A Guide to the main Rail Routes in Britain

How the train services are managed and operated in Great Britain differs from any other country in Europe, because there is no national train service operator such as DB in Germany, Trenitalia in Italy or SNCF in France.
Instead the train services are provided by multiple Train Operating Companies; which tends to be abbreviated to TOCs.

There is an organisation named National Rail, which manages the railway network and its often overlooked website is a highly useful resource for looking up good to know info, such as train times, details of construction work on the railway; and for specific travel needs, such as how to request Assisted travel and how to travel with pets.
It also has a maps directory of national and regional railway routes - this map will show the locations of the cities and towns and gives an idea of how they are served by trains.

But what that map linked to above won't show you is which (Train Operating Company) TOC provides the services on each route, and in Britain, which specific TOC is managing the train you will be travelling by, affects the train journey experience.

That's because each TOC is responsible for both which services it offers its passengers on board its trains AND the types of ticket it offers for travelling by them; and how they are sold.
Meaning that there are no national train travel policies for key aspects of making a train journey, such as whether seat reservations and discounted tickets will be available

So knowing which TOC is providing a service will help with decisions, such as whether you can save money by booking tickets in advance or by travelling at certain times of day - or if you need to take food or drink with you, or whether you'll want to make reservations when using a rail pass.

Hence the lists you will find below of the main routes to/from tourist areas operated by each Train Operating Company and which TOCs operate the routes to tourist/leisure destinations from London; and from Birmingham and from Edinburgh and from Glasgow and from Manchester.

ShowMeTheJourney has also produced very useful at a glance summaries of the on-board services offered by the Train Operating Companies (TOCs).

There is a map that shows which TOC operates on each British railway route, and SMTJ applauds the effort that has gone into the map's creation.
Although despite being a map fan and having a good knowledge of both the rail network in Britain and UK geography, ShowMeTheJourney found that map to be a tad bewildering.
Which is perhaps inevitable given the number of different TOCs.

Hence the creation of the guides below, they show which TOC operates the train services, on each of the most popular tourist rail routes in Britain.

The most popular longer-distance routes have been summarised below.

(1) London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly
(2) London Euston - Coventry - Birmingham New Street (fastest route)
Some trains have journey extended to Wolverhampton - Crewe - Preston - Lancaster - Oxenholme Lake District or Penrith North Lakes - Carlisle - Glasgow or Edinburgh (the services to Glasgow via Birmingham are currently suspended)
2 - 3 x trains per day travel beyond Birmingham to Wolverhampton - Telford - Shrewsbury
(3) London Euston - Coventry - Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton - Crewe - Preston - Blackpool
(4) London Euston - Stafford - Liverpool Lime Street
(5) London Euston - Preston - Lancaster - Oxenholme Lake District or Penrith North Lakes - Carlisle - Glasgow
(6) London Euston - Crewe - Chester (multiple departures per day travel beyond Chester to Chester - Rhyl - Llandudno Junction - Bangor - Holyhead)

London Fenchurch Street - Leigh-on-Sea - Southend-on-Sea - Shoeburyness

(1) London Marylebone - High Wycombe - Banbury - Leamington Spa - Warwick - Birmingham
(2) London Marylebone - High Wycombe - Bicester Village - Oxford
(3) London Marylebone - High Wycombe - Banbury - Leamington Spa - Warwick - Stratford-upon-Avon

(1) (Penzance) - Plymouth – Exeter – Bristol – Birmingham – Derby – Sheffield – Leeds – York – Durham – Newcastle – Edinburgh – Glasgow or Dundee - Aberdeen
(2) Reading – Oxford – Birmingham – Derby – Sheffield – York – Durham – Newcastle
(3) Bournemouth - Southampton – Winchester – Reading – Oxford – Coventry - Birmingham – Manchester
(4) Bristol – Birmingham – Manchester (currently suspended between Bristol and Exeter)
(5) Cardiff – Birmingham – Derby – Nottingham
(6) Birmingham – Leicester – Peterborough – Cambridge – Stansted Airport

(1) London St Pancras International - Leicester - Derby - Chesterfield - Sheffield - (Leeds)
(2) London St Pancras International - Leicester - Loughborough - Nottingham
(3) Norwich - Peterborough - Nottingham - Sheffield - Manchester - Liverpool
(4) Leicester - Loughborough - Nottingham - Lincoln
(5) Derby - Matlock Bath - Matlock
(6) Derby - Uttoxeter - Stoke-on Trent - Crewe

