Rail Transport in Great Britain - wikipedia Rail Transport in Great Britain For transport the whole of the United Kingdom, see Rail transport in the United Kingdom. For transport in Northern Ireland, see Rail transport in Ireland. Great Britain A Deutsche Bahn train at Leamington Spa hauled by a Class 67, under DB Cargo UK, with Mark 3 carriages in Chiltern Railways livery. Operation Major operators National Rail franchises Statistics Ridership 1.718 billion ( 2015 / 16 ) Passenger km 64.7 km ( 40.2 mi ) billion ( 2015 / 16 ) System length Total 15,799 km ( 9,817 mi ) Electrified 5,331 km ( 3,313 mi ) Features No. stations 2564 Map Part of a series on Rail transport Operations Track Maintenance High - speed railways Track gauge Stations Trains Locomotives Rolling stock Companies History Attractions Terminology ( AU, NA, NZ, UK ) By country Accidents Railway couplings Couplers by country Coupler conversion Track gauge Variable gauge Gauge conversion Dual gauge Wheelset Bogie ( truck ) Dual coupling Rail subsidies Modelling The railway system in Great Britain is the oldest in the world. The first locomotive - hauled public railway opened in 1825, which was followed by an era of rapid expansion. Whilst the network suffered gradual attrition from about 1900 onwards, and a severe rationalisation in the mid-1960s, the network is again in a position of growth. Most of the railway track is managed by Network Rail, which in 2016 had a network of 15,799 kilometres ( 9,817 mi ) of standard - gauge lines, of which 5,331 kilometres ( 3,313 mi ) were electrified. These lines range from single to quadruple track or more. In addition, some cities have separate rail - based mass transit systems ( including the extensive and historic London Underground ). There are also several private railways ( some of them narrow - gauge ), which are primarily short tourist lines. The British railway network is connected with that of continental Europe by an undersea rail link, the Channel Tunnel, opened in 1994. The United Kingdom is a member of the International Union of Railways ( UIC ). The UIC Country Code for United Kingdom is 70. The UK has the 17th largest railway network in the world ; despite many lines having closed in the 20th century it remains one of the densest rail networks. It is one of the busiest railways in Europe, with 20 % more train services than France, 60 % more than Italy, and more than Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Portugal and Norway combined, as well as representing more than 20 % of all passenger journeys in Europe. In 2016, there were 1.718 billion journeys on the National Rail network, making the British network the fifth most used in the world ( Great Britain ranks 23rd in world population ). Unlike a number of other countries, rail travel in the United Kingdom has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, with passenger numbers reaching their highest ever level ( see usage figures below ). This has coincided with the privatisation of British Rail, but the effect of this is disputed. The growth is partly attributed to a shift away from private motoring due to growing road congestion and increasing petrol prices, but also to the overall increase in travel due to affluence. However passenger journeys have grown much more quickly than in comparable countries such as France and Germany. To cope with increasing passenger numbers, there is a large ongoing programme of upgrades to the network, including Thameslink, Crossrail, electrification of lines, in - cab signalling, new inter-city trains and a new high - speed line. Contents 1 Historical overview 1.1 Nationalisation 1.2 Privatisation 2 Passenger services 2.1 Annual passenger numbers 2.2 Railway stations 2.3 High - speed rail 2.3. 1 High Speed 1 2.3. 2 Intercity Express Programme 2.3. 3 High Speed 2 2.3. 4 High Speed 3 2.3. 5 High - speed rolling stock 2.4 Local metro and other rail systems 3 Goods services 4 Train leasing services 4.1 Competition codes of practice 4.2 White paper 2004 4.3 Competition Commission 4.4 Leasing companies ( ROSCO ) 4.5 Spot - hire companies 5 Statutory framework 6 Railway industry 6.1 Statutory authorities 6.2 Rail network and signalling operations 6.3 Other national entities 6.3. 1 Trade unions 6.4 Regional entities 6.5 Freight railway companies 6.6 Open access operators and other non-franchised passenger operators 7 Early railway companies ( 1820s - 1840s ) 8 Heritage and private railways 9 Railway re-opening 10 Rail link ( s ) with adjacent countries 10.1 Rail - ferry - rail services 11 See also 12 References 13 External links Historical overview Current mainline railway lines in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man are shown in black, heritage lines in green, subway lines in red and former railway lines in light blue. Rail Passengers in Great Britain from 1829 - 2016, showing the early era of small railway companies, the amalgamation into the `` Big Four '', nationalisation and finally the current era of privatisation Main article : History of rail transport in Great Britain The railways started with the building of local isolated wooden wagonways in 1560s. These wagonways soon spread out across the country. The system was later built as patchwork of local lines operated by small private railway companies. Over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries, these amalgamated or were bought by competitors until only a handful of larger companies remained ( see Railway Mania ). The entire network was brought under government control during the First World War and a number of advantages of amalgamation and planning were revealed. However, the government resisted calls for the nationalisation of the network ( first proposed by 19th century Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone as early as the 1830s ). Instead, from 1 January 1923, almost all the remaining companies were grouped into the `` big four '' : the Great Western Railway, the London and North Eastern Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the Southern Railway companies ( there were also a number of other joint railways such as the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway and the Cheshire Lines Committee as well as special joint railways such as the Forth Bridge Railway, Ryde Pier Railway and at one time the East London Railway ). The `` Big Four '' were joint - stock public companies and they continued to run the railway system until 31 December 1947. The growth in road transport during the 1920s and 1930s greatly reduced revenue for the rail companies. Rail companies accused the government of favouring road haulage through the subsidised construction of roads. The railways entered a slow decline owing to a lack of investment and changes in transport policy and lifestyles. During the Second World War the companies ' managements joined together, effectively forming one company. A maintenance backlog developed during the war and the private sector only had two years to deal with this after the war ended. After 1945, for both practical and ideological reasons, the government decided to bring the rail service into the public sector. Nationalisation Main article : History of rail transport in Great Britain 1948 - 1994 From the start of 1948, the `` big four '' were nationalised to form British Railways ( latterly `` British Rail '' ) under the control of the British Transport Commission. Although BR was a single entity, it was divided into six ( later five ) regional authorities in accordance with the existing areas of operation. Though there were few initial changes to the service, usage increased and the network became profitable. Regeneration of track and railway stations was completed by 1954. In the same year, changes to the British Transport Commission, including the privatisation of road haulage, ended the coordination of transport in Great Britain. Rail revenue fell and in 1955 the network again ceased to be profitable. The mid-1950s saw the rapid introduction of diesel and electric rolling stock, but the expected transfer back from road to rail did not occur and losses began to mount. The national network might have looked like this by the 1980s if the lines not proposed for development in Beeching II had closed. The desire for profitability led to a major reduction in the network during the mid-1960s, with ICI manager Dr. Richard Beeching commissioned by the government under Ernest Marples with reorganising the railways. Many branch