The railway system in Great Britain is the oldest railway system in the world. The first locomotive-hauled public railway opened in 1825,which was followed by an era of rapid expansion. Most of the track is managed by Network Rail,which in 2017 had a network of 9,824 miles (15,811 km) of standard-gauge lines,of which 3,339 miles (5,374 km) were electrified. In addition,some cities have separate metro,light rail and tram systems,among them the historic London Underground and the Glasgow Subway. There are also many private railways,some of them narrow-gauge,which are primarily short lines for tourists. The main rail network is connected with that of continental Europe by the Channel Tunnel and High Speed 1,opened in 1994 and 2007 respectively.
National Rail (NR) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group,an unincorporated association whose membership consists of the passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England,Scotland,and Wales. The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by the British Railways Board,from 1965 using the brand name British Rail. Northern Ireland,which is bordered by the Republic of Ireland,has a different system. National Rail services share a ticketing structure and inter-availability that generally do not extend to services which were not part of British Rail.
Valleys &Cardiff Local Routes is the network of passenger suburban railway services radiating from Cardiff,Wales. It includes lines within the city itself,the Vale of Glamorgan and the South Wales Valleys.
Cardiff Central is a major station on the South Wales Main Line. It is located in the capital of Wales,Cardiff,144 miles 77 chains (233 km) down the line from London Paddington,via Bristol Parkway,and 170 miles 30 chains (274 km) measured via Stroud. It is one of the city's two urban rail network hubs,along with Cardiff Queen Street. Opened in 1850 as Cardiff station,it was renamed Cardiff General in 1924 and then Cardiff Central in 1973.
The Eastern Suburbs &Illawarra Line is a commuter railway line on the Sydney Trains network in the eastern and southern suburbs of Sydney. The line was constructed in the 1880s to Wollongong to take advantage of agricultural and mining potentials in the Illawarra area. In March 1926,it became the first railway in New South Wales to run electric train services.
In the railway system of Great Britain,a train operating company (TOC) is a railway undertaking operating passenger trains under the collective National Rail brand. TOCs have existed since the privatisation of the network under the Railways Act 1993.
Bangor railway station serves the city of Bangor,Gwynedd;it is operated by Transport for Wales. The station,which is 24+3⁄4 miles (40 km) east of Holyhead,is the last mainland station on the North Wales Coast line between Crewe and Holyhead. It is the busiest in terms of passenger numbers in North Wales,as it serves the community around Caernarfon and further west. It is close to the Snowdonia National Park and Bangor University,and has an interchange with bus services to the various towns and villages of north-west Gwynedd and Anglesey.
Swansea railway station serves the city of Swansea,Wales. It is sited 216 miles 7 chains (348 km) from London Paddington,via Stroud,on the National Rail network. In 2021/22,it was the third-busiest station in Wales,after Cardiff Central and Newport.
The Shrewsbury–Chester line is a railway line between Chester and Shrewsbury in England,with the line passing through Wrexham in Wales. Passenger train services are operated by Transport for Wales Rail between Chester,in the north,and Shrewsbury,in the south,as part of the Wales &Borders franchise. Some additional services,starting part way along the line to London Euston via Chester are operated by Avanti West Coast. The line was built in 1846 by the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway,with the engineer for the line being Henry Robertson,a partner in locomotive builders Beyer Peacock,while the contractor was Thomas Brassey in partnership with William Mackenzie and Robert Stephenson. The line is part of Transport for Wales' North Wales Metro improvement programme.
The Ebbw Valley Railway is a branch line of the South Wales Main Line in South Wales. Transport for Wales Rail provides an hourly passenger service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Cardiff Central,and an hourly service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Newport.
The Borderlands line,also known as the Bidston–Wrexham or Wrexham–Bidston line,is a railway line between Bidston on the Wirral Peninsula in England and Wrexham Central in the north-east of Wales. Passenger train services are part of the Wales &Borders franchise and are operated by Transport for Wales Rail. The line connects to the Merseyrail network at Bidston,the North Wales Coast Line at Shotton and the Shrewsbury–Chester line at Wrexham General. Parts of the line in Wales are used by freight trains,serving Deeside Industrial Park and the Hanson Cement works to the south of Buckley.
Chester railway station is located in Newtown,Chester,England. Services are operated by Avanti West Coast,Merseyrail,Northern and Transport for Wales. From 1875 to 1969,the station was known as Chester General to distinguish it from Chester Northgate. The station's Italianate frontage was designed by the architect Francis Thompson.
Conwy railway station serves the town of Conwy,north Wales,and is located on the North Wales Main Line,between Crewe and Holyhead. It is served by Transport for Wales,on services from Holyhead to South Wales and Birmingham International.
Aberdare railway station serves the town of Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf,Wales. It is the terminus of the Aberdare branch of the Merthyr Line,22½ miles (36 km) north-north-west of Cardiff Central. Passenger services are provided by Transport for Wales.
Pensarn railway station serves the village of Pensarn in Gwynedd,Wales. The station is an unstaffed halt on the Cambrian Coast Railway with passenger services to Porthmadog,Pwllheli,Barmouth,Machynlleth and Shrewsbury.
Beasdale railway station is a railway station serving Glen Beasdale in the Highland region of Scotland. This station is on the West Highland Line,sited 28 miles 49 chains (46.0 km) from the former Banavie Junction,between Lochailort and Arisaig. ScotRail manage the station and operate all services.
Hirwaun was a railway station serving the village of Hirwaun in Rhondda Cynon Taf,Wales.
The British Rail Class 197 is a class of diesel multiple unit passenger train built by CAF,based on its Civity platform. They are operated by Transport for Wales Rail (TfW),split into 51 two-car units and 26 three-car units.
Transport for Wales Rail Limited,branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail,is a Welsh publicly owned train operating company,a subsidiary of Transport for Wales (TfW),a Welsh Government-owned company. It commenced operations of the day to day services of the Wales &Borders franchise on 7 February 2021,as an operator of last resort,succeeding KeolisAmey Wales.
Great British Railways (GBR) is a planned state-owned railway company that is to oversee passenger rail transport in Great Britain,with the exception of Transport for London,Merseytravel,light rail and tram services.
11,716
2,596
