Rail travel in the United Kingdom. Rail travel in the United Kingdom    This article is a travel topic. Introduction[edit]With around 3.

National Rail passenger network of Great Britain is one of the densest and most used railway networks in the world, with frequent daily passenger services comprehensively serving all major towns and many hundreds of villages. Train travel is Britain's most popular method of public transportation, with passenger usage approaching record highs despite annual rises in fares. In the last financial year ending in April 2. Great Britain. Travelling by train is one of the fastest, most comfortable, convenient and enjoyable ways to explore Britain. From High Speed 1, which connects London to Kent and under the English Channel to mainland Europe, to preserved railways operating historic steam trains through idyllic countryside, to bustling modern commercial centres and small unspoiled villages, to the breathtakingly scenic lines of Scotland, the train can be an enthralling and affordable way to see all that the UK has to offer.

As for services across the English Channel to France and Belgium, the cross- channel rail operator Eurostar has become the dominant carrier in cross- channel intercity passenger travel on the routes that it operates, carrying more passengers than all airlines combined. However, the complex system of privatised train operators serving an effectively state- owned network of stations and lines has resulted in a complex fare and ticket system that can be confusing to the visitor. Watch Online Watch Willow Creek Full Movie Online Film on this page. The structure of the industry is still very much in a state of change as a result of a controversial privatisation programme in the mid 1.

Noisy, vibrant and truly multicultural, London is a megalopolis of people, ideas and frenetic energy. The capital and largest city of both England and of the United. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Easily share your publications and get. Breaking news headlines from London, England, with transport updates on the tube and trains, top tourist information, and the latest on the mayoral elections.

Despite this, the network provides seamless journeys even if travelling on trains serviced by multiple operators – tickets can be purchased from any station in Great Britain to any other, irrespective of train company. This guide does not cover rail travel in Northern Ireland, which operates its own state- owned system called Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) which is separate from National Rail and even uses a different track gauge. NIR is owned and controlled by the government of the Northern Irish Executive in Belfast. It is well- integrated with local and provincial bus services operated by Translink and trains in the Republic of Ireland operated by Iarnród Éireann. For more details on rail travel in Northern Ireland, see Rail travel in Ireland. The National Rail website provides timetables and a journey planner, which can be found at at http: //www. Structure[edit]The iconic double- arrow symbol signifies a railway station or the rail network throughout Britain.

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It appears on all stations, road signs and maps. All infrastructure (e. Network Rail, a "not for dividend" company limited by guarantee and owned by the government, while trains are operated by private companies (usually multinational transport companies) which bid for particular franchises. The system is tightly controlled by the national and devolved governments in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff which heavily subsidise it. There are also operators controlled by local government bodies (the London Overground is one example) and a small number of open access (non- franchised) operators which run additional services across the country. Watch The Bourne Ultimatum Online Free HD there.

Although the ownership and structure is complex you often won't notice it when making a journey, due to the integrated nature of the British rail system. General service schedules and routes run by the train franchises are specified by the government, but the "detail" and actual level of service are operated by commercial train companies known as train operating companies (TOCs). These lease or own rolling stock to run the passenger services demanded in their franchise contracts. Companies compete to win franchises for a certain number of years.

Their continued permission to operate, or ability to win extensions or future franchises, depends on factors including value- for- money, performance and customer satisfaction. Government officials and transport ministers play a heavy role in the process. The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) represents all the passenger train companies, and markets them collectively as National Rail. National Rail has inherited the iconic white- on- red "double- arrow" logo (see illustration) first used by British Rail in 1. The iconic logo is used extensively to signify a railway station and on road signs, maps, tickets and other places.

Passenger Rail Companies[edit]Some train operating companies cover a particular geographical region, while others operate inter- city lines which pass through various regions. As of December 2. National Rail network consists of the following passenger operating companies, all of which are private commercial organisations (mostly subsidiaries of global transport companies like First.

Group, Stagecoach, Arriva and Virgin). Franchised operators. Open access operators. Open access operators are train companies that do not operate under a franchise, but instead purchases individual slots on train lines. They provide additional services for routes that are in high demand that no franchise adequately cover. For example, First Hull Trains provides six daily services from London to Hull and back while its competitor Virgin Trains East Coast provides only one.

Historical background[edit]From the 1. A4' class such as Mallard symbolised a golden age of rail travel. Mallard is now at the National Railway Museum, York. The world's first public railway opened between Stockton and Darlington in north- east England in 1.

Passengers were originally carried in coaches pulled by horses until 1. Locomotion No. 1, the first ever steam locomotive to operate a passenger rail service. The financial success of the early pioneering railways resulted in a large number of entrepreneurs eager to capitalise in the fledgling industry, in a time known as "Railway Mania". From 1. 83. 6 to 1. Britain. Many majestic stations such as London St.

Pancras, Kings Cross, Paddington and Liverpool Street were erected, showcasing the success of the companies who built them. Iconic bridges and viaducts of the Victorian era such as the Forth Bridge have come to symbolise the regions they run through. In 1. 92. 3 the government decreed that the railways should be grouped into four large companies, which together were known as the '"Big Four". These were the Southern Railway (SR), the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) and the Great Western Railway (GWR).

What followed is considered to be the golden age of speed records, with iconic locomotives such as the Flying Scotsman and Mallard becaming symbols of speed and modernity. Railway travel posters from the 1. British rail system as an elegant yet everyday form of travel. Even today many modern train company names hark back to this era. Following the Second World War, in which most of the infrastructure was worn down by war duties or destroyed by bombing raids, all of the Big Four companies were in dire financial straits and were unable to cope with the backlog of maintenance and repairs that had built up during the war.

As a result, the government nationalised all railways in 1. The resulting state- owned British Rail ran trains for nearly fifty years during a time of change. In an attempt to stem passenger losses resulting from increased car usage, steam locomotives were replaced by diesel and electric trains, while some lines were electrified and upgraded to allow for higher speeds. The darkest era in British railway history came during the 1.

Beeching Axe". In an attempt to eliminate daily losses of £3. British Rail closed a large number of unprofitable lines and scrapped many passenger services. Spearheaded by a report published by civil servant Dr. Richard Beeching, nearly 4,0. British Rail rebounded in the 1. Inter. City. Together with electrification of the two main line routes from London to Scotland and the introduction of Inter.