(1) London King's Cross - Wakefield - Halifax - Bradford
(2) London King's Cross - York - Hartlepool - Sunderland

(1) London King's Cross - Cambridge - Ely -King's Lynn
(2) London King's Cross - Huntingdon - Peterborough

Long-Distance:
(1) London Paddington – Reading – Oxford – Moreton-in-Marsh - Evesham - Worcester – Hereford
(2) London Paddington – Reading – Swindon - Cardiff – Swansea - (Carmarthen)
(3) London Paddington – Reading - Bristol - Weston-super-Mare
(4) London Paddington – Reading - Swindon – Bath – Bristol - Weston-super-Mare - (Bridgewater - Taunton)
(5) London Paddington – Reading – Taunton - Exeter – Totness - Plymouth – St Austell - Truro - Penzance
(6) London Paddington – Reading – Taunton - Exeter – Torquay - Paignton
(7) London Paddington – Reading – Swindon - Stroud - Gloucester - Cheltenham

Regional:
(1) London Paddington – Slough - Maidenhead - Twyford - Reading - Didcot/Newbury
connect at Slough for Windsor, connect at Maidenhead for Marlow and connect at Twyford for Henley-on-Thames
(2) Cardiff - Newport - Bristol - Bath - Bradford-on-Avon - Westbury - Salisbury - Southampton - Portsmouth
(3) Gloucester - Bristol - Bath - Bradford-on-Avon - Westbury - Dorchester - Weymouth
(4) Great Malvern - Worcester - Cheltenham - Gloucester - Bristol - Bath - Bradford-on-Avon - Trowbridge
(5) Cardiff - Newport - Bristol - Weston-super-Mare - Bridgewater - Taunton - Exeter - Newton Abbot - Totness - Plymouth - Liskeard - Par - St Austell -Truro - St Erth - Penzance
(6) Exmouth - Exeter - Barnstaple
(7) Exeter - Dawlish - Teignmouth - Torquay - Paignton
(8) Plymouth - Bere Alston - Gunnislake
(9) Liskeard - Looe
(10) Par - Newquay
(11) Truro - Falmouth
(12) St Erth - St Ives

(1) London Liverpool Street - Colchester - Ipswich - Norwich
(2) London Liverpool Street - Audley End - Cambridge
(3) London Liverpool Street - Colchester - Wivenhoe - Clacton/Walton-on-the Naze
(4) London Liverpool Street - Stansted Airport (the Stansted Express)
(5) London Liverpool Street - Southend-on-Sea
(6) Cambridge - Newmarket - Bury St Edmunds - Ipswich
(7) Cambridge - Ely - Thetford - Wymondham - Norwich
(8) Ipswich - Lowestoft
(9) Ipswich - Bury St Edmunds - Ely - March - Peterborough
(10) Norwich - Great Yarmouth
(11) Norwich - Lowestoft
(12) Norwich - Cromer - Sheringham
(13) Norwich - Stansted Airport via Cambridge
(14) London Liverpool Street - Harwich International (the Dutch Flyer service which connects with ferries to and from The Netherlands)

London - Hull (- Beverley)

(1) London King's Cross - Peterborough - York - Darlington - Durham - Newcastle - Berwick upon Tweed - Edinburgh
(2) London King's Cross - York - Darlington - Newcastle - Berwick upon Tweed - Edinburgh - Kirkcaldy - Leuchars (for St Andrews) - Dundee - Aberdeen
(3) London King's Cross - York - Darlington - Newcastle - Berwick upon Tweed - Edinburgh - Stirling - Perth - Pitlochry - Kingussie - Aviemore - Inverness
(4) London King's Cross - Peterborough - Wakefield - Leeds (- Bradford or Harrogate or Skipton via Keighley)
(5) London King's Cross - Hull

(1) London Euston - Northampton - Coventry - Birmingham
(2) London Euston - Rugby - Litchfield - Tamworth - Stafford - Crewe
(3) Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton - Stafford - Crewe - Liverpool

