|
Support Mercy Corps |
London has one of the most extensive rail systems in the world and provides a highly efficient means of getting around its city, metropolitan area and accessing other parts of Britain.
London Transport operates the London Underground (subway) system that serves the entire London metropolitan area. In conjunction with London Transport buses and other regional bus services, travelers in London have a very economical way to travel to many points in the area. The Transport for London web site is an excellent source of information for transportation options in London. Transport for London also has a web site for WAP-enabled phones.
The Docklands Light Railway serves points in East London, including London City Airport, and connects to several Underground and main line stations.
There are several rail companies that provide passenger services in England. They are listed on the Railways in England page with brief descriptions of the areas and destinations that they serve.
The National Rail Network web site is a portal providing access to all the major rail companies and on-line schedule information and reservation services for England, Scotland and Wales. This web site also provides advisory information regarding possible service problems, so it or an applicable rail operator's web site should be checked prior to any journey.
Several of these regional and national services operate from one or more of the following main line stations, each of which is also served by the London Underground:
Cannon Street: South Eastern Trains operate from London to south London, Kent and parts of east Sussex, including London-Gatwick Airport. Go to the Network Rail Stations web site and choose "Cannon Street" for detailed information about this station.
Charing Cross: Trains to destinations in Kent and other parts of southeast England operate from this station. Operators: South Central Trains, South Eastern Trains Go to the Network Rail Stations web site and choose "Charing Cross" for detailed information about this station.
Euston: Trains running to the Midlands, northwest England and western Scotland operate from Euston. Operators: Virgin, Silverlink Go to the Network Rail Stations web site and choose "Euston" for detailed information about this station.
Fenchurch Street: C2C trains operate from Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street in London to Southend in Essex and other points along the north side of the River Thames. Go to the Network Rail Stations web site and choose "Fenchurch Street" for detailed information about this station.
King's Cross: Rail services from this station lead to points in the area of the east coast of England and eastern Scotland. Thameslink has an extension to Brighton on the south coast. Operators: Great North Eastern Railway (GNER), South Eastern Trains, WAGN Railway, Thameslink, Hull Trains Go to the Network Rail Stations web site and choose "Kings Cross" for detailed information about this station.
Liverpool Street: East Anglia is served by trains from this station. Operators: One (formerly Anglia Railways), First Great Eastern, C2C, WAGN Railway, Stansted Express. Go to the Network Rail Stations web site and choose "Liverpool Street" for detailed information about this station.
London Bridge: Trains operate from this station to points in south London and the adjacent counties of Kent and Sussex. South Central Trains, South Eastern Trains, Thameslink One line between London Bridge and Brighton connects with London-Gatwick Airport. Go to the Network Rail Stations web site and choose " London Bridge" for detailed information about this station.
Marylebone: Chiltern Railways operates to south-central England and Birmingham.
Paddington: Trains operate from this station to southwest England, the Cotswolds and to Wales. Operators: First Great Western,Thames Trains, Heathrow Express (for Heathrow airport) Go to the Network Rail Stations web site and choose "Paddington" for detailed information about this station.
St. Pancras: Eurostar and Midland Mainline provides rail services to the Midlands and eastern England.
Victoria: For points in southern England. Operators: South Central Trains, South Eastern Trains, Gatwick Express (for Gatwick airport) The Orient Express cross-channel services to continental Europe also operate from Victoria station. Go to the Network Rail Stations web site and choose "Victoria" for detailed information about this station.
Waterloo: This station serves southern England and Wales. Operators: South Central Trains, South Eastern Trains, Arriva Trains Wales, and South West Trains. Eurostar trains operate from London (Waterloo Station) to Paris, other destinations in France, and Brussels. The trains have an intermediate stop at Ashford in Kent, between London and the Chunnel, the under-channel crossing. Go to the Network Rail Stations web site and choose "Waterloo" for detailed information about this station.