co.uk SailRail] or [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ National Rail].
All train companies display safety information posters on board their trains, with informations about what to do in the event of an emergency. The simplest advice is that '''unless your personal safety is threatened, you are always safer on the train than if you try to leave it'''. If an evacuation of a train is ordered by train crew, instructions will be given. Most carriages have specific windows that can be broken or pushed open for emergency escape.
Crime against passengers on trains in the UK is exceptionally rare, with the most common being simple theft of unsupervised luggage. If travelling with bags, keep them within sight, especially during station stops if your bags are in racks near the doors of the carriage.
A conductor or guard is present on most trains. If they have not made themselves visible during the journey, they can usually be found in the cab at the rear of the train. Communication panels are normally located throughout the train. Emergency brakes are also available, but a heavy penalty can be fined against someone who unnecessarily stops the train. Unless someone's safety is threatened by the movement of the train, contact the guard or driver and wait for assistance or the next station stop.
The '''British Transport Police''' is responsible for the policing of trains, stations and railway property. In an emergency all emergency services can be contacted by dialing 999 or 112 from a telephone.