lines ( and a number of main lines ) were closed because they were deemed uneconomic ( `` the Beeching Axe '' of 1963 ), removing much feeder traffic from main line passenger services. In the second Beeching report of 1965, only the `` major trunk routes '' were selected for large - scale investment, leading many to speculate the rest of the network would eventually be closed. This was never implemented by BR. Passenger services experienced a renaissance with the introduction of the InterCity 125 trains in the 1970s. Passenger levels fluctuated since then, increasing during periods of economic growth and falling during recessions. The 1980s saw severe cuts in government funding and above - inflation increases in fares, and the service became more cost - effective. In the early 1990s, the five geographical Regions were replaced by a Sectored organisation, in which passenger services were organised into InterCity, Network SouthEast and Regional Railways sectors. Privatisation Main articles : Privatisation of British Rail, Impact of the privatisation of British Rail, and History of rail transport in Great Britain 1995 to date British Rail operations were privatised during 1994 -- 1997. Ownership of the track and infrastructure passed to Railtrack, whilst passenger operations were franchised to individual private sector operators ( originally there were 25 franchises ) and the goods services sold outright ( six companies were set up, but five of these were sold to the same buyer ). The government said privatisation would see an improvement in passenger services and satisfaction ( according to the National Rail Passenger survey ) has indeed gone up from 76 % in 1999 ( when the survey started ) to 83 % in 2013 and the number of passengers not satisfied with their journey dropped from 10 % to 6 %. Since privatisation, passenger levels have more than doubled, and have surpassed their level in the late 1940s. Train fares cost 2.7 % more than under British Rail in real terms on average. However, while the price of anytime and off - peak tickets has increased, the price of Advance tickets has dramatically decreased in real terms : the average Advance ticket in 1995 cost £ 9.14 ( in 2014 prices ) compared to £ 5.17 in 2014. Rail subsidy per passenger journey for the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain Rail subsidies have increased from £ 2.5 bn in 1992 - 93 to £ 3.3 bn in 2015 - 16 ( in current prices ), although subsidy per journey has fallen from £ 3.32 per journey to £ 1.89 per journey. However, this masks great regional variation, as in 2014 - 15 funding varied from `` £ 1.41 per passenger journey in England to £ 6.51 per journey in Scotland and £ 8.34 per journey in Wales. '' Rail fatalities per billion passenger - km in European countries The public image of rail travel was severely damaged by a series of significant accidents after privatisation. These included the Hatfield accident, caused by a rail fragmenting due to the development of microscopic cracks. Following this, the rail infrastructure company Railtrack imposed over 1,200 emergency speed restrictions across its network and instigated an extremely costly nationwide track replacement programme. The consequent severe operational disruption to the national network and the company 's spiralling costs set in motion a series of events which resulted in the collapse of the company and its replacement with Network Rail, a state - owned, not - for - profit company. According to the European Railway Agency, in 2013 Britain had the safest railways in Europe based on the number of train safety incidents. At the end of September 2003, the first part of High Speed 1, a high - speed link to the Channel Tunnel and onward to France and Belgium, was completed, significantly adding to the rail infrastructure of the country. The rest of the link, from north Kent to St Pancras railway station in London, opened in 2007. A major programme of remedial work on the West Coast Main Line started in 1997 and finished in 2009. In the 2010s, many upgrades are under way, such as the Thameslink Programme, Crossrail, the Northern Hub and electrification of the Great Western Main Line. Electrification plans for the Midland Main Line and the cross-Pennine line between Manchester and Leeds have been paused with the start of work on these projects postponed to some indefinite date ( s ) in the 2020s. Planning for High Speed 2 is underway, with a projected completion date of 2026 for Phase 1 ( London to Birmingham ) and 2033 for Phase 2. History of rail transport in Great Britain pre-1830 The pioneers 1830 -- 1922 Early development 1923 -- 1947 The Big Four 1948 -- 1994 British Rail 1995 to date Post-privatisation See also : Timeline of future rail network upgrades in Great Britain See also : List of railway lines in Great Britain Passenger services See also : List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom An East Midlands Trains Class 222 Meridian on a London to Nottingham service. These trains are used for InterCity services from London to the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. A CrossCountry Class 170 numbered 170113 with a service from London Stansted Airport to Birmingham New Street First Capital Connect Class 365 ' Networker ' numbered 365538 at Cambridge Rail Station Passenger services in Great Britain are divided into regional franchises and run by private ( that is, non-state owned ) train operating companies. These companies bid for seven - to eight - year contracts to run individual franchises. Most contracts are awarded by the Department for Transport ( DfT ), with the exception of Merseyrail, where the franchise is awarded by Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, and ScotRail, where the DfT awards on the advice of the Scottish Government. Initially, there were 25 franchises, but the number of different operating companies is smaller as some firms, including FirstGroup and Stagecoach Group, run more than one franchise. In addition, some franchises have since been combined. There are also a number of local or specialised rail services operated on an ' open access ' basis outside the franchise arrangements. Examples include Heathrow Express and Hull Trains. In the 2015 -- 16 operating year, franchised services provided 1,718 million journeys totalling ( 64.7 billion billion passenger km ) of travel, an increase over 1994 -- 5 of 117 % in journeys ( from 761 million ) and just over doubling the passenger miles. The passenger - miles figure, after being flat from 1965 to 1995, surpassed the 1947 figure for the first time in 1998 and continues to rise steeply. The key index used to assess passenger train performance is the Public Performance Measure, which combines figures for punctuality and reliability. From a base of 90 % of trains arriving on time in 1998, the measure dipped to 75 % in mid-2001 due to stringent safety restrictions put in place after the Hatfield crash in October 2000. However, in June 2015 the PPM stood at 91.2 % after a period of steady increases in the annual moving average since 2003 until around 2012 when the improvements levelled off. Train fares cost 2.7 % more than under British Rail in real terms on average. For some years, Britain has been said to have the highest rail fares in Europe, with peak - time and season tickets considerably higher than other countries, partly because rail subsidies in Europe are higher. However, they are also able to obtain some of the cheapest fares in Europe if they book in advance or travel at off - peak times. UK rail operators point out rail fare increases have been at a substantially lower rate than petrol prices for private motoring. The difference in price has also been blamed on the fact Britain has the most restrictive loading gauge ( maximum width and height of trains that can fit through tunnels, bridges etc. ) in the world which means any trains must be significantly narrower and less tall than those used elsewhere. This means British trains can not be bought `` off - the - shelf '' and must be specially built to fit British standards. Average rolling - stock age fell slightly from the third quarter of 2001 -- 2 to the fourth quarter of 2013 -- 4, from 20.7 years old to 19.4 years old. Although passengers rarely have cause to refer to either document, all travel is subject to the National Rail Conditions of Carriage and all tickets are valid subject to the rules set out in a number of so - called technical manuals, which