(1) Manchester Airport - Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Oxford Road - Bolton - Preston - Blackpool
(2) Manchester Airport - Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Oxford Road - Bolton - Preston - Lancaster - Windermere and Barrow via Grange-over-Sands
(3) Manchester Airport - Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Oxford Road - Liverpool
(4) Liverpool - Preston - Blackpool
(5) Barrow - Ravenglass - Workington - Whitehaven - Carlisle
(6) Leeds - Keighley - Skipton - Appleby - Carlisle
(7) Leeds - Keighley - Skipton - Lancaster - Morecambe
(8) Newcastle - Hexham - Carlisle
(9) Leeds - Bradford - Halifax - Hebden Bridge - Rochdale - Manchester Victoria - Chester
(10) Manchester Piccadilly - Altringham - Chester
(11) Manchester Piccadilly - Buxton
(12) Manchester Piccadilly - Edale - Hope - Sheffield
(13) York - Leeds - Bradford - Halifax- Hebden Bridge - Burnley - Blackburn - Preston - Blackpool
(14) Middlesbrough - Battersby - Grosmont - Whitby
(15) Newcastle - Sunderland - Hartlepool - Middlesbrough
(16) Hull - Beverley - Scarborough
(17) Sheffield - Worksop - Lincoln

(1) Glasgow Queen Street - Falkirk - Edinburgh Haymarket - Edinburgh Waverley
(2) Glasgow Queen Street - Stirling - Perth - Dundee - Arbroath - Montrose - Stonehaven - Aberdeen
(3) Glasgow Queen Street - Stirling - Perth - Pitlochry - Kingussie - Aviemore - Inverness
(4) Glasgow Queen Street - Crianlarich - Oban
(5) Glasgow Queen Street - Crianlarich - Fort William - Mallaig (for Skye)
(6) Edinburgh Waverley - Edinburgh Haymarket - Kirkcaldy - Leuchars (for St Andrews) - Dundee - Arbroath - Montrose - Stonehaven - Aberdeen
(7) Edinburgh Waverley - Edinburgh Haymarket - Stirling - Perth - Pitlochry - Kingussie - Aviemore - Inverness
(8) Edinburgh Waverley - Edinburgh Haymarket - Motherwell - Glasgow Central - Prestwick Airport - Troon - Ayr
(9) Edinburgh Waverley - Edinburgh Haymarket - Stirling - Dunblane
​​​​​​(10) Glasgow Central - Ardrossan (for Arran)
(11) Glasgow Central - Wemyss Bay (for Bute)
(12) Glasgow Central - Prestwick Airport - Troon - Ayr - (Girvan - Stranraer)
(13) Glasgow Central - Kilmarnock - Dumfries - Carlisle
(14) Aberdeen - Elgin - Inverness
(15) Inverness - Kyle of Lochlash (for Skye)
(16) Inverness - Laing - Helmsdale - Thurso and Wick

(1) London Waterloo - Clapham Junction - Winchester - Southampton Airport - Southampton - Brockenhurst (for Lymington and The New Forest) - Bournemouth - Poole - Dorchester - Weymouth
(2) London Waterloo - Clapham Junction - Salisbury - Yeovil - Axminster - Honiton - Exeter
(3) London Waterloo - Clapham Junction - Guilford - Havant - Portsmouth (for the Isle of Wight)
(4) London Waterloo - Clapham Junction - Richmond - Staines - Windsor
(5) London Waterloo - Clapham Junction - Richmond - Staines - Ascot - Reading
(6) London Waterloo - Clapham Junction - Hampton Court
(7) London Waterloo - Clapham Junction - Alton (for the Mid-Hants Railway)

(1) London St Pancras International - Stratford International - Ashford International - Folkestone Central - Dover Priory - Deal - Sandwich
(2) London St Pancras International - Stratford International - Ashford International - Canterbury West - Ramsgate - Broadstairs - Margate
(3) London St Pancras International - Stratford International - Chatham - Faversham - Whitstable - Herne Bay - Margate
(4) London Charing Cross - London Waterloo East - London Bridge - Sevenoaks - Tonbridge - Marden - Ashford International - Folkestone Central - Dover Priory
(5) London Charing Cross - London Waterloo East - London Bridge - Sevenoaks - Tonbridge - Marden - Ashford International - Canterbury West - Ramsgate
(6) London Charing Cross - London Waterloo East - London Bridge - Sevenoaks - Tonbridge - Tunbridge Wells - Battle - Hastings
(7) London Victoria - Chatham - Faversham - Whitstable - Herne Bay - Margate - Broadstairs - Ramsgate
(8) London Victoria - Chatham - Faversham - Canterbury East - Dover Priory
(9) London Victoria - Maidstone - Bearsted (for Leeds Castle) - Ashford International - Canterbury West

