London's train service is used by hundreds of thousands of commuters each day. As far as tourists are
concerned, rail services are most useful for excursions to the
outskirts of the city, especially south of the river where The Underground hardly reaches.
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Useful Routes
The most useful rail line for visitors to the London area is the one
that starts off from Charing Cross or Cannon Street stations. Services
from these stations only run on weekday. The Thames link services also
connects Luton Airport with south London, Gatwick Airport and Brighton
via West Hampstead and Blackfriars.
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Using the trains
London has eight main railway stations serving the whole of the
southeast and beyond. Rail services travel overground and vary between
slow stopping trains, express services to major towns and Intercity
trains which travel throughout the UK. Make sure that you study the
platform indicators carefully so that you get on the most direct train
to the correct destination.
Some train doors will open automatically, others require the touch of a
button or moving a handle. To open the older-style manual doors from
inside, you need to pull down the window and reach outside. Make sure
to stay well enough away from the doors while the train is moving. If
you have to stand, be sure to hold on tightly to a strap or hand-rail.
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Rail Tickets
All tickets have to be purchased in person either from a travel agent
or from a railway station. Most credit cards are accepted. Lines for
ticket offices can often be long so the use of automatic machines can
be very convenient. They look similar to the ones that you can find in
the Underground stations.
There is a wide range of ticket options, but two main ones stand out;
for travel within Greater London, Travelcards offer the most
flexibility, while for longer journeys, cheap day return tickets offer
an excellent value compared to the standard return fares. Keep in mind
that these tickets are both only obtainable and usable after 9:30 am.
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