Let the train take the strain - Mainline Railways

Travelling by Mainline Railways.

Let's suppose you want to visit Bath, Windsor or Hampton Court. Or perhaps you'd like to see York, or Durham? Edinburgh or Liverpool? Why confine yourself to London or rent a car, when Britain's trains are there to take the strain?

They may not be the most modern in Europe, with the exception of the magnificent, fast and comfortable Eurostar from London to Paris, Brussels, Lille and the continental rail network - but standards are improving all the time. All of the suburban trains have been replaced with new rolling stock, and travelling in the South East is now a reliable, clean and comfortable experience. Plus you can use your Oyster or travelcard right out to Zone 6.

Further afield, you will have to take a mainline train - but as I show on this 'walk' it's not hard. Today we take the high speed train to Reading, where we can see this redbrick town 38 miles West of London with its association with Oscar Wilde. On the way, we pass the connection from Slough to Windsor, and the destination of our service is Bath Spa and Bristol.

The journey starts at Paddington Station with its magnificent roof built by the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 - 1859) The bicententenary of his birth occurred in April 2006. His Great Western Railway is a wonder of engineering, and Paddington is a good place to start. We gasp at the sheer scale of the station as we emerge from the Dictrict & Circle Line, or Bakerloo (all Zone 1)

I then take you through how to buy a ticket - you can wait in a queue with me and hear as I make my purchase from the clerk. Then we find our train, and travel to Reading. After a short pause we return to London again.

The same process applies to all mainline railway journeys:

Check your train times and fares with the Network Rail Journey Planner Then travel to the appropriate mainline station and buy your ticket from an automatic machine or the Ticket Office. There are different tickets for some train companies like the Gatwick and Heathrow Expresses, and a variety of fares, so check with the Journet Planner for the cheapest fare. See my Getting to and from London's Airports podcast for the airport trains.

Air fares in Europe and especially the UK are often more affordable for longer journeys, so if you plan to visit Glasgow or Edinburh, check with the budget airlines before deciding to take the train. Most of all, enjoy the rich heritage and variety of the United Kingdom during your visit!