are centrally produced for the network. British railway ticketing Ticket office - based machines INTIS APTIS Tribute Shere SMART Fujitsu STAR Cubic FasTIS Passenger - operated machines Ascom B8050 Quickfare Avantix B8070 Cubic QueueBuster Shere FASTticket Scheidt & Bachmann Ticket XPress Ascom EasyTicket Parkeon Astreo Parkeon Galexio PERTIS Conductor - operated machines PORTIS / SPORTIS Avantix Mobile Fujitsu Star Mobile Worldline Envoy Doris Travel agency and online sales Inclusive Tour Coupons AJENTS ELGAR Evolvi Ticket types and formats Edmondson railway ticket ( defunct ) APTIS ticket features ( now deprecated ) 2014 National Rail ticket features ( current ) Concessionary fares on the British railway network Information and revenue allocation systems National Location Code ORCATS Rail Settlement Plan Station groups Revenue protection and law Penalty fare Regulation of Railways Act 1889 Railways Act 1993 Transport Act 2000 Annual passenger numbers Stevenage railway station along the East Coast Main Line. Largs railway station with a Class 380 run by Abellio ScotRail a subsidiary of Nederlandse Spoorwegen. Below are the total number of passengers using heavy rail transport in Britain. The numbers are calculated from September to August. ( This table does not include Eurostar, Heathrow Express, Heathrow Connect or open access operators such as Grand Central and Hull Trains ) Annual passenger numbers Year Passengers Passenger % Change Journeys Journeys % Change 2004 -- 2005 781,343,720 902,695,324 2005 -- 2006 800,669,217 8 ! 2.47 920,849,661 8 ! 2.01 2006 -- 2007 958,095,205 1 ! 19.66 1,091,288,285 1 ! 18.51 2007 -- 2008 1,024,602,056 3 ! 6.94 1,167,233,872 4 ! 6.96 2008 -- 2009 1,073,753,933 7 ! 4.80 1,220,145,654 6 ! 4.53 2009 -- 2010 1,065,386,249 10 ! 0.78 1,218,715,041 10 ! 0.12 2010 -- 2011 1,156,896,521 2 ! 8.59 1,322,426,386 2 ! 8.51 2011 -- 2012 1,227,960,111 4 ! 6.14 1,428,575,382 3 ! 8.03 2012 -- 2013 1,268,979,546 9 ! 3.34 1,480,120,447 9 ! 3.61 2013 - 2014 1,332,561,756 6 ! 5.00 1,558,753,504 5 ! 5.31 2014 - 2015 1,392,535,310 8 ! 4.50 1,622,975,245 7 ! 4.12 2015 - 2016 1,463,777,211 5 ! 5.12 1,685,933,571 8 ! 3.88 The following table is according to the Office of Rail and Road and includes open access operators such as Grand Central and Hull Trains. Shepreth Rail Station along the Great Northern line Annual Passenger Numbers ( millions ) Year Long distance London and South East Regional Non-franchised operators Total Total % Change 2002 -- 2003 77.2 679.1 219.2 0 975.5 2003 -- 2004 81.5 690.0 240.2 0 1,011.7 3.71 2004 -- 2005 83.7 704.5 251.3 0 1,039.5 2.75 2005 -- 2006 89.5 719.7 267.3 0 1,076.5 3.56 2006 -- 2007 99.0 769.5 276.5 0 1,145.0 6.36 2007 -- 2008 103.9 828.4 285.8 0 1,218.1 6.38 2008 -- 2009 109.4 854.3 302.8 0 1,266.5 3.97 2009 -- 2010 111.6 842.2 304.0 1.4 1,259.3 0.68 2010 -- 2011 117.9 917.6 318.2 1.8 1, 3555.6 7.65 2011 -- 2012 125.3 993.8 340.9 1.5 1,461.5 7.82 2012 -- 2013 127.7 1,032.4 340.9 1.7 1,502.6 2.81 2013 -- 2014 129.0 1,106.9 350.5 1.9 1,588.3 5.70 2014 -- 2015 134.2 1,154.9 364.7 2.1 1,655.8 4.25 2015 -- 2016 138.3 1,202.8 374.2 2.3 1,717.6 3.72 Jump up ^ Passenger numbers plus interchanges Jump up ^ The large increase was due to including journeys on the National Rail network that were purchased through TfL Railway stations Further information : Category : Railway stations in the United Kingdom Façade of London Victoria There are 2,564 passenger railway stations on the Network Rail network. This does not include the London Underground, nor other systems which are not part of the national network, such as heritage railways. Most date from the Victorian era and a number are in or on the edge of town and city centres. Major stations lie for the most part in large cities, with the largest conurbations ( e.g. Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester ) typically having more than one main station. London is a major hub of the network, with 12 main - line termini forming a `` ring '' around central London. Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol and Reading are major interchanges for many cross-country journeys that do not involve London. However, some important railway junction stations lie in smaller cities and towns, for example York, Crewe and Ely. Some other places expanded into towns and cities because of the railway network. Swindon, for example, was little more than a village before the Great Western Railway chose to site its locomotive works there. In many instances geography, politics or military considerations originally caused stations to be sited further from the towns they served until, with time, these issues could be overcome ( for example, Portsmouth had its original station at Gosport ). Major railway stations in Great Britain Managed by Network Rail Birmingham New Street Bristol Temple Meads Edinburgh Waverley Glasgow Central Leeds Liverpool Lime Street Manchester Piccadilly Reading Managed by train operator Aberdeen Birmingham Moor Street Brighton Cardiff Central Crewe Gatwick Airport Glasgow Queen Street Manchester Victoria Newcastle Nottingham Sheffield Southampton Central Swansea York London Managed by Network Rail ( termini ) Cannon Street Charing Cross Euston King 's Cross Liverpool Street London Bridge Paddington St Pancras Victoria Waterloo Managed by train operator Termini Fenchurch Street Marylebone Moorgate Through stations Blackfriars City Thameslink Clapham Junction Stratford Waterloo East High - speed Rail Overview map of the North - South main lines in the UK. A Southeastern Class 395 at London St Pancras railway station Main article : High - speed rail in the United Kingdom High - speed rail ( above 124 mph or 200 km / h ) was first introduced in Great Britain in the 1970s by British Rail. BR had pursued two development projects in parallel, the development of a tilting train technology, the ' Advanced Passenger Train ' ( APT ), and development of a conventional high - speed diesel train, the ' High Speed Train ' ( HST ). The APT project was abandoned, but the HST design entered service as the British Rail Classes 253, 254 and 255 trains. The prototype HST, the British Rail Class 252, reached a world speed record for diesel trains of 143.2 mph, while the main fleet entered service limited to a service speed of 125 mph, and were introduced progressively on main lines across the country, with a rebranding of their services as the InterCity 125. With electrification of the East Coast Main Line, high - speed rail in Great Britain was augmented with the introduction of the British Rail Class 91, intended for passenger service at up to 140 mph ( 225 km / h ), and thus branded as the InterCity 225. The Class 91 units were designed for a maximum service speed of 140 mph, and running at this speed was trialled with a ' flashing green ' signal aspect under the British signalling system. The trains were eventually limited to the same speed as the HST, to 125 mph, with higher speeds deemed to require cab signalling, which as of 2010 was not in place on the normal British railway network ( but was used on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link ). A final attempt by the nationalised British Rail at High Speed Rail was the cancelled InterCity 250 project in the 1990s for the West Coast Main Line. Post privatisation, a plan to upgrade the West Coast Main Line to speeds of up to 140 mph with infrastructure improvements were finally abandoned, although the tilting train Class 390 Pendolino fleet designed for this maximum speed of service were still built and entered service in 2002, and operates limited to 125 mph. Other routes in the UK were upgraded with trains capable of top speeds of up to 125 mph running with the introduction between 2000 and 2005 of Class 180 Adelante DMUs and the Bombardier Voyager family of DEMUs ( Classes 220, 221 and 222 ). High speed 1 Main article : HS1 The first implementation of high - speed rail up to 186 mph in regular passenger service in Great Britain was the Channel Tunnel Rail Link ( now known as High Speed 1 ), when its first phase opened in 2003 linking the British end of the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone with Fawkham Junction in Kent. This is used by international only passenger trains for the Eurostar service, using British Rail Class 373 trains. The line was later extended all the way into London St Pancras in 2007. After the building of the first of a new British Rail Class 395 train fleet for use