Rail travel in the United Kingdom principal main lines · Principal Main Lines in Rail travel in the United Kingdom
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Principal Main Lines in Rail travel in the United Kingdom
Principal Main Lines in Rail travel in the United Kingdom
The six historic 'mainlines' of Great Britain are:
The East Coast Main Line - from London King's Cross to Edinburgh, via York and Newcastle
Great Eastern Main Line - from London Liverpool Street to Norwich
Great Western Main Line - from London Paddington to Bristol and the south-west, and Swansea and south Wales.
Midland Main Line - from London St. Pancras to Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield
West Coast Main Line - from London Euston to Glasgow, via Preston
The Cross-Country Route - connecting Scotland, northern England, the Midlands, southern and south-west England, usually via Birmingham instead of London
Note that on a handful of rural local services (particularly in the North-west and South-west), some smaller stations are request stops (this will normally be indicated on the schedule as well as on the PA system). If boarding at a request stop, the train will slow down and sound its horn - if you wish to board the train then raise your arm so that the driver can see you. If you wish to alight at a request stop, you should notify the conductor as to which station you wish to get off at and he will signal the driver to stop.
Smoking is not permitted on board trains and most newer trains are fitted with smoke alarms. Note that smoking is also banned on station platforms, although at smaller stations it is generally ignored if you smoke away from the main waiting area. Alcohol in open containers (i.e. opened cans or bottles, not stowed out of sight) is not permitted on any station, but it is onboard trains. Be careful, as although this rule is only enforced at major stations, you will have the drink confiscated and you are liable to a hefty fine.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Rail travel in the United Kingdom
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Rail travel in the United Kingdom - updated Apr 2024
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Rail travel in the United Kingdom Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.