Category Rail
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Although there are plenty of miles of overground railway in London, it seems somewhat neglected compared to the Tube. This is almost certainly due to the reluctance of the Victorian authorities to allow stations to be built centrally, so the major line terminals never connected; indeed, even now, there's only one overground line that crosses London (that carrying Thameslink trains from London Bridge Station to King's Cross St. Pancras Station).
However, the railways did allow the city to expand, with suburban commuter lines spreading out in all directions over the course of the years from about 1840 to 1880. Although some lines were closed in the 1940s and 1960s, generally most of those running through London were too useful to close.
Broadly, services from London stations can be split into two categories, still used on Tube announcements:
- "Intercity" services are express trains to other major British cities and towns. Usually a service leaving London won't call at any other London stations.
- "Suburban" services are commuter and short-haul trains. They stop at more stations (some trains stop at all stations) and often have much smaller carriages, but run more frequently.
However, since rail privatisation, both of these services are run by different operators - see list Train Operating Companies (TOCs) on National Rail Enquiries
Major London rail terminals (over 10 million entry/exit a year) are as follows, with the busiest first (AIRPORT SERVICE):
- London Bridge Station - the busiest - SE London and Kent, Sussex (GATWICK, LUTON)
- Waterloo Station - SW London and Surrey, Long distance Portsmouth
- Victoria Station - South London, Brighton and Medway, Ramsgate (GATWICK)
- King's Cross Station - N London suburbs and long distance to Scotland via East Coast
- Liverpool Street Station E and NE London and East Anglia (STANSTEAD)
- Euston Station - NW suburbs and long distance to Manchester and Scotland via West Coast
- Paddington Station - W London and long distance to west country (HEATHROW)
- Fenchurch Street Station E London, Thurrock and Southend
- City Thameslink Station - N and SW London suburbs, Brighton (LUTON, GATWICK)
Lesser used (under 10 million entry/exit a year):
- Marylebone Station NW London and long distance to Birmingham
- Charing Cross Station - SE London and Kent
- St. Pancras Station - Long distance to midlands (no London services)
- Cannon Street Station - SE London, Peak time Kent services
- Blackfriars Station - SE London, N and SW London suburbs (GATWICK, LUTON)
- Moorgate Station - N London suburbs, peak time Bedford services
Some important junctions or intermediate stations include:
- Clapham Junction Station (GATWICK)
- Waterloo East Station
- Stratford Station
- Willesden Junction Station
- Highbury and Islington Station
- West Hampstead Station
- Richmond Station
- Barking Station
- Ealing Broadway Station (HEATHROW)
If you are making a journey at weekends it is worth checking for engineering works - see :
- http://www.tfl.gov.uk/rail/realtime.shtml Full list of engineering works links (but it doesnt seem to be toally accurate!)
- southeastern engineering works
- Southern engineering works
- running info/planned service alterations.shtml Thameslink engineering works
- South West Trains engineering works