partly on High Speed 1 and parts of the rest of the UK rail network, the first domestic high - speed running over 125 mph ( to about 140 mph ) began in December 2009, including a special Olympic Javelin shuttle for the 2012 Olympics. These services are operated by the Southeastern franchise. InterCity Express programme Main article : Intercity Express Programme For replacement of the domestic fleet of Intercity 125 and 225 trains on the existing national network, the Intercity Express Programme was announced. In 2009 it was announced the preferred rolling stock option for this project was the Hitachi Super Express family of multiple units, and they are expected to enter service from 2017 on the Great Western Main Line and 2018 on the East Coast Main Line. The trains will be capable of a maximum speed of 140 mph with `` minor modifications '', with the necessary signalling modifications required of the Network Rail infrastructure in Britain likely to come from the phased roll out of the Europe - wide European Rail Traffic Management System ( ERTMS ). High speed 2 Main article : High Speed 2 Following several studies and consultations on high - speed rail, in 2009 the UK Government formally announced the High Speed 2 project, establishing a company to produce a feasibility study to examine route options and financing for a new high - speed railway in the UK. This study began on the assumption the route would be a new purpose - built high - speed line connected to High - Speed 1 to the Channel tunnel and from London to the West Midlands, via London Heathrow, relieving traffic on the West Coast Main Line. Conventional high - speed rail technology would be used as opposed to Maglev. The rolling stock would be capable of travelling on the existing Network Rail infrastructure if required, with the route intersecting with the existing West Coast Main Line ( WCML ) and the East Coast Main Line ( ECML ). A second phase of the project is planned to reach further north to Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds, as well as linking into the Midland Main Line. High speed 3 Main article : High Speed 3 In June 2014, Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne proposed a high - speed rail link High Speed 3 ( HS3 ) between Liverpool and Newcastle / Sheffield / Hull. The line would utilise the existing route between Liverpool and Newcastle / Hull and a new route from to Sheffield will follow the same route to Manchester Victoria and then a new line from Victoria to Sheffield, with additional tunnels and other infrastructure. High - speed rolling stock In August 2009 the speeds of the fastest trains operating in Great Britain capable of a top speed of over 125 mph were as follows : Name Locomotive class Type Max. recorded speed ( mph ( km / h ) ) Max. design speed ( mph ( km / h ) ) Max. speed in service ( mph ( km / h ) ) Eurostar, e320 374 EMU 219 ( 352 ) 200 ( 320 ) N / A Eurostar, e300 373 EMU 209 ( 334.7 ) 186 ( 300 ) 186 ( 300 ) Javelin 395 EMU 157 ( 252 ) 140 ( 225 ) 140 ( 225 ) InterCity 225 91 Electric Loco 162 ( 261 ) 140 ( 225 ) 125 ( 200 ) Pendolino 390 EMU 162 ( 261 ) 140 ( 225 ) 125 ( 200 ) InterCity 125 43 ( HST ) Diesel Loco 148 ( ~ 240 ) 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) Adelante 180 DMU 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) Voyager 220 DEMU 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) Super Voyager 221 DEMU 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) Meridian / Pioneer 222 DEMU 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) Class 67 67 Diesel Loco 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) 125 ( 200 ) Hitachi Super Express 800, 801, 802 EMU ? ? ? 140 ( 225 ) 125 ( 200 ) In 2011 the fastest timetabled start - to - stop run by a UK domestic train service was the Hull Trains 07.30 King 's Cross to Hull, which covered the 125.4 km ( 78 miles ) from Stevenage to Grantham in 42 minutes at an average speed of 179.1 km / h ( 111.4 mph ). This is operated by a Class 180 diesel unit running `` under the wires '' on this East Coast route. This was matched by several Leeds to London Class 91 - operated East Coast trains if their two - minute recovery allowance for this section is excluded from the public timetable. Local Metro and other Rail systems London Underground S - stock train Main articles : Rapid transit in the United Kingdom and Commuter rail in the United Kingdom A number of towns and cities have rapid transit systems. Heavy rail underground technology is used in the London and Glasgow Underground systems while the Merseyrail system in Liverpool shares some characteristics. Light rail with some underground sections exist in Newcastle upon Tyne on the Tyne and Wear Metro and in the London Docklands. The light rail systems in Nottingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Croydon, Birmingham / Black Country and Edinburgh use a combination of street running tramways and, where available, reserved right of way or former conventional rail lines in some suburbs. Blackpool has the one remaining traditional tram system. Monorails, heritage tramways, miniature railways and funiculars also exist in several places. In addition, there are a number of heritage ( mainly steam ) standard and narrow gauge railways, and a few industrial railways and tramways. Some lines which appear to be heritage operations sometimes claim to be part of the public transport network ; the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent regularly transports schoolchildren. Most major cities have some form of commuter rail network. These include Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Manchester. Local rail transport in the United Kingdom Metros Docklands Light Railway ( East London ) Glasgow Subway London Underground Night Tube Tyne and Wear Metro Tramways Blackpool Edinburgh Greater Manchester Nottingham Sheffield South London West Midlands Urban rail Belfast Bristol Birmingham Cardiff Edinburgh Glasgow Leeds / Bradford Liverpool London Goods services Main article : Rail freight transport in Great Britain A Freightliner Class 66 pulling coal at Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Million tonnes of rail freight moved in the UK from 1983 to 2017 ( annual rolling average ). There was a large decrease in coal carried in 1984 - 5 due to the miners ' strike. There are four main goods operating companies in the UK, the largest of which is DB Cargo UK ( formerly DB Schenker formerly English Welsh & Scottish ( EWS ) ). There are also several smaller independent operators including Mendip Rail. Types of freight carried include intermodal -- in essence containerised freight -- and coal, metals, oil, and construction material. The Beeching Cuts, in contrast to passenger services, greatly modernised the goods sector, replacing inefficient wagons with containerised regional hubs. Freight services had been in steady decline since the 1930s, initially because of the loss of manufacturing and then road haulage 's cost advantage in combination with higher wages. Since 1995, however, the amount of freight carried on the railways has increased sharply due to increased reliability and competition, as well as international services. The Department for Transport 's Transport Ten Year Plan calls for an 80 % increase in rail freight measured from a 2000 -- 1 base. Statistics on freight are specified in terms of the weight of freight lifted, and the net tonne kilometre, being freight weight multiplied by distance carried. 