If you stay in central London, you probably won’t need to use a local London train. But in some parts of outer London (Zones 3–9), especially in south and north-east London there’s no underground service. Buses are an alternative, but in general a local train is the quickest way of travelling to and from central London.
London’s rail network
There are three train services in London:
London Overground
The London Overground service operates around the central London area connecting east, north, west and south-west London. It used to be the orange and white colour-coded line. It has now been renamed and each separate line has a different name and colour:
View a map of the London Overground (pdf)
Elizabeth Line
London’s new train route operating west (from Reading & Heathrow airport) to east (to Shenfield or Abbey Wood) through central London. It’s the purple and white colour-coded line on the undergound map.
Local suburban trains
Various Train Operating Companies (or TOC’s) run trains to and from the suburbs of London and further out to the surrounding counties.
View a map of National Rail train services in London (pdf)
Local London train timetables
To find local London train times, search the National Rail website or download their app. They provide timetables for all companies operating in London.
If you don’t know which London train station your train departs from in London, just select ‘London (All Stations)’.
Paper timetables are also available from some stations but are becoming rarer.
If you want to plan a journey in London which includes trains, underground or buses, use TfL’s Journey Planner.
Last updated: 7 January 2025