This is a list of railway lines in Great Britain that are currently in operation, split by country and region.
There are a limited number of main inter-regional lines, with all but one entering Greater London. The line from London to the Channel Tunnel is the only line designated 'high speed', although the other main routes also operate limited-stop express services.
The bulk of the secondary network is concentrated in London and the surrounding East and South East regions; an area marketed by National Rail as London and the South East. The majority of these lines are radial to London. There is a further concentration of routes around Birmingham in the West Midlands and in the urbanised part of northern England that stretches from Liverpool in the west, via Greater Manchester to Leeds in the east.
Some areas, such as Wales and Scotland, have relatively sparse railway provision. There are local lines throughout all areas of Great Britain with some services designated as community railways.
England
London
This is a list of routes entirely contained within Greater London.
Terminus
Name | End and major calling points | Countries and regions | Category |
---|---|---|---|
Chiltern Main Line | London, High Wycombe, Bicester, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Solihull, Birmingham | England: London, South East, West Midlands | Main Line 100 mph |
East Coast Main Line | London, Leeds, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh | England: East, East Midlands, London, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber; Scotland | High Speed Main Line 125 mph |
Great Eastern Main Line | London, Ipswich, Norwich | England: East, London | Main Line 100 mph |
Great Western Main Line | London, Bristol | England: London, South East, South West | High Speed Main Line 125 mph |
High Speed 1 | London, Channel Tunnel | England: East, London, South East.
Continental Europe: France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany |
High Speed Line 186 mph |
Midland Main Line | London, Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield | England: East, East Midlands, London, Yorkshire and the Humber | High Speed Main Line 125 mph |
South West Main Line | London, Southampton, Bournemouth, Weymouth | England: London, South East, South West | Main Line 100 mph |
West Coast Main Line | London, Glasgow with spurs to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Holyhead and Edinburgh | England: London, North West, South East, West Midlands; Scotland; North Wales | High Speed Main Line 125 mph |
South East England
This is a list of all routes that enter the South East England region.
South West
This is a list of all routes that enter the South West England region.
Name | Route, or previous name | Opened | Regions | Electrified |
---|---|---|---|---|
Atlantic Coast Line | Par to Newquay | 1874 | South West | — |
Avocet Line | Exeter to Exmouth | 1862 | South West | — |
Bristol–Exeter line | 1841–1842 | South West | — | |
Cornish Main Line | Plymouth to Penzance | 1867 | South West | — |
Cotswold Line | Oxford to Hereford | 1851–1860 | South East, South West, West Midlands | — |
Dartmoor line | Exeter to Okehampton | 1851–1871 | South West | — |
Exeter–Plymouth line | 1846–1849 | South West | — | |
Gloucester–Newport line | 1850 | South West | — | |
Golden Valley line | Swindon to Cheltenham Spa | 1845 | South West | — |
Heart of Wessex Line | Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth | 1857 | South West | — |
Looe Valley Line | Liskeard to Looe | 1860–1901 | South West | — |
Maritime Line | Truro to Falmouth Docks | 1863 | South West | — |
Reading–Taunton line | 1847–1906 | South East, South West | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC (partial) | |
Riviera Line | Exeter St Davids to Paignton | 1846–1859 | South West | — |
Severn Beach line | Bristol to Severn Beach | 1840–1900 | South West | — |
South Wales Main Line | Swindon to Swansea | 1850–1903 | South West, South Wales | — |
St Ives Bay Line | St Erth to St Ives | 1877 | South West | — |
Tamar Valley Line | Plymouth to Gunnislake | 1890–1908 | South West | — |
Tarka Line | Exeter to Barnstaple | 1851–1854 | South West | — |
Wessex Main Line | Bristol to Southampton | 1847–1856 | South East, South West | — |
West of England line | SWML to Exeter | 1854–1860 | South East, South West | — |
Terminus
Name | End and major calling points | Countries and regions | Category |
---|---|---|---|
Cross Country Route | Bristol, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, York | England: East Midlands, South West, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands | High Speed Main Line 125 mph |
South Wales Main Line | Bristol, Swansea via Cardiff | England: South West; Wales: South | Main Line (100 mph) |
North West England
This is a list of all routes that enter the North West England region.
West Midlands
This is a list of all routes that enter the West Midlands region.