116.6 million tonnes of freight was lifted in the 2013 -- 4 period, against 138 million tonnes in 1986 -- 7, a decrease of 16 %. However, a record 22.7 billion net tonne kilometres ( 14 billion net ton miles ) of freight movement were recorded in 2013 - 4, against 16.6 billion ( 10.1 billion ) in 1986 -- 7, an increase of 38 %. Coal makes up 36 % of the total net tonne kilometre, though its share is declining. Rail freight has increased its market share since privatisation ( by net tonne kilometres ) from 7.4 % in 1998 to 11.1 % in 2013. Recent growth is partly due to more international services including the Channel Tunnel and Port of Felixstowe, which is containerised. Nevertheless, network bottlenecks and insufficient investment in catering for 9 ' 6 '' high shipping containers restrict growth. A symbolic loss to the rail freight industry in Great Britain was the custom of the Royal Mail, which from 2004 discontinued use of its 49 - train fleet, and switching to road haulage after a near 170 - year - preference for trains. Mail trains had long been part of the tradition of the railways in Great Britain, famously celebrated in the film Night Mail, for which W.H. Auden wrote the poem of the same name. Although Royal Mail suspended the Mail train in January 2004, this decision was reversed in December of the same year, and Class 325s are now used on some routes including between London, Warrington and Scotland. Train Leasing services Fragonset Railways class 47 railway locomotive, Virginia Water railway station, April 2004 At the time of privatisation, the rolling stock of British Rail was sold to the new operators, as in the case of the freight companies, or to the three ROSCOs ( rolling stock operating companies ) which lease or hire stock to passenger and freight train operators. Leasing is relatively commonplace in transport, since it enables operating companies to avoid the complication associated with raising sufficient capital to purchase assets ; instead, assets are leased and paid for from ongoing revenue. Since 1994 there has been a growth in smaller spot - hire companies that provide rolling stock on short - term contracts. Many of these have grown thanks to the major selling - off of locomotives by the large freight operators, especially EWS. Unlike other major players in the privatised railway system of Great Britain, the ROSCOs are not subject to close regulation by the economic regulatory authority. They were expected to compete with one another, and they do, although not in all respects. Competition codes of practice Since privatisation in 1995, the ROSCOs have faced criticism from several quarters - including passenger train operating companies such as GNER, Arriva and FirstGroup - on the basis they are acting as an oligopoly to keep lease prices higher than they would be in a competitive market. In 1998, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott asked Rail Regulator John Swift QC to investigate the market 's operation and make recommendations. Many believed Prescott favoured much closer regulation of the ROSCOs, perhaps bringing them into the net of contract - specific regulation, i.e., requiring every rolling stock lease to be approved by the Rail Regulator before it could be valid. Swift 's report did not find major problems with the operation of what was then an infant market, and instead recommended the ROSCOs sign up to voluntary, non-binding codes of practice in relation to their future behaviour. Prescott did not like this, but he did not have the legislative time allocation to do much about it. Swift 's successor as Rail Regulator, Tom Winsor, agreed with Swift and the ROSCOs were happy to go along with codes of practice, coupled with the Rail Regulator 's new powers to deal with abuse of dominance and anti-competitive behaviour under the Competition Act 1998. In establishing these codes, the Rail Regulator made it clear he expected the ROSCOs to adhere to their letter and spirit. The codes of practice were duly put in place and for the next five years the Rail Regulator received no complaints about ROSCO behaviour. White Paper 2004 A Virgin Pendolino Train In July 2004, the Department for Transport 's White Paper on the future of the railways contained a statement it was dissatisfied with the operation of the rolling stock leasing market and believed there may have been excessive pricing on the part of the ROSCOs. In June 2006, Gwyneth Dunwoody, the House of Commons Transport Committee chair, called for an investigation into the companies. Transport commentator Christian Wolmar has asserted the high cost of leasing is due to the way the franchises are distributed to the train operating companies. While the TOCs are negotiating for a franchise they have some freedom to propose different rolling stock options. It is only once they have won the franchise, however, they start negotiating with the ROSCOs. The ROSCO will know the TOC 's requirements and also knows the TOC has to obtain a fixed mix of rolling stock which puts the train operating company at a disadvantage in its negotiations with the ROSCO. However, Wolmar considers it a mistake to blame the ROSCOs who are simply behaving as commercial companies always behave. Ultimately the problem for Wolmar is the system -- and that is down to the government, who he believes are not prepared to seek a more workable solution. Competition Commission On 29 November 2006, following a June 2006 complaint by the Department for Transport alleging excessive pricing by the ROSCOs, the Office of Rail Regulation ( as it was then called ) announced it was minded to refer the operation of the market for passenger rolling stock to the Competition Commission, citing, amongst other factors, problems in the DfT 's own franchising policy as responsible for what may be regarded as a dysfunctional market. ORR said it will consult the industry and the public on what to do, and will publish its decision in April 2007. If the ORR does refer the market to the Competition Commission, there may well be a hiatus in investment in new rolling stock whilst the ROSCOs and their parent companies wait to hear what return they will be allowed to make on their train fleets. This could have the unintended consequence of intensifying the problem of overcrowding on some routes because TOCs will be unable to lengthen their trains or acquire new ones if they need the ROSCOs to co-operate in their acquisition or financing. Some commentators have suggested that such an outcome would be detrimental to the public interest. This is especially striking since the National Audit Office, in its November 2006 report on the renewal and upgrade of the West Coast main line, said that the capacity of the trains and the network will be full in the next few years and advocated train lengthening as an important measure to cope with sharply higher passenger numbers. The Competition Commission conducted an investigation and published provisional findings on 7 August 2008. The report was published on 7 April 2009. A press release summarised the recommendations as follows : introduce longer franchise terms ( in the region of 12 to 15 years or longer ), which would allow TOCs to realise the benefits and recover the costs of switching to alternative new or used rolling stock over a longer period, which should increase the incentives and ability for TOCs to exercise choice assess the benefits of alternative new or used rolling stock proposals beyond the franchise term and across other franchises when evaluating franchise bids. This will encourage a wider choice of rolling stock to be considered in franchise proposals, irrespective of franchise length ensure franchise invitations to tender ( ITTs ) are specified in such a way franchise bidders are allowed a choice of rolling stock requiring the ROSCOs to remove non-discrimination requirements from the Codes of Practice, which would provide greater incentives for the TOCs to seek improved terms from the ROSCOs requiring rolling stock lessors to provide TOCs with a set list of information when making a lease rental offer for used rolling stock, which would give TOCs the ability to negotiate more effectively Leasing companies ( ROSCO ) See also Rolling stock operating company Three companies took over British Rail 's rolling stock on privatisation : Angel Trains - owned by a consortium of private equity investors, mainly comprising pension funds and insurance companies, and has 4,400 vehicles in the UK. Eversholt Rail Group - owns a fleet of over 4,000 vehicles and is owned by a consortium including 3i Infrastructure and Morgan Stanley. Porterbrook - leases some 3,500 locomotives, trains and freight wagons ; owned by a consortium including Deutsche Bank, Lloyds TSB ( who withdrew in October 2010 ) and BNP Paribas. A number of other companies have since entered the leasing market : Sovereign Trains - a company that forms part of the same group as the open - access operator Grand Central. Sovereign Trains owned the rolling stock operated by Grand Central. QW Rail Leasing - a joint venture between the National Australia Bank and SMBC Leasing and Finance to provide the EMU rolling stock to London Overground. Diesel Trains - in March 2009, the Department for Transport also launched its own ROSCO to order 202 new diesel train carriages for the Thames Valley area, around Bristol and on longer distances in northern England. The trains were due to enter service by 2012 for train operators