Travel Information on British Train Stations

When travelling on an adeo Travel rail tour we will always provide you with plenty of station, schedule and route information specific to your own tailored itinerary. However below we outline some general facilities and services that you can expect from the train stations throughout Britain.

Location

Most British train and railway stations are located in the centre of each town or on the outskirt depending on when they were built and their original purpose. When you are travelling on your Britain rail tour you will generally be able to walk to your accommodation or hotel or it will be reachable by a short journey in a taxi. Wherever possible, adeo Travel will recommend centrally located accommodation convenient for both the station and for sightseeing within the destination town or city. Most stations will have a taxi rank located at them or taxis readily available outside which can be flagged if you choose not to walk whilst you have your luggage with you. Your taxi-driver will generally help you load your cases into the car. Most stations will also have onward transport links such as bus services which depart from the station.

Station Services and Facilities

Train stations in Britain offer a range of services which can vary at specific stations. Most stations in major towns and cities will be manned (they will have permanent staff present throughout the day and night). These stations will have barriers where you will need to present your tickets to a member of staff before proceeding to the platform. Stations at smaller towns can be unmanned, you are free to walk directly on to the platform and board the train without showing your tickets. The train will generally have an on-board conductor who will check your ticket so please have them to hand.

Other facilities available at most stations:

• Departure lounge / indoor waiting area.
• Timetable boards and screens with latest rail information and scheduled arrivals/departures.
• Rest rooms and wash facilities (sometimes chargeable in major stations).
• Cafes/restaurants/newsagents/shops for purchase of refreshments and items for your journey.
• Left luggage areas or luggage storage facilities (please note that this facilitiy is only available at certain stations – please check with your adeo Travel Britain Expert if you intend to stop at a location and want to store your luggage which you sightsee). This service is payable.
• Ticket offices or ticket machines.
• Information desks and staffed customer service desks.
• Luggage trolleys (usually only at major stations).
• ATM / cash machines.
• Payphones.
• Complimentary wifi (major stations only).
• Car parking, taxi ranks and onward bus services.

Major British Mainline Train Stations

London:

• London St Pancras – Dating back to 1868 this magnificent station has been renovated in recent years and now connects London with Paris (and Europe) via the Eurostar.
• London Euston – One of London’s oldest and busiest stations Euston is the city’s main hub for travel to central England and the northwest including the cities of Oxford, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.
• London Kings Cross – home of the fictional platform 9 and 3/4 from the harry Potter books and originally built in dedication to King George IV, Kings Cross connects London with cities in the North and East such as Cambridge, York, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
• London Paddington – home of Paddington Bear this historic station connects London with major towns in the West of England and Wales such as Cardiff, Bath, Bristol and Exeter and is also the place to catch the Heathrow Express link to Heathrow Airport.
• London Victoria – located in the heart of London close to Buckingham Palace this station connects the city mainly with towns and cities to the south including Canterbury and Brighton not to mention Gatwick Airport on the Gatwick Express rail link.
• London Waterloo – the city’s largest station and situated on the south bank of the Thames this station is most commonly used for connecting to cities to the south west of London including Salisbury, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Birmingham:

• Birmingham New Street – one of central England’s busiest rail hubs linking the north West with London and the South East. Major routes both north and south including fast connections to Cardiff, London, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow as well as more local locations such as Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cotswolds.

Manchester:

• Manchester Piccadilly – the city’s magnificent Picadilly station is a major hub with connections to locations throughout Britain including Edinburgh, Glasgow, York, Liverpool, Birmingham and London.

Cardiff:

• Cardiff Central – the Welsh capital’s major rail hub with mainline connections to both the East including Bath, Bristol and London and West Wales including Swansea and Tenby.
• Cardiff Queen Street – used mainly for local services Queen Street is where you can connect to the fashionable Cardiff Bay area of the city.

Edinburgh:

• Edinburgh (Waverley) – situated right in the heart of the Scottish capital in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Waverley is the arrival station of major services from England including the East Coast Mainline which passes through Durham and York on route from London. It also connects with the rest of Scotland including Glasgow and Inverness.
• Edinburgh Haymarket – most service heading east from Waverley also pass through Edinburgh Haymarket making it a hub for much of Scotland and to Glasgow.

Glasgow:

• Glasgow Central – Scotland’s largest station Glasgow Central connects mainly with the south of Scotland and England including the Lake District, Birmingham and London.
• Glasgow Queen Street – situated on the northern side of the city centre Glasgow Queen Street is used primarily for travel within Scotland including to Edinburgh, Stirling, Fort William and Inverness.