By Rail

The region is served by an excellent rail network. Regular fast and frequent trains run to all major cities and towns. London stations which serve the area are Euston, Fenchurch Street, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, Marylebone and St. Pancras. Bedford, Luton and St. Albans are on the Thameslink line which runs to St. Pancras and King's Cross - and on to Gatwick Airport. Trains also run from the region’s airports, offering direct links to London - Luton (St. Pancras and King's Cross) and Stansted (Liverpool Street).

For further information on timetables - please contact National Train Enquiries on +44 (0)8457 484950, or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk

Eurostar operates high speed trains from Paris and Lille (France); and Brussels (Belgium) straight to Waterloo Station (London). From here take the underground (Waterloo and City Line/Central Line) to Liverpool Street Station (London) for direct trains into the region. +44 (0)8705 186186. www.eurostar.com

The Britrail Pass offers discounted rail travel for overseas visitors. This must be purchased before you leave home, as they are not sold in Britain. Details from www.britrail.com

For information on taking your bicycle on the train in the East of England, please visit our Cycling section.

Train operators serving the region

'one' (Bishop's Stortford, Bury St. Edmunds, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Colchester, Diss, Ely, Felixstowe, Great Yarmouth, Harwich, Hertford, Ipswich, King's Lynn, Lowestoft, Newmarket, Norwich, Peterborough, Sheringham, Southend, Stowmarket and Thetford) www.onerailway.com

Central Trains (Cambridge, Ely, Norwich, Peterborough and Stansted Airport) www.centraltrains.co.uk

Chiltern Railways (Rickmansworth) www.chilternrailways.co.uk

C2C (Shoeburyness, Southend, Basildon, Upminster, Stanford-le-Hope, Tilbury, Grays, Chafford Hundren).  www.c2c-online.co.uk

Great North Eastern Railways (Peterborough and Stevenage) www.gner.co.uk
Midland Mainline (Bedford, Luton and Luton Airport) www.midlandmainline.com
Silverlink Trains (Bedford, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Leighton Buzzard, St. Albans, Tring and Watford) www.silverlink-trains.com

Stansted Express www.stanstedexpress.co.uk

Thameslink (Bedford, Luton, Luton Airport and St. Albans) www.thameslink.co.uk

Wagn (Baldock, Cambridge, Ely, Hatfield, Hertford, Hitchin, Huntingdon, King's Lynn, Letchworth Garden City, Luton Airport, Peterborough, Royston, St. Neots, Stevenage and Welywn Garden City) www.wagn.co.uk

Community Rail Partnerships

The Abbey Flyer (rail route from Watford to St. Albans, Hertfordshire) www.abbeyline.org.uk
The Bittern Line (rail route from Norwich to Sheringham, Norfolk) www.bitternline.com
The Clacton and Walton Line (rail route from Colchester to Clacton/Walton, Essex) www.esscrp.org.uk
The Crouch Valley Line (rail route from Wickford to Southminster, Essex) www.esscrp.org.uk
The Gainsborough Line (rail route from Marks Tey, Essex to Sudbury, Suffolk) www.esscrp.org.uk
The Mayflower Line (rail route from Manningtree to Harwich Town, Essex) www.esscrp.org.uk
The Wherry Lines (rail route from Norwich, Norfolk to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and Lowestoft, Suffolk) www.wherrylines.org.uk