First Great Western, First TransPennine Express and Northern Rail. However, in August 2009 the order was cancelled due to the planned electrification of the Great Western Main Line and Diesel Trains was later dissolved in July 2012. Lloyds TSB General Leasing - in April 2009, Lloyds TSB entered the rolling stock market by funding the purchase of 30 new EMU trains for National Express East Anglia. Beacon Rail Leasing, owns Class 68 and Class 88 locomotives, as well as Class 220 and Class 221 DMUs. UK Rail Leasing, owns some Class 56 locomotives British Rolling Stock Companies ( ROSCOs ) Angel Trains Eversholt Rail Group Macquarie European Rail Porterbrook QW Rail Leasing Sovereign Trains Spot - hire companies Spot - hire companies provide short - term leasing of rolling stock. MiddlePeak Railways, a locomotive hire & lease company with a stock of locomotives similar to Class 08 & NS 0 - 6 - 0 600 Class shunting locomotives, other locomotives, rolling stock & parts. GL Railease owned by GATX Capital, and Lombard, a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Harry Needle Railroad Company Ltd, an industrial and main line locomotive hire and overhaul company. Operates Class 08 shunting locomotives, and Class 20 locomotives. Riviera Trains, a spot - hire company with a fleet of Class 47 locomotives. This company works closely with DB Cargo UK. West Coast Railway Company, a spot - hire and railtour - operator with a stock of Class 37 and Class 47 locomotives, as well as the rebuild Class 57 locomotive. British railway spot - hire companies Current British American Railway Services Europhoenix Harry Needle Railroad Company Nemesis Rail Rail Operations Group Riviera Trains UK Rail Leasing West Coast Railways Defunct Advenza Freight Cotswold Rail FM Rail Hanson Traction Ian Riley Engineering Mainline Rail RT Rail Statutory framework See also : Structure of the rail industry in the United Kingdom Railways in Great Britain are in the private sector, but they are subject to control by central government, and to economic and safety regulation by arms of government. In 2006, using powers in the Railways Act 2005, the Department for Transport took over most of the functions of the now wound up Strategic Rail Authority. The DfT now itself runs competitions for the award of passenger rail franchises, and, once awarded, monitors and enforces the contracts with the private sector franchisees. Franchises specify the passenger rail services which are to be run and the quality and other conditions ( for example, the cleanliness of trains, station facilities and opening hours, the punctuality and reliability of trains ) which the operators have to meet. Some franchises receive a subsidy from the DfT for doing so, and some are cash - positive, which means the franchisee pays the DfT for the contract. Some franchises start life as subsidised and, over their life, move to being cash - positive. The other regulatory authority for the privatised railway is the Office of Rail and Road ( previously the Office of Rail Regulation ), which, following the Railways Act 2005, is the combined economic and safety regulator. It replaced the Rail Regulator on 5 July 2004. The Rail Safety and Standards Board still exists, however ; established in 2003 on the recommendations of a public inquiry, it leads the industry 's progress in health and safety matters. The principal modern railway statutes are : Railways Act 1993 Competition Act 1998 ( insofar as it confers competition powers on the Office of Rail and Road ) Transport Act 2000 Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 Railways Act 2005 Railway industry Statutory authorities Office of Rail and Road -- Website Department for Transport -- Website UK Notified Bodies -- Website Rail network and signalling operations Railtrack ( 1996 -- 2002 ) Network Rail ( 2002 -- ) -- Website -- ( A `` not for dividend '' company limited by guarantee ) Other National entities Association of Train Operating Companies -- ATOC -- Website Institution of Railway Operators -- Website Rail Freight Group -- Website Rail Passengers Council and Committees -- Website Rail Safety and Standards Board -- RSSB -- Website The Railway Forum -- Website Railway Mission -- Website Railway Study Association -- Website Trade unions The railways are one of the most heavily unionised industrial sectors in the UK. Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen -- ASLEF -- Website National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers -- RMT -- Website Transport Salaried Staffs ' Association -- TSSA -- Website Regional entities See Passenger transport executive Transport for West Midlands -- Website TfGM ( Transport for Greater Manchester ) -- Website Merseytravel -- Website Metro ( West Yorkshire Metro ) -- Website Nexus ( Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive ) -- Website Travel South Yorkshire ( South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive ) -- Website SPT ( Strathclyde Partnership for Transport ) -- Website TfL ( Transport for London ) -- Website See List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom. Freight railway companies GB Railfreight -- Website DB Cargo UK -- Website Freightliner -- Website Direct Rail Services -- Website Colas Rail -- Website Devon and Cornwall Railways -- Website Mendip Rail -- Website Open access operators and other non-franchised passenger operators Eurostar -- Website Grand Central -- Website Heathrow Express -- Website Hull Trains -- Website Venice - Simplon Orient Express ( VSOE ) -- Website Early railway companies ( 1820s - 1840s ) This is only the earliest of the main line openings : for a more comprehensive list of the hundreds of early railways see List of early British railway companies Stockton and Darlington Railway ( 1825 ) - First steam - hauled passenger railway in the world. Canterbury and Whitstable Railway ( 1830 ) - First steam - hauled passenger railway to issue season tickets. Liverpool and Manchester Railway ( 1830 ) - First InterCity passenger railway. Grand Junction Railway ( 1833 ) - The line built by the company was the first trunk railway to be completed in England, and arguably the world 's first long - distance railway with steam traction. London and Greenwich Railway ( 1836 ) - First steam railway in the capital, the first to be built specifically for passengers, and the first elevated railway. London and Birmingham Railway ( 1837 ) - First Intercity line to be built into London. Midland Counties Railway ( 1839 ) Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway ( BDJR ) ( 1839 ) North Midland Railway ( 1840 ) Taff Vale Railway ( 1840 ) Heritage and private railways Main article : List of British heritage and private railways Heritage railways are popular tourist attractions. The photo shows a preserved locomotive ( BR Standard 7MT 70013 Oliver Cromwell ) on the North Norfolk Railway on 11 March 2010. Many lines closed by British Railways, including many closed during the Beeching cuts, have been restored and reopened as heritage railways. A few have been relaid as narrow - gauge but the majority are standard - gauge. Most use both steam and diesel locomotives for haulage. Most heritage railways are operated as tourist attractions and do not provide regular year - round train services. Railway re-opening Several pressure groups are campaigning for the re-opening of closed railway lines in Great Britain. These include : Ashington -- Bedlington -- Newcastle Marlow Branch ( Bourne End -- High Wycombe ) Cambridge -- Oxford, East West Rail This project was approved by the Government in November 2011. Colne -- Skipton, Skipton - East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership South Staffordshire Line ( Stourbridge -- Walsall ) Wealden Line ( Uckfield -- Lewes ) Woodhead Line ( Hadfield -- Penistone ) York to Beverley Line ( York -- Beverley ) Peak Rail : ( Matlock -- Bakewell ). Under - funded line. Great Central Railway Notts -- Leicester Portishead Railway from Portishead to Bristol Temple Meads St Andrews Rail Link ( Leuchars -- St Andrews ) From 1995 until 2009, 27 new lines ( totalling 199 track miles ) and 68 stations were opened, with 65 further new station sites identified by Network Rail or government for possible construction. On 15 June 2009 the Association of Train Operating Companies ( ATOC ) published the report Connecting Communities : Expanding Access to the Rail Network, detailing schemes around England where it believed there was a