Name | Route, or previous name | Opened | Regions | Electrified |
---|---|---|---|---|
Birmingham to Peterborough line | 1840–1860 | East, East Midlands, West Midlands | — | |
Birmingham to Worcester via Bromsgrove Line | 1840–1879 | West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC (partial) | |
Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster line | 1852–1867 | West Midlands | — | |
Camp Hill line | 1840-1841 | West Midlands | — | |
Chase Line | Birmingham New Street to Walsall and Rugeley | 1837–1859 (partly closed 1965, reopened 1989–1997) | West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC |
Chiltern Main Line | Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill | 1852–1910 | London, South East, West Midlands | — |
Cotswold Line | Oxford to Hereford | 1851–1860 | South East, South West, West Midlands | — |
Coventry–Leamington line | 1851 | West Midlands | — | |
Coventry–Nuneaton line | 1850 | West Midlands | — | |
Crewe–Derby line | 1848 | East Midlands, North West, West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC (partial) | |
Cross-City Line | Redditch or Bromsgrove to Lichfield | 1837–1876 | West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC |
Cross Country Route | 1948 | East Midlands, North East, Scotland, South West, Wales, West Anglia, & West Midlands | — | |
Leamington–Stratford line | 1860 | West Midlands | — | |
Leicester–Burton upon Trent line | 1832–1849 | East Midlands, West Midlands | — | |
Northampton loop | 1881 | East Midlands, West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC | |
North Warwickshire Line | Birmingham Snow Hill to Stratford-upon-Avon | 1908 | West Midlands | — |
Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line | 1837 | West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC | |
Shrewsbury–Chester line | 1848 | North West, West Midlands | — | |
Stafford–Manchester line | 1848–1887 | North West, West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC | |
Stone to Colwich Line | 1849 | West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC | |
Stourbridge Town branch line | 1879 | West Midlands | — | |
Sutton Park line | Walsall to Castle Bromwich and Water Orton | 1879 | West Midlands | — |
Trent Valley line | part of the West Coast Main Line | 1847 | West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC |
Walsall–Wolverhampton line | 1837 | West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC | |
Welsh Marches line | Newport to Shrewsbury | 1852–1858 |
|
— |
Wolverhampton–Shrewsbury line | 1848–1849 | West Midlands | — |
East of England
This is a list of all routes that enter the East of England region.
East Midlands
This is a list of all routes that enter the East Midlands region.
Name | Route, or previous name | Opened | Regions | Electrified |
---|---|---|---|---|
Barton line | Barton-on-Humber to Cleethorpes | 1848 | East Midlands | — |
Birmingham–Peterborough line | 1840–1860 | East, East Midlands, West Midlands | — | |
Buxton line | Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton | 1863 | East Midlands, North West | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC (partial) |
Crewe–Derby line | 1848 | East Midlands, North West, West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC (partial) | |
Derwent Valley line | Derby to Matlock | 1839–1849 | East Midlands | — |
Doncaster–Lincoln line | 1849 | East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber | — | |
Glossop line | Manchester Piccadilly to Glossop or Hadfield | 1844 | East Midlands, North West | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC |
Ivanhoe line | part of the Midland Main Line | 1840 or 1993 | East Midlands | — |
Leicester–Burton upon Trent line | 1832–1849 | East Midlands | — | |
Northampton loop | 1881 | East Midlands, West Midlands | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC | |
Nottingham–Grantham line | 1850 | East Midlands | — | |
Nottingham–Lincoln line | 1846 | East Midlands | — | |
Oakham–Kettering line | 1879 | East Midlands | — | |
Poacher Line | Grantham to Skegness | 1848–1873 | East Midlands | — |
Robin Hood Line | Nottingham to Worksop | 1848 (reopened 1993–1998) | East Midlands | — |
Sheffield–Lincoln line | 1849 | East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber | — | |
Erewash Valley Line | 1844–1862 | East Midlands | — |
Yorkshire and North East
There is a concentration of commuter services around Newcastle, Sheffield and Leeds with a number of direct routes to London, Scotland and other regions.This is a list of all routes that enter the Yorkshire and the Humber and North East England regions.
