Britain's railway lines, one at a time
Each page here follows one line from end to end: where it runs, the main stations, who runs the trains, when it opened and what to look out for from the window.
Two kinds of line
Britain's railway network is made up of two broad kinds of route. The first are the trunk routes, the main lines that carry most people and freight between the big cities. The second are the long, slow, often single-track lines through the hills and along the coast, which were never built to be fast but are among the most beautiful journeys in Europe. This site covers both.
The main lines
The four great trunk routes out of London each have their own page. The West Coast Main Line runs from Euston to Glasgow Central, about 399 miles at its core, and carries around 40% of the country's rail freight according to Wikipedia. The East Coast Main Line links King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley over about 393 miles. The Great Western Main Line is Brunel's route from Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads, and the Midland Main Line connects St Pancras with Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
The scenic lines
Six lines are known mainly for what you see from the train. The Settle–Carlisle line crosses the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines on the 24-arch Ribblehead Viaduct. The West Highland Line reaches Fort William, Mallaig and Oban across Rannoch Moor. The Cambrian Line and the Heart of Wales Line cross Wales, the first to the Cardigan Bay coast and the second through the spa towns of mid Wales. The Far North Line goes from Inverness to Thurso and Wick, and the Cumbrian Coast Line hugs the Irish Sea between Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness. If you only want the pretty ones, start at the scenic lines page, which compares them side by side.
Who runs the trains now
This is changing quickly. Several train operators have been brought into public ownership since 2018, and more are scheduled to follow. Each line page has an operator line marked "checked November 2026". The short version at that date: LNER, Northern, ScotRail and Transport for Wales are already publicly run; Great Western Railway is due to join on 13 December 2026, East Midlands Railway in December 2026, and Avanti West Coast on 7 March 2027, according to Time Out's tracker of the programme. Dates move, so check the operator's own website before relying on them. The tracks themselves are owned and maintained by Network Rail, which is a separate matter from who runs the trains.
How the pages are organised
Every line page uses the same headings, so you can compare them: route and main stations, operator, history, engineering and scenery. We give numbers only where a source we opened states them, and list those sources at the foot of the page. Where an official page is a better guide than we can be, for example timetables, fares or engineering works, we say so and point you there rather than guess.
Which line first?
If you are planning a day out, the Settle–Carlisle line and the West Highland Line are the best-known. If you are curious about how Britain's railways grew, read the Great Western Main Line page for Brunel and the West Coast Main Line page for the piece-by-piece building of a national route between 1837 and 1881. For a quieter trip nobody tells you about, try the Heart of Wales Line, which survived the Beeching report of 1963 because it was still useful for freight.
This site is general information for travellers and enthusiasts. For live times, fares and disruption, always use the operator's website or National Rail Enquiries. See also our contact page if you spot a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
What is the longest main line in Britain?
Of the lines covered here, the West Coast Main Line is longest: about 399 miles for the core London Euston to Glasgow Central route, or around 700 miles including branches, according to Wikipedia.
Which railway line is the most scenic?
It is a matter of taste. Readers of Wanderlust voted the West Highland Line the top rail journey in the world in 2009, and the Settle–Carlisle line is also very well known. See the scenic lines page.
Who owns Britain's railway track?
Network Rail owns and maintains the track and stations on the lines covered here. Train operators run the services, and several are now publicly owned.
Are all train operators in public ownership now?
No. As of November 2026 some are and others are scheduled to transfer. Check the operator line on each page and the operator's own website.