commercial business case for passenger network expansion. The published proposals involved the re-opening or new construction of 40 stations, serving communities with populations of over 15,000, including 14 schemes involving the re-opening or reconstruction of rail lines for passenger services. These would be short - lead - time local projects, to be completed in timescales ranging from 2 years 9 months to 6 years, once approved by local and regional governments, Network Rail and the Department for Transport, complementing existing long - term national projects. Rail link ( s ) with adjacent countries Great Britain ( standard - gauge ) France ( Eurostar ) via the Channel Tunnel formerly by Train ferries. Belgium ( Eurostar ) via France using the Channel Tunnel. Rail - ferry - rail services Netherlands - Dutchflyer rail / sea / rail service Ireland - Sail Rail service See also British narrow gauge railways Concessionary fares on the British railway network History of rail transport in Great Britain Irish Sea tunnel Metrication of British Transport Timeline of future railway upgrades in Britain List of funicular railways Railway electrification in Great Britain Rail transport by country Royal Train Transport in the United Kingdom Mainline steam trains in Great Britain Financing of the rail industry in Great Britain References ^ Jump up to : https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/568110/rai0101.ods Jump up ^ `` Estimates of station usage - Office of Rail and Road ''. orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Nine out of ten trains arrive on time during January '' ( Press release ). Network Rail. 18 February 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` Petrol price hike boosts rail passenger numbers, says ATOC ''. Rail. Peterborough. 10 August 2011. p. 22. Jump up ^ `` GB rail : dataset on financial and operational performance 1997 - 98 -- 2012 - 13 '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ Gourvish, Terry. British Rail 1974 -- 1997 : From Integration to Privatisation. p. 277. Jump up ^ `` GB rail : Dataset on financial and operational performance 1997 -- 98 -- 2012 - 13 '' ( PDF ). ^ Jump up to : `` Have train fares gone up or down since British Rail ? ''. BBC News. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` The facts about rail fares - Stagecoach Group ''. www.stagecoach.com. Retrieved 2 October 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Rail industry financial information 2015 - 16 Office of Rail and Road '' ( PDF ). orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2017. Jump up ^ `` Our Legal and Financial Structure : How are we regulated ''. Network Rail. Retrieved 25 January 2011. Jump up ^ Sedghi, Ami ( 25 July 2013 ). `` How safe are Europe 's railways ? ''. The Guardian. London. Jump up ^ `` Passenger Rail Usage 2014 - 15 Quarter 4 Statistical Release '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Performance and punctuality ( PPM ) - Network Rail ''. www.networkrail.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Do UK commuters pay the highest rail fares in Europe ? ''. Jump up ^ `` Why are UK train tickets more expensive than in Europe ? ''. Jump up ^ `` Average Age of Rolling Stock by sector - Table 2.30 ''. Jump up ^ `` Station usage estimates ''. Office of Rail and Road. Retrieved 8 December 2016. Jump up ^ `` Passenger journeys by year ''. Retrieved 7 August 2015. Jump up ^ https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/html/excel/a10e3c7b-7766-40ae-a87a-14c56cf85a63 Jump up ^ `` Bullet train in milestone run on HS1 ''. 10 June 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2015. earlier successful ' overspeed ' test to check train stability and ride on 18th April, when the train achieved a maximum speed of 252 km / h Jump up ^ Rail ( 612 ). Peterborough. 25 February 2009. Missing or empty title = ( help ) Jump up ^ Taylor, Dr Colin ; John Heaton ( September 2011 ). `` World Speed Survey 2011 ''. Railway Gazette International. 167 ( 9 ) : 61 -- 70. Jump up ^ `` ORR : Freight lifted ''. Jump up ^ Topham, Gwyn ( 17 March 2013 ). `` Rail freight in Britain : shaped by Beeching, despite his reputation ''. the Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2015. ^ Jump up to : Ayet Puigarnau, Jordi ( 11 May 2006 ). `` Annexes to the Communication on the implementation of the railway infrastructure package Directives ( ' First Railway Package ' ) '' ( PDF ). Council of the European Union. Retrieved 21 July 2015. Jump up ^ Private and Public Enterprise in Europe : Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, 1830 - 1990. Cambridge University Press. 1 January 2005. ISBN 9780521835244. ^ Jump up to : Woodburn, Allan ( 2008 ). `` Container Train Operations Between Ports and Their Hinterlands : a UK Case Study '' ( PDF ). UN Economic Commission for Europe. Retrieved 21 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Government 's Ten Year Transport Plan '' ( PDF ). www.devon.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 May 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` 2013 - 14 Quarter 4 Statistical Release -- Freight Rail Usage '' ( PDF ). Office of Rail Regulation. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Rail trends factsheet, Great Britain : 2014 - Publications - GOV.UK ''. www.gov.uk. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Display Report ''. Office of Rail and Road -- National Rail Trends Portal. Retrieved 21 July 2015. Jump up ^ Amusan, Folusho ( 21 May 2015 ). `` Freight Rail Usage 2014 - 15 Quarter 4 Statistical Release '' ( PDF ). Office of Rail and Road. Retrieved 21 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Review of train leasing urged ''. BBC News. 6 June 2006. Jump up ^ Wolmar, Christian. IOn the Wrong Line. p. 289. Jump up ^ `` Rolling stock leasing market investigation : Provisional findings '' ( PDF ) ( Press release ). Competition Commission. 7 August 2008. Jump up ^ `` Rolling Stock Leasing market investigation ''. Competition Commission. Archived from the original on 20 May 2014. Jump up ^ http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/assets/competitioncommission/docs/pdf/non-inquiry/press_rel/2009/apr/pdf/16-09 Jump up ^ `` BRL Home ''. Beaconrail.com. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Rolling stock leaser Beacon Rail acquires 78 - train fleet ''. Global Rail News. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017. Jump up ^ `` MiddlePeak Railways Ltd - Shunter Lok / Loco / Loc hire - Locomotive & Rolling Stock ; hire & Leasing ! ! Railshunters - rangeerlocomotieven ''. Middlepeak.co.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` MiddlePeak Railways ''. www.middlepeak.co.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` HNRC - Harry Needle Railroad Company ''. Archived from the original on 20 May 2004. Retrieved 28 April 2004. Jump up ^ `` Welcome to Riviera Trains ''. Retrieved 13 March 2012. Jump up ^ SENRUG : South East Northumberland Rail User Group Archived 2 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ YourHighWycombe - the open forum for everyone who lives and works in High Wycombe Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` The route ''. EastWestRail. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Jump up ^ Selrap. `` Skipton East Lancashire Railway Action Partnership ''. Selrap. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Jump up ^ `` Welcome to the Wealden Line Campaign ''. archive.org. 21 August 2009. Archived from the original on 21 August 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2018. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Connecting Communities - expanding access to the rail network '' ( PDF ). London : Association of Train Operating Companies. June 2009. p. 6. Archived from the original ( pdf ) on 29 July 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` Connecting Communities - expanding access to the rail network '' ( PDF ). London : Association of Train Operating Companies. June 2009. Archived from the original ( pdf ) on 29 July 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` Move to reinstate lost rail lines ''. BBC News. