Trains in the UK | PolishTrains

At a glance

• TransPennine Express operates over 500 routes across northern England and Scotland, stopping at nearly 70 stations
• The Manchester Piccadilly to Edinburgh service takes around 3 hours 16 minutes through the scenic Pennine Mountains
• UK train tickets come in three types: Advance, Off-Peak and Anytime, with early booking offering the best prices
• Since Brexit, EU citizens need a valid passport and may require an ETA to enter the United Kingdom
• The East Coast Main Line and Cornish Main Line are among the UK's most scenic rail routes
• PolishTrains allows ticket purchases in Polish zloty without registration, with delivery by e-mail and SMS

If you've ever searched for trains around the UK you've surely come across information about TransPennine Express. It's one of the more popular operators with services on over 500 routes. It mainly operates in the north of England between the east and west coasts, but also has courses to major cities in Scotland. What's more, trains in England operated by TransPennine Express stop at almost 70 stations in total.

Their name comes from the Pennine Mountains, which are located along the route of the journey, this makes you additionally enjoy beautiful views during the journey!

📍ManchesterPiccadilly - EdinburghJourney time: from approx. 3 hrs 16 mins Intermediate stations: Manchester Oxford Road, Bolton, Preston (Lancs), Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Haymarket

📍LiverpoolLime Street - LeedsJourney time: from approx. 1 hour 24 min Intermediate stations: Newton Le Willows, Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield

📍ManchesterPiccadilly - YorkJourney time: from approx. 1 hour 30 min Intermediate stations: Stalybridge, Mossley, Greenfield, Marsden (Yorkshire), Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, Leeds

📍LiverpoolLime Street - NewcastleJourney time: from approx. 2 hrs 58 min Intermediate stations: Newton Le Willows, Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Durham, Chester-le-Street

📍ManchesterPiccadilly - Glasgow CentralJourney time: from approx. 3 hrs 18 mins Intermediate stations: Manchester Oxford Road, Bolton, Preston (Lancs), Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell

Whether you take a train journey with this carrier or opt for another, it is worth finding out which train lines are the most scenic. Do you want to enjoy the beautiful views outside your window for a few hours of travel, while also getting to interesting regions of the country? Check out one of the suggestions below:

🚆EastCoast Main Line - a route that connects London to ‍Edinburgh. It passes through cities such as Peterborough, York, Newcastle and Durham and along the scenic Northumberland coastline (on this section you will see the North Sea, cliffs and wildlife from the train window).

🚆WestCoast Main Line -‍ which is the route from London to Glasgow that runs on the west side, parallel to the East Coast Main Line (via Carlisle, Lancaster, Preston, Liverpool, Stafford or Northampton). The line is 641.6 kilometres long, and during your journey you can admire, among other things, the beautiful green hills in the West Midlands from the train.

🚆GreatWestern Main Line - this rail route crosses the country from east to west. It starts at London Paddington station and ends at Bristol. Trains pass through Reading, Swindon and Bath.

🚆South Western Main Line - a line stretching from London all the way to the south coast of England. Boarding a train on this route takes you to Southampton and popular seaside towns including Bournemouth and Weymouth.

🚆TransPennineRoute - which is the route between the west and east of England, running through the Pennine Mountains (sample routes are described in the first part of this article).

🚆CornishMain Line - this is the main railway line leading into picturesque Cornwall. It starts at Plymouth, through Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, St Austell, Truro, with the last stop being Penzance at the west end of England.

Many people wonder whether well-known carriers such as RegioJet operate in the UK. Unfortunately, for the moment, RegioJet does not operate courses in this country. However, the offer may change in the future.

By the way, it is worth mentioning that RegioJet offers a coach service between Prague and London, which is a great convenience for those planning a trip. The journey to London takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays and lasts approximately 18 hours and 30 minutes. The itinerary is: Prague - Pilsen - Luxembourg - Brussels - London. If you want to take this bus from Prague, first check out train connections from Poland to the Czech capital on the PolishTrains website. PKP Intercity offers courses to Prague from Warsaw, Wrocław, Katowice and Gdańsk, among others.

Avanti West Coast

Avanti West Coast mainly runs routes on the West Coast Main Line - travelling with this carrier takes you from London to some of the most interesting cities in England and Scotland.

The most popular routes:

London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly: journey time approx. 2 hrs 15 mins.

London Euston - Birmingham New Street: journey time approx. 1 hr 18 mins.

London Euston - Glasgow Central: journey time approx. 4 hrs 36 mins.

CrossCountry

CrossCountry is a carrier with one of the widest offerings in the UK market. It crosses several mainline railways and has routes through many regions of the country from Cornwall to Scotland (stopping in over 90 towns).

Most popular routes:

Penzance - Bristol Temple Meads: journey time approx. 3 hrs 47 mins.

Manchester Piccadilly - Bristol Temple Meads: journey time approx. 3 hrs 10 mins.

Edinburgh - Dundee: journey time approx. 1 hour 18 minutes

Derby - Birmingham New Street: journey time approx. 35 mins.

Stansted Airport - Cambridge: journey time approx. 26 mins.

Great Western Railway (GWR)

The GWR runs mainly on the Great Western Main Line and lines in the south west of England. Every day GWR trains stop in around 122 towns, from London via Oxford, Bristol, Cardiff or Plymouth.

The most popular routes:

Plymouth - Bristol Temple Meads: journey time approx. 1hr 57min.

London Paddington - Cardiff: journey time approx. 1 hr 51 min.

London Paddington - Bath Spa: journey time approx. 1 hr 18 mins.

London Paddington - Oxford: journey time approx. 57 mins.

Buying rail tickets in the UK is easier than you think! Especially as you can do it without leaving home. Don't have time to search through the many sites that appear on the keyword "trains UK"? Use a tried and tested journey booking service.

The PolishTrains website allows you to buy tickets for many international connections, and the list of available carriers is constantly growing. If you are interested in a particular connection, e.g. from TransPennine Express, but do not see it on the website, please contact Customer Service on +44 (0)123 451 661 or email kontakt@polishtrains.eu. The Customer Service staff will certainly try to help you - take advantage of their expertise and find out what your options are!

Trains in the UK are an attraction not to be missed. Taking the popular routes is an unforgettable experience and an opportunity to get to know the country in more depth. We particularly recommend a journey on the TransPennine Express trainset through the Pennine Mountains. It's a fast means of transport from, for example, Liverpool to Newcastle or Manchester to Edinburgh. Best of all, during the journey you can admire the beautiful scenery of the English countryside and quaint villages and towns from the train window. Be sure to add a train journey to your itinerary!

How to get from Manchester to Edinburgh?

The best way is by train! Are you in Manchester but also planning to visit the Scottish capital? Be sure to check out the available train connections. You'll get to Edinburgh without changing trains with TransPennine Express. And the journey will take around 3 hours and 20 minutes. You can ask the PolishTrains helpline for details.

What facilities are on the TransPennine Express trains?

Trains from TransPennine Express are comfortable trainsets with toilets, air conditioning, power sockets (and USB inputs for power) and WiFi (internet speed may be limited on some routes, however). Refreshments, drinks and snacks are also available on many journeys.

Is it possible to travel by train from Poland to London?

There are currently no direct trains on this route. However, you can take the convenient train service to Prague and then take the RegioJet bus from Prague to London. Another option is to travel by Eurostar trains from France, Belgium or the Netherlands.