World City Guide

Getting There By Rail

The British railway network has a bad reputation at the moment – delays, cancellations and poor travelling conditions are common, while fares (particularly on routes via London) are among the highest in Europe. Actual train services are provided by a number of independent operators, while Network Rail (tel: (020) 7557 8000; website: www.networkrail.co.uk) is now the company responsible for the infrastructure and the track. The company also owns all the stations but manages only the 17 biggest. In an attempt to avoid the disaster of their predecessor, Railtrack, Network Rail is a Company Limited by Guarantee with no shareholders, where all profit is reinvested into the railways.

Railway information is available 24 hours from National Rail Enquiries (tel: (0845) 748 4950; website: www.nationalrail.co.uk). London has numerous major stations. These all become very crowded during rush hour (Monday to Friday 0800-0930 and 1700-1830), when services struggle to cope with the sheer volume of passengers. The major national stations in London are Victoria (southwest), Paddington (west), Euston and Kings Cross (north), Liverpool Street (east), Waterloo (south) and Charing Cross (central). Station facilities differ but most include ATMs, bureaux de change, shops, cafés and pubs. Tickets should be purchased at the station (from ticket desks and machines) before boarding.

Rail services: Eurostar (tel: (0870) 518 6186 or (01233) 617 575 (from outside the UK); website: www.eurostar.com) services from Avignon, Calais, Brussels, Lille, Paris-Gare du Nord and Disneyland Paris travel via the English Channel to Waterloo station. Tickets are available at the station, from the Eurostar Call Centre or online (see above). Eurostar is extremely convenient and, once time travelling to and from the airport and spent checking in has been taken into account, is usually quicker than flying (approximate journey time to Paris – 3 hours). The construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, connecting King’s Cross station with Paris (estimated journey time – 2 hours 20 minutes) is well under way; completion is due in 2007.

The main London terminals serve different regions of the country, as follows: Euston and King’s Cross for the Midlands, the north of England and Scotland; Liverpool Street for East Anglia; Paddington for Heathrow airport, the West Country, South Wales and the Midlands; Victoria for Gatwick airport and the southeast; and Waterloo for the south coast and the continent. There are also numerous regional stations, including Blackfriars, Charing Cross, London Bridge, Marylebone, St Pancras, Stratford and Clapham Junction (the busiest station in the UK). Overnight sleeper trains, run by First Scotrail (tel: (0845) 755 0033; website: www.firstscotrail.com), connect Euston with the Scottish destinations of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Fort William, Aberdeen and Dundee. National Rail Enquiries (see above) can provide information on all services, including journey prices, times and duration.

Transport to the city: All railway stations are on the London Underground network. Two express bus routes, 205 and 705, cover the major railway stations, with limited key stops in between, often at regional train stations. Both bus routes operate between Paddington to Liverpool Street. Route 205 stops at Marylebone, Euston and Kings Cross St Pancras and operates every 15 minutes daily approximately 0500-2430. Route 705 stops at Victoria (coach and train stations), Waterloo and London Bridge and operates every 30 minutes daily approximately 0800-2000. Tickets cost £1.20 per trip.

Licensed London taxis are readily available from ranks outside all major railway stations. The London Travel Information line (tel: (020) 7222 1234; website: www.tfl.gov.uk) provides information on all the city’s transport.