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.[1] 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.[2] There is a further concentration of routes around Birmingham in the West Midlands[3] and in the urbanised part of northern England that stretches from Liverpool in the west, via Greater Manchester to Leeds in the east.[4]
Some areas, such as Wales and Scotland have relatively sparse railway provision.[1] There are local lines throughout all areas of Great Britain with some services designated as community railways.
Main inter-regional lines[]
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 | Main line |
East Coast Main Line | London, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh | England: East, East Midlands, London, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber; Scotland | High speed Main line |
Great Eastern Main Line | London, Ipswich, Norwich | England: East, London | Main line |
Great Western Main Line | London, Bristol | England: London, South East, South West | High speed Main line |
High Speed 1 | London, Channel Tunnel | England: East, London, South East | High speed line |
Midland Main Line | London, Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds | England: East, East Midlands, London, Yorkshire and the Humber | Main line |
West Coast Main Line | London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow | England: London, North West, South East, West Midlands; Scotland | High speed Main line |
England[]
London[]
Most main UK routes terminate in London and there is an extensive suburban network[2][5]
This is a list of routes entirely contained within London.[5]
Name | Regions |
---|---|
Bromley North Line | London |
Catford Loop Line | London |
Chessington Branch Line | London |
Chingford Branch Line | London |
Dudding Hill Line | London |
Gospel Oak to Barking Line | London |
Greenford Branch Line | London |
Greenwich Line | London |
Hayes Line | London |
Hounslow Loop Line | London |
Hertford Loop Line | London, East |
Mid-Kent Line | London |
North London Line | London |
Northern City Line | London |
Nunhead to Lewisham Link | London |
Romford to Upminster Line | London |
South London Line | London |
West London Line | London |
East[]
A number of local lines branch from the main radial routes and closer to London are the outer terminals of the suburban network[2][5]
This is a list of all routes that enter the East of England region.
Name | Regions |
---|---|
Abbey Line | East |
Bittern Line | East |
Braintree Branch Line | East |
Breckland Line | East |
Colchester to Clacton Line | East |
Crouch Valley Line | East |
East Suffolk Line | East |
Ely to Peterborough Line | East |
Felixstowe Branch Line | East |
Fen Line | East |
Gainsborough Line | East |
Hertford East Branch Line | East |
Hertford Loop Line | London, East |
Hitchin–Cambridge Line | East |
Ipswich to Ely Line | East |
Lea Valley Lines | London, East |
London, Tilbury and Southend Line | London, East |
Marston Vale Line | East, South East |
Mayflower Line | East |
Peterborough to Lincoln Line | East |
Shenfield to Southend Line | East |
Sunshine Coast Line | East |
Thameslink | London, East, South East |
Watford DC Line | London, East |
West Anglia Main Line | London, East |
Wherry Lines | East |
South East[]
The commuter network stretches from London to the coast and there is a connection to France through the Channel Tunnel[2][5]
This is a list of all routes that enter the South East England region.
South West[]
There is a concentration of routes around Bristol and direct connections to Wales, London and other regions[6]
This is a list of all routes that enter the South West England region.
Name | Regions |
---|---|
Atlantic Coast Line | South West |
Avocet Line | South West |
Bristol to Taunton Line | South West |
Cornish Main Line | South West |
Gloucester to Newport Line | South West |
Golden Valley Line | South West |
Heart of Wessex Line | South West |
Looe Valley Line | South West |
Maritime Line | South West |
Reading to Plymouth Line | South East, South West |
Riviera Line | South West |
Severn Beach Line | South West |
South Wales Main Line | South West |
South Western Main Line | London, South East, South West |
St Ives Bay Line | South West |
Tamar Valley Line | South West |
Tarka Line | South West |
Wessex Main Line | South East, South West |
West of England Main Line | South East, South West |
East Midlands[]
There are rail links to adjacent regions and direct services to London
This is a list of all routes that enter the East Midlands region.
Name | Regions |
---|---|
Birmingham to Peterborough Line | East, East Midlands, West Midlands |
Buxton Line | East Midlands, North West |
Crewe to Derby Line | East Midlands, North West, West Midlands |
Derwent Valley Line | East Midlands |
Doncaster to Lincoln Line | East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Glossop Line | East Midlands, North West |
Ivanhoe Line | East Midlands |
Northampton Loop Line | East Midlands, West Midlands |
Nottingham-Grantham Line | East Midlands |
Nottingham-Lincoln Line | East Midlands |
Oakham to Kettering Line | East Midlands |
Robin Hood Line | East Midlands |
Sheffield to Lincoln Line | East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber |
West Midlands[]
There is a concentration of routes around Birmingham and direct connections to London and other regions[3]
This is a list of all routes that enter the West Midlands region.
Name | Regions |
---|---|
Birmingham to Peterborough Line | East, East Midlands, West Midlands |
Birmingham to Stratford Line | West Midlands |
Birmingham to Worcester via Bromsgrove Line | West Midlands |
Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line | West Midlands |
Chase Line | West Midlands |
Chiltern Main Line | London, South East, West Midlands |
Cotswold Line | South East, South West, West Midlands |
Coventry to Leamington line | West Midlands |
Coventry to Nuneaton Line | West Midlands |
Crewe-Derby Line | East Midlands, North West, West Midlands |
Cross-City Line | West Midlands |
Leamington to Stratford Line | West Midlands |
Northampton Loop Line | East Midlands, South East, West Midlands |
Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford Line | West Midlands |
Shrewsbury to Chester Line | North West, West Midlands |
Stafford-Manchester Line | North West, West Midlands |
Stourbridge Town Branch Line | West Midlands |
Walsall-Wolverhampton Line | West Midlands |
Welsh Marches Line | North West, West Midlands |
Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line | West Midlands |
North East[]
Suburban routes are concentrated around Newcastle with direct connections to Scotland, London and adjacent regions[7]
This is a list of all routes that enter the North East England region.