Name | Route, or previous name | Opened | Regions | Electrified |
---|---|---|---|---|
Durham Coast Line | Newcastle to Middlesbrough | 1833–1905 | North East | Overhead line, 1,500 V DC (partial) |
Esk Valley line | Middlesbrough to Whitby | 1835–54 | North East, Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
Tyne Valley line | Newcastle to Carlisle | 1834–1837 | North East, North West | — |
Northallerton–Eaglescliffe line | 1852 | North East, Yorkshire and the Humber | — | |
Tees Valley line | Bishop Auckland to Saltburn | 1825–1887 | North East | — |
Airedale line | Leeds to Skipton | 1846 | Yorkshire and the Humber | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC |
Askern branch line | Knottingley to Doncaster | 1848 | Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
Calder Valley line | Blackpool North or Manchester Victoria to Leeds | 1840s | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
Dearne Valley line | Sheffield to York | 1839–40 | Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
Doncaster–Lincoln line | 1849 | East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber | — | |
Hallam Line | Sheffield to Leeds | Yorkshire and the Humber | — | |
Harrogate line | Leeds to York | 1848 | Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
Hope Valley line | Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield | 1894 | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
Huddersfield line | Manchester Piccadilly or Victoria to Huddersfield | 1849 | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber | Planned |
Hull to York Line | 1840 | Yorkshire and the Humber | — | |
Leeds–Morecambe line | 1846–50 | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber | — | |
Leeds–Bradford lines | Yorkshire and the Humber | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC (partial) | ||
Penistone Line | Huddersfield to Sheffield | 1845–50 | Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
Pontefract line | Leeds to Goole | 1848 | Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
Selby Line | Leeds to Hull | 1834 | Yorkshire and the Humber | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC (partial) |
Settle–Carlisle line | 1875 | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber | — | |
Sheffield–Lincoln line | 1849 | East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber | — | |
South Humberside Main Line | Doncaster to Cleethorpes | 1848 | Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
Swinton–Doncaster line | South Yorkshire | — | ||
Wakefield line | Leeds to Sheffield | Yorkshire and the Humber | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC (partial) | |
Wharfedale line | Leeds to Bradford Forster Square or Ilkley | 1865 | Yorkshire and the Humber | OHLE, 25 kV 50 Hz AC |
Hull–Scarborough line | Hull to Scarborough | 1845–46 | Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
York–Scarborough line | 1845 | Yorkshire and the Humber | — |
Scotland
Scotrail Intercity lines
- Edinburgh–Dundee line
- Glasgow–Edinburgh via Falkirk line
- Glasgow–Dundee line
- Highland Main Line
- Dundee–Aberdeen line
- Aberdeen–Inverness line
Glasgow commuter lines
- Argyle Line
- Ayrshire Coast Line
- Glasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line
- Cathcart Circle Lines
- Croy Line
- Cumbernauld Line
- Inverclyde Line
- Maryhill Line
- Motherwell–Cumbernauld line
- North Clyde Line
- Paisley Canal line
- Shotts Line
- Glasgow South Western Line
- Whifflet Line
Edinburgh commuter lines
- Glasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line
- Edinburgh–Dunblane line
- Fife Circle Line
- North Berwick Branch
- North Clyde Line
- Shotts Line
- Borders Railway
Rural lines and Great Scenic Railways
Wales
Main lines
Cardiff commuter lines
- Butetown branch line
- Cardiff City Line
- Coryton Line
- Ebbw Valley Railway
- Gloucester–Newport line
- Maesteg Line
- Merthyr line
- Rhondda line
- Rhymney line
- Vale of Glamorgan Line
Rural lines
Lines under construction
Name | Between | Opening | Regions | Electrification |
---|---|---|---|---|
East West Rail | Bicester Village to Bletchley | 2023 | South East England | Not initially |
High Speed 2 | London Euston to Birmingham Curzon Street | ~2030 | South East England | 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line |
References
Note: many maps cited are dead links as of 2016. Current maps are on the National Rail Enquiries - Maps of the UK National Rail Network Web site.
- ^ "National Rail Timetable Map" (PDF). Association of Train Operating Companies. 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- ^ "London and the South East Rail Services" (PDF). Association of Train Operating Companies. 17 May 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- ^ "Birmingham West Midlands" (PDF). Association of Train Operating Companies. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- ^ "Liverpool Leeds Manchester Sheffield" (PDF). Association of Train Operating Companies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- ^ "London Connections Rail Services" (PDF). Association of Train Operating Companies. 17 May 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
- "Cardiff Bristol" (PDF). Association of Train Operating Companies. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
- "Newcastle" (PDF). Association of Train Operating Companies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
- "National Rail Enquiries - Maps of the UK National Rail Network". Nationalrail.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
See also
Main inter-regional railway lines in Great Britain | |
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Railway lines in Scotland | |
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Cross-border lines and services | |
ScotRail intercity lines | |
Glasgow commuter lines | |
Edinburgh commuter lines | |
Rural lines and Great Scenic Railways | |
Current projects | Railway electrification in Scotland |
Completed projects | |
Heritage railways |
Railway lines in Wales | |
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InterCity lines | |
Main lines | |
Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes | |
Other lines | |
Service routes | |