London Intercity Rail
London is the hub of British intercity rail. Five franchise operators, three open-access operators, one overnight sleeper and the international Eurostar all run long-distance trains from six London termini. This is the complete 2026 picture.
LNER (Azuma)
From King's Cross
East Coast Main Line at 125 mph — King's Cross to York, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness on Hitachi Azuma trains.
Avanti West Coast
From Euston
West Coast Main Line Pendolino + new Hitachi 805/807 — Euston to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, North Wales.
Great Western Railway
From Paddington
Brunel's main line — Paddington IET trains to Reading, Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Plymouth and Cornwall.
East Midlands Railway
From St Pancras
Midland Main Line intercity to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield (new Class 810 Aurora 2026).
Eurostar
From St Pancras International
320 km/h Velaro e320 through the Channel Tunnel to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Lille and Disneyland Paris.
Lumo
From King's Cross
Low-cost all-electric open access — King's Cross to Edinburgh in 4h 20m on Class 803 trains, advance fares from £19.90.
Grand Central
From King's Cross
Open-access Class 180 Adelante from King's Cross to Sunderland & Bradford Interchange via towns LNER skips.
Hull Trains
From King's Cross
FirstGroup open access — King's Cross to Hull Paragon in 2h 30m on Hitachi Class 802/3 Paragon bi-mode trains.
Caledonian Sleeper
From Euston
Overnight Euston to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen and Fort William in CAF Mk5 en-suite cabins.
Chiltern Railways
From Marylebone
Marylebone to Oxford, Bicester, Banbury and Birmingham Moor Street — long-distance services on a non-electrified line.
London Termini at a Glance
| Terminus | Main Line | Intercity Operators |
|---|---|---|
| King's Cross | East Coast | LNER, Lumo, Grand Central, Hull Trains |
| Euston | West Coast | Avanti West Coast, Caledonian Sleeper |
| Paddington | Great Western | GWR, Heathrow Express |
| St Pancras International | Midland / HS1 | East Midlands Railway, Eurostar |
| Marylebone | Chiltern Main Line | Chiltern Railways |
| Liverpool Street | Great Eastern | Greater Anglia (Norwich intercity), Stansted Express |
FAQs
Which intercity trains run from London?
London is the hub of every British intercity operator: LNER (East Coast Main Line from King's Cross), Avanti West Coast (West Coast Main Line from Euston), GWR (Great Western Main Line from Paddington), East Midlands Railway (Midland Main Line from St Pancras), plus Eurostar (international from St Pancras) and three open-access operators — Lumo, Grand Central and Hull Trains — also from King's Cross. Caledonian Sleeper provides overnight services from Euston to Scotland.
What's the fastest intercity train from London?
Eurostar Class 374 Velaro e320 runs at 320 km/h (200 mph) on HS1 from St Pancras — the fastest train serving London. Among UK domestic intercity, LNER Azuma, Avanti Pendolino, GWR IET and Lumo Class 803 all run at 125 mph (200 km/h) on the East and West Coast main lines.
What is the difference between a franchise and open-access operator?
Franchise (or DfT contract) operators like LNER, Avanti and GWR run a defined timetable for a fixed term under government contract. Open-access operators — Lumo, Grand Central and Hull Trains — run on commercial 'open access' rights granted by the Office of Rail and Road, take all revenue risk, and typically serve towns the franchises do not.
Which London station do I need for which intercity route?
King's Cross for the East Coast (LNER, Lumo, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Edinburgh, York, Leeds); Euston for the West Coast (Avanti, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham) and Caledonian Sleeper; Paddington for Great Western (Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Cornwall); St Pancras for East Midlands (Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield) and Eurostar (Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam); Marylebone for Chiltern Railways (Oxford, Birmingham Moor Street).
Can I use Oyster on intercity trains?
No. Oyster and contactless are valid only on TfL and National Rail services within the London fare zones. Intercity tickets must be booked separately — buy in advance for the lowest fares, or use a Railcard for 1/3 off most services.