Name | Regions |
---|---|
Durham Coast Line | North East |
Esk Valley Line | North East, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway | North East, North West |
Northallerton–Eaglescliffe Line | North East, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Tees Valley Line | North East |
North West[]
There is a significant concentration of routes around urbanised Liverpool and Manchester with the northern part of the region less well served[1][4]
This is a list of all routes that enter the North West England region.
Name | Regions |
---|---|
Blackpool Branch Lines | North West |
Borderlands Line | North West |
Buxton Line | East Midlands, North West |
Caldervale Line | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Chester to Manchester Line | North West |
Crewe-Manchester Line | North West |
Cumbrian Coast Line | North West |
East Lancashire Line | North West |
Ellesmere Port to Warrington Line | North West |
Furness Line | North West |
Glossop Line | East Midlands, North West |
Hope Valley Line | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Huddersfield Line | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Kirkby Branch Line | North West |
Leeds to Morecambe Line | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Liverpool to Manchester Lines | North West |
Liverpool to Wigan Line | North West |
Manchester to Preston Line | North West |
Manchester to Southport Line | North West |
Mid-Cheshire Line | North West |
Morecambe Branch Line | North West |
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway | North East, North West |
Northern Line (Merseyrail) | North West |
Ormskirk Branch Line | North West |
Ribble Valley Line | North West |
Settle-Carlisle Line | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Stafford-Manchester Line | North West, West Midlands |
Stockport to Stalybridge Line | North West |
Styal Line | North West |
Windermere Branch Line | North West |
Wirral Line | North West |
Yorkshire and the Humber[]
There is a concentration of commuter services around Sheffield and Leeds with a number of direct routes to London and other regions[4]
This is a list of all routes that enter the Yorkshire and the Humber region.
Name | Regions |
---|---|
Airedale Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Askern Branch Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Caldervale Line | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Dearne Valley Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Doncaster to Lincoln Line | East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Esk Valley Line | North East, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Hallam Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Harrogate Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Hope Valley Line | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Huddersfield Line | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Hull to York Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Leeds to Morecambe Line | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Leeds-Bradford Lines | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Leeds-Northallerton Railway | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Northallerton–Eaglescliffe Line | North East, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Penistone Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Pontefract Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Settle-Carlisle Line | North West, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Sheffield to Hull Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Sheffield to Lincoln Line | East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber |
Wakefield Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Wharfedale Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
York & Selby Lines | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Yorkshire Coast Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
York to Scarborough Line | Yorkshire and the Humber |
Scotland[]
Main lines[]
- Ayrshire Coast Line
- Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line
- Fife Circle Line
- Glasgow-Edinburgh via Carstairs Line
- Glasgow-Edinburgh via Falkirk Line
- Glasgow to Aberdeen Line
- Glasgow South Western Line
- Highland Main Line
Glasgow commuter lines[]
- Argyle Line
- Ayrshire Coast Line
- Cathcart Circle Lines
- Croy Line
- Cumbernauld Line
- Inverclyde Line
- Maryhill Line
- Motherwell-Cumbernauld Line
- North Clyde Line
- Paisley Canal Line
- Shotts Line
- South Western Lines
- Whifflet Line
Edinburgh commuter lines[]
- Edinburgh-Bathgate Line
- Edinburgh Crossrail
- Edinburgh-Dunblane line
- North Berwick Line
- Shotts Line
- Waverley Line
Rural lines[]
- Aberdeen-Inverness Line
- Far North Line
- Kyle of Lochalsh Line
- West Highland Line
Wales[]
Main lines[]
Cardiff commuter lines[]
- Butetown Branch Line
- Cardiff City Line
- Coryton Line
- Ebbw Valley Railway
- Maesteg Line
- Merthyr Line
- Rhondda Line
- Rhymney Line
- Vale of Glamorgan Line
Rural lines[]
- Borderlands Line
- Cambrian Line
- Conwy Valley Line
- Heart of Wales Line
- West Wales Line
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 National Rail Timetable Map. Association of Train Operating Companies (2009). Retrieved on 26 December 2009.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 London and the South East Rail Services. Association of Train Operating Companies (17 May 2009). Retrieved on 26 December 2009.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Birmingham West Midlands. Association of Train Operating Companies. Retrieved on 26 December 2009.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Liverpool Leeds Manchester Sheffield. Association of Train Operating Companies. Retrieved on 26 December 2009.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 London Connections Rail Services. Association of Train Operating Companies (17 May 2009). Retrieved on 26 December 2009.
- ↑ Cardiff Bristol. Association of Train Operating Companies. Retrieved on 28 December 2009.
- ↑ Newcastle. Association of Train Operating Companies. Retrieved on 28 December 2009.
See also[]
Template:British main lines
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Template:Railway lines in Wales Template:Railway lines in England
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