Trains in Great Britain

Rail network

Visitors to Great Britain will find it easy to travel around England, Scotland and Wales on the extensive and well-developed train system. Britain's train network criss-crosses the land with services to even small towns and villages with almost 20,000 train services on a typical weekday.

Visit the Rail Delivery Group website for an overview of train companies in the UK. Your Interrail pass is valid on trains from these companies, except the Heathrow Express. Eurostar trains require the Interrail Global Pass. 

Main stations & connections

London Euston

Routes: London – Birmingham, London – Dundee, London – Edinburgh, London – Liverpool, London – Manchester, London – Newcastle, London – Oxford

London Kings Cross

Routes: London – Cambridge, London – York, London – Leeds, London – Newcastle, London – Edinburgh, London – Glasgow

London Paddington

Routes: London – Cardiff, London – Oxford, London – Penzance, London – Plymouth
You can use your Interrail Pass on Heathrow Connect to travel between Paddington and Heathrow Airport

London Victoria

Routes: London – Brighton, London – Portsmouth, London – Southampton

London Waterloo

Routes: London – Bristol, London – Exeter, London – Penzance, London – Windsor, London – Plymouth

Liverpool Lime Street

Routes: Liverpool – London, Liverpool – Manchester, Liverpool – Glasgow

Manchester Piccadilly

Routes: Manchester – London, Manchester – Birmingham, Manchester – Cardiff, Manchester – Liverpool, Manchester – Glasgow

Birmingham New Street

Routes: Birmingham – London, Birmingham – Manchester, Birmingham – Liverpool, Birmingham – Bristol, Birmingham – Penzance

Reservations

A valid Pass for Great Britain can be used on several train services operated by several private railway companies.

Please note: All customers with a Global Pass are eligible to travel on the Eurostar (between London and Paris, London and Brussels, and London and Amsterdam/Rotterdam respectively), with a compulsory reservation. However, Interrail Great Britain Pass is not valid on Eurostar. Reservation in Great Britain can be made online at ACP (€7) or locally for free.

Below is a list of train types that a IR Pass for Great Britain is valid to use

No reservations required:

• c2c
• Chiltern Railways
• Gatwick Express
• Great Northern
• Heathrow Express
• London Northwestern Railway
• London Overground
• Merseyrail
• Northern
• ScotRail
• Southern
• South Western Railway
• TfL Rail/Crossrail
• Thameslink
• West Midlands Railway

Mandatory reservations required:

• Caledonian Sleeper
• Cross Country
• East Midlands Trains
• Grand Central
• Greater Anglia
• Great Western Railway
• Hull Trains
• London North Eastern Railway
• Southeastern (mandatory supplement to travel on High-Speed services out of St Pancras)
• TransPennine Express
• Virgin Trains West Coast

Below is a list of train types that a IR Pass for Great Britain is Not valid to use

• South Eastern High Speed (supplement payable at the station to board)

Nice to know: Bicycles are generally allowed on British trains, but conditions vary between companies.