The British railway network is currently in crisis with delays, cancellations and poor travelling conditions common. Despite this, fares – particularly on routes via London – are amongst
the highest in Europe. Services are provided by a number of independent operators with Railtrack ( website: www.railtrack.co.uk ) responsible for the track and for 14 major stations. Timetable information is available 24 hours from National Rail Enquiries (tel: (0845) 748 4950). London has numerous major stations. They all become very crowded during rush hour (0800-0930 and 1700-1830 weekdays), when services struggle to cope with the sheer volume of passengers. Major stations are Victoria and Clapham Junction (southwest), Paddinton (northwest), Euston, Kings Cross and St Pancras (north) Liverpool Street and Stratford (east), London Bridge and Waterloo (south) and Charing Cross (central). Station facilities differ but most include ATMs, bureaux de change, shops, caf?s and pubs. Tickets can be purchased at the station (ticket desks and machines) or on board.

Rail services:  International Eurostar ( website: www.eurostar.com ) services from Calais, Brussels, Lille, Paris-Gare du Nord and Disneyland Paris travel via the English Channel to Waterloo station. Tickets are available from the station, the Eurostar Call Centre (tel: (0870) 518 6186 or (01233) 617 575 from outside the UK) or Rail Europe (tel: (0870) 584 8848; website www.raileurope.co.uk ), who also offer rail passes and individual tickets for continental European rail travel.

The main London termini serve different regions of the country, as follows:  Euston and King’s Cross – Midlands, north of England and Scotland; Liverpool Street – East Anglia; Paddington – Heathrow airport, the West Country, South Wales and the Midlands; Victoria – Gatwick airport and the southeast; and Waterloo – the south coast and the continent. There are also numerous regional stations, including Charing Cross, London Bridge, St Pancras, Stratford and Clapham Junction (the busiest station in the UK). Overnight sleeper trains, run by Scotrail ( website: www.scotrail.co.uk ), connect Euston with Scotland. The National Rail Enquiry line (tel: (0845) 7484 950) provides information, including journey prices, times and duration.

Transport to the city:  Major stations are linked by the twice-hourly Stationlink (tel: (020) 7918 4300) buses, which are designated by the code SL1 and SL2 and run daily from 0815-2115 (£1 per trip). Stations are also on the London Underground network. Licensed London taxis are readily available from ranks outside. The London travel information line (tel: (020) 7222 1234) provides information on the city’s transport.