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2009. Jump up ^ `` Travel from any UK Station to Ireland by train and ferry from only £ 31 single ''. Arriva Trains Wales. Retrieved 20 May 2014. Network Rail -- Making a Fresh Start -- National Audit Office report, 14 May 2004 Railway industry topic guides from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers On The Wrong Line : How Ideology and Incompetence Wrecked Britain 's Railways, Christian Wolmar, Aurum Press Ltd, ISBN 1 - 85410 - 998 - 7 External links Find more aboutRail transport in Great Britainat Wikipedia 's sister projects Media from Wikimedia Commons Travel guide from Wikivoyage Data from Wikidata National Rail Official UK Rail timetable site Rail transport in Great Britain at Curlie ( based on DMOZ ) National Rail maps page UK railway maps BritRail ATOC site with timetables, maps and cross-network passes for foreign travellers in UK BritRail Passes Canada Canadian source for British Rail Passes And tickets ScotlandRailways Scottish Rail site with timetables, maps and cross-network passes for foreign travellers in Scotland Northumbrian Railways Great Scenic Railways of Devon and Cornwall Collection of Google Earth locations of National Rail stations ( Requires Google Earth software ) from the Google Earth Community forum. Rail transport in Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City States with limited recognition Abkhazia Artsakh Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependencies and other entities Åland Faroe Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Svalbard Other entities European Union Rail infrastructure projects in the United Kingdom Current projects Projects Great Western main line Crossrail Croxley Rail Link East West Rail ( Oxford - Cambridge ) Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme High Speed 2 Northern Hub Northern Powerhouse Rail ( Hull - Liverpool ) Northern line extension to Battersea Rotherham Tram - train South Wales Metro Thameslink Programme Trafford Park Line Electrification Blackpool North -- Preston Bedford -- Corby Glasgow Queen Street -- Edinburgh via Falkirk High Gospel Oak -- Woodgrange Park Guide Bridge -- Stalybridge Manchester Victoria -- Leeds Manchester Victoria -- Preston Great Western Main Line ( including Didcot Parkway -- Oxford Hayes & Harlington -- Bristol / Cardiff Reading -- Newbury ) Rugeley Trent Valley -- Walsall Welsh Valleys Stations Battersea Power Station Birmingham Curzon Street Birmingham Interchange Brent Cross West Broadway Canary Wharf Cassiobridge Corwen Maghull North Nine Elms Old Oak Common Watford Vicarage Road Winslow Woolwich Proposed projects Projects Aberdeen Crossrail Ashington, Blyth & Tyne Bakerloo line extension Barking Riverside Extension Bristol Airport Rail Link Brentford Branch Line reopening Bordon Light Railway reopening Formartine and Buchan Railway reopening Camp Hill Line reopening Carmarthen -- Aberystwyth line reopening Cranleigh line reopening Crossrail 2 ( London ) Crossrail Glasgow Darlaston Loop reopening Docklands Light Railway extension to Dagenham Dock Parts of Electric Spine ( including Coventry -- Leamington Spa Coventry -- Nuneaton Leamington Spa -- Aynho Junction ) Oxford - Cambridge reopening Fawley branch line reopening Fleetwood Branch Line reopening MetroWest ( Bristol ) Hall Farm Curve reopening Heathfield Branch Line reopening Heathrow Airtrack Heathrow Southern Railway Heathwick HS4Air Levenmouth rail link Lisburn -- Antrim line Cowley Branch Line reopening North and West London Light Railway Northern Hub Northern Powerhouse Rail North Wales Metro Ringwood branch line reopening R25 Orbital Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway reopening South Staffordshire line reopening Southern Crossrail St Andrews Rail Link Sutton Park Line reopening Skelmersdale branch reopening Skipton - Colne Rail Link Swansea Bay Metro Tees Valley Metro UK Ultraspeed Walsall to Wolverhampton Line reopening Wealden Line ( Uckfield - Lewes reopening ) West London Orbital Western Rail Approach to Heathrow Wisbech Line reopening Windsor Link Railway York -- Beverley line reopening Stations Armagh Allandale Aldergrove Aldridge Arthington Ashley Hill Ashton Gate Ashington Barcombe Mills Barking Riverside Bedlington Blyth Park and Ride Beam Park Beechwood Bramley Bordon Bow Street Brownhills Brent Cross West Brentford Golden Mile Brinsford Parkway Caerleon Camberwell Cardiff Parkway Cambridge South Carno Castle Bromwich Charfield Chipping Sodbury Claydon Cottam Corsham Cranleigh Cross Hills Cwm Dalston Dalcross Darlaston Darlaston James Bridge Ditton Drake Street Dundee West East Linton East Leeds Parkway East Midlands Hub Eastriggs Edginswell ( Devon ) Edwinstowe Elland Errol Finningley Fleetwood Fort Parkway Fraserburgh Glasgow Airport Glasgow Cross Glencarse Gloucestershire Parkway Gorbals Haxby Hazelwell Headbolt Lane Heathrow Hub Heathfield Henbury Horden Horfield Horsforth Woodside Hythe Hythe Road Isfield Kenilworth Kings Heath King 's Road Chelsea Kintore Ladbroke Grove Leeds New Lane Liverpool St James Lisburn West Llanwern Long Ashton Maghull North Maiden Lane March Elm Road Marsh Barton Moseley Monkerton Moorside Mouldon Hill New Bermondsey Newport West Newport West Central Newsham Newton Longville North Filton Okehampton Parkway Old Oak Common Lane Oxford Science Park Oxford Business Park Ollerton Park Farm Pelsall Peterhead Pill Portishead Portobello Portway Parkway Poyle Primrose Hill Reston Renwick Road Richhill Reading Green Park Rugby Parkway Rushden Parkway Saltford Seaton Delaval Seghill Silvertown Skelmersdale St Anne 's Park St Clears Stanley Park Stockingford Stonehouse ( Bristol Road ) Thamesmead Templepatrick Thornhill ( Dumfries ) Thornton Town Meadow Vauxhall ( Merseyside ) Wantage Road Warrington West Warsop West Hampstead interchange West Street Willenhall Bilston Street Windsor Royal Wixams Woodchurch Woodhorn Wootton Bassett Wormit Worcestershire Parkway Regional Interchange Heritage railways Don Valley Railway Norfolk Orbital Railway Wisbech and March Bramley Line Honeybourne Line Cancelled projects Projects Advanced Passenger Train Central Line extension to Richmond Central Line Extension to Denham Cranbrook and Tenterden Light Railway Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway Dawlish Avoiding Line Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway ( never completed ) East Sussex Light Railway Edinburgh Airport Rail Link Electric Spine Oxford - Bletchley / Bedford Electrification Glasgow Airport Rail Link Hawkhurst branch line ( never completed ) Hebridean Light Railway Company Heathrow Airtrack Headcorn & Maidstone Junction Light Railway Highclere, Kingsclere and Basingstoke Light Railway InterCity 250 Kingsbridge to Salcombe Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway ( never completed ) Leeds and York Railway Mid-Suffolk Light Railway ( never completed ) MML Kettering - Nottingham / Sheffield Electrification Nightstar ( train ) North Holderness Light Railway Ouse Valley Railway Picc - Vic tunnel Regional Eurostar Robertsbridge & Pevensey Light Railway Superlink ( railway network ) York and North Midland Railway ( Leeds Extension ) York, Hull and East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway Bordesley to Birmingham Curzon Street Stations Barrhead ( New ) Brierdene Collywell Bay Crowlands Doncaster ( York Road ) Dykebar Ferguslie Glenfield Lullingstone Paisley East Queens Road ( GER ) Richboro Port Stanely Swithland Sykehouse Thorpe - in - Balne Proposed projects category Cancelled projects category Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rail_transport_in_Great_Britain&oldid=843066259 '' Categories : Post-privatisation British railway companies Rail transport in Great Britain Hidden categories : Pages with citations lacking titles All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from April 2018 Articles with permanently dead external links Webarchive template wayback links CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown Use dmy dates from September 2017 Articles which use infobox templates with no data rows All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2016 All articles that may contain original research Articles that may contain original research from July 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from April 2011 Articles with unsourced statements from April 2015 Articles with unsourced statements from December 2014 Articles with Curlie links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Deutsch Español Français 日本 語 Norsk Polski Русский 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 26 May 2018, at 16 : 42. 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Question: how many journeys are made on britain’s railway network each year
Answer: 1,718 million