National Rail
The British railway network is getting better although delays, cancellations and poor travelling conditions are common, while fares (particularly on routes via London) are among the highest in Europe. Actual train services are provided by a number of independent operators, while Network Rail is now the company responsible for the infrastructure and the track. The company also owns all the stations but manages only the biggest ones. In an attempt to avoid the disaster of their predecessor, Railtrack, Network Rail is a Company Limited by Guarantee with no shareholders, where all profit is reinvested into the railways.
London has numerous major stations. These all become very crowded during rush hour (Monday to Friday 08:00-09:30 and 17:00-18:30), when services struggle to cope with the sheer volume of passengers. The major national stations in London are:
- Charing Cross (central)
- Euston (north)
- Kings Cross (north)
- Liverpool Street (east)
- Paddington (west)
- St Pancras International (north)
- Victoria (southwest)
- Waterloo (south)
Station facilities differ but most include ATMs, bureaux de change, shops, cafes and pubs and all are connected to the London Underground. Tickets should be purchased at the station (from ticket desks and machines) before boarding.
There are also numerous regional stations, including Blackfriars, London Bridge, Marylebone, Stratford and Clapham Junction (the busiest station in the UK).
First Scotrail run overnight sleeper trains that connect Euston with the Scottish destinations of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fort William, Glasgow and Inverness.