(1) London Victoria - Clapham Junction - East Croydon - Gatwick Airport - Brighton
(2) London Victoria - Clapham Junction - East Croydon - Gatwick Airport - Hove - Worthing - Littlehampton
(3) London Victoria - Clapham Junction - East Croydon - Gatwick Airport - Chichester - Havant - Portsmouth and Southampton
(4) London Victoria - Clapham Junction - East Croydon - Gatwick Airport - Lewes - Eastbourne - Bexhill - Hastings
(5) London Victoria - Clapham Junction - East Croydon - East Grinstead (for the Bluebell Railway)
(6) Milton Keynes - Watford Junction - Shepherd's Bush - Kensington Olympia - Clapham Junction - East Croydon

(1) Cambridge - London St Pancras International - London Farringdon - City Thameslink - London Blackfriars - London Bridge - Gatwick Airport - Brighton
(2) Bedford - Luton - Luton Airport Parkway - St Albans - London St Pancras International - London Farringdon - City Thameslink - London Blackfriars - London Bridge - Gatwick Airport - Brighton
(3) Peterborough - London St Pancras International - London Farringdon - City Thameslink - London Blackfriars - London Bridge - Gatwick Airport - Horsham
(4) Luton - Luton Airport Parkway - St Albans - London St Pancras International - London Farringdon - City Thameslink - London Blackfriars - London Bridge - Greenwich - Chatham - Rainham

(1) Liverpool Lime Street - Manchester Victoria - Huddersfield - Leeds - York - Darlington - Durham - Newcastle
(2) Manchester Airport - Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Oxford Road - Manchester Victoria - Huddersfield - Leeds - York - Middlesbrough - Redcar - Saltburn
(3) Manchester Piccadilly - Huddersfield - Leeds - Hull
(4) York - Scarborough
(5) Manchester Airport - Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Oxford Road - Preston - Lancaster - Oxenholme Lake District - Penrith North Lakes - Carlisle - Glasgow or Edinburgh
(6) Liverpool Lime Street - Preston - Lancaster - Oxenholme Lake District - Penrith North Lakes - Carlisle - Glasgow
(7) Liverpool - Manchester Piccadilly - Sheffield - Doncaster - Grimsby - Cleethorpes

(1) Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton - Telford - Shrewsbury - Welshpool - Machynlleth - Aberystwyth
(2) Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton - Telford - Shrewsbury - Welshpool - Machynlleth - Aberdovey - Barmouth - Porthmadog - Pwllheli
(3) Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street- Wolverhampton - Telford - Shrewsbury - Wrexham - Chester - Rhyl - Colwyn Bay - Llandudno Junction - Bangor - Holyhead
(4) Cardiff - Newport - Hereford - Shrewsbury - Chester - Rhyl - Colwyn Bay - Llandudno Junction - Bangor - Holyhead
(5) Manchester Airport - Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Oxford Road - Chester - Rhyl - Colwyn Bay - Llandudno
(6) Manchester Piccadilly - Crewe - Shrewsbury - Hereford - Newport - Cardiff - Swansea (Llanelli - Carmarthen Haverfordwest - Milford Haven)
(7) Crewe - Shrewsbury - Llandrindod - Llanelli - Swansea - Cardiff
(8) Gloucester - Chepstow - Newport - Cardiff - Swansea - Llanelli - Carmarthen - Fishguard or Milford Haven via Haverfordwest

Though what has been excluded below are the instances when a company only operates one or two trains per day on a route:
How this affect the buying and using of tickets is included on this guide.

These longer routes include:
Bristol ↔ Exeter and Plymouth
Bristol ↔ destinations in Cornwall
Leeds ↔ Newcastle
Leeds ↔ York
London ↔ York
London ↔ Edinburgh
York ↔ Newcastle and Edinburgh
Newcastle and Berwick upon Tweed ↔ Edinburgh
Edinburgh ↔ Aberdeen
Preston ↔ Edinburgh and Glasgow

These longer- distance routes include:
London ↔ Birmingham, Brighton, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Exeter, Liverpool, Oxford, Portsmouth and Southampton
Leeds ↔ Manchester
Glasgow ↔ Edinburgh

To help make sense of of the British rail network, these summaries show which TOC provides the services to other cities, when making train journeys from London, and from Birmingham and from Edinburgh and from Glasgow and from Manchester.

So they also show which tourist destinations have direct trains from each of these cities.

When ScotRail shares a route with another TOC it will provide the most frequent service

Note that these trains depart from multiple stations in Manchester.

This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.

Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.

So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.