London train, tube, tram and overground

Advice overview

London is serviced by overground and underground trains, as well as trams in South London.

Overground trains consist of 6 routes covering the following areas:

• Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford
• Watford Junction to Euston
• Gospel Oak to Barking
• Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace, and West Croydon
• Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) and Chingford
• Romford to Upminster

You can check access information at individual stations on the National Rail website. Just type the name of your station (or 3 letter code if you know it). 

London Underground, or the tube, is a network of underground trains covering Central London, and parts of Greater London, Buckinghamshire, Essex, and Hertfordshire. It has 11 separate lines covering 262 stations. Whilst some stations have level boarding access from platform to trains, only a third of underground stations are step free.

A tram network in South London covers the boroughs of Merton, Croydon, and Bromley. There are 39 tram stops, all of which are step free.

Key tips

When planning a journey by rail, you may wish to consider booking passenger assistance in advance, if you: 

• require help getting on and off trains. 
• use a wheelchair – on most overground trains you will need a boarding ramp and to reserve a wheelchair space. 
• use a mobility scooter – some train companies have restrictions and many require permits to travel. 
• have a visual impairment and need guidance at the station or help getting on and off the train. 
• have difficulty walking long distances – some stations have wheelchairs or electric buggies which you can borrow. 

By booking your journey in advance, National Rail and the train company can make it as easy as possible for you to travel. They can provide arrangements if the station is not step-free or usually not staffed at the time. 

Operators 

London Overground 

Arriva Rail London is the operator responsible for running the London Overground network under a Concession Agreement with Transport for London. For customer queries, contact Transport for London on 0343 222 1234.

Network Rail manage an extensive number of routes which arrive in London from surrounding counties.

Additionally, rail operators provide passenger services into and from London including:

Greater Anglia operate from Norfolk, Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire into London.

Great Northern Rail provides services to London King’s Cross, Moorgate and Finsbury Park, from destinations including Cambridge, Peterborough and Hertford.

Thameslink provides services from Gatwick and Luton Airports to major London stations, including London Bridge, Blackfriars, and St Pancras.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GWR) operates trains from the South Coast to London Bridge and London Kings Cross/St Pancras.

Great Western Railway operates services to London Paddington from destinations including Bristol, Bath, Oxford, Exeter and Cardiff. 

Southern Railway is owned by Govia Thameslink and run trains from the South Coast to London via multiple Surrey areas. Southern trains go to Clapham Junction, London Bridge, Waterloo, and London Victoria.

Southwestern Railway is the largest operator in Surrey, providing routes to London. 

London Underground and Trams

Transport for London (TfL) operate the tube and tram networks.

Help with cost

Freedom Pass

London Overground and Underground, and the Tram network, accept both the Older Persons Freedom Pass (for people of state pension age) and Disabled Persons Freedom Pass on the Network. 

If you are a resident of a London Borough, you can apply for a Freedom Pass. View the eligibility criteria and find out how to apply on the London Councils website.

London Oyster Photocard

London residents over the age of 60 can apply for a 60+ London Oyster Photocard which entitles you to free travel on London Overground, tube, bus and tram services. Some costs do apply. For details, including how to apply and the eligibility criteria, visit the Transport for London (TfL) website below.

Free travel on National Rail services in London, with an Older Persons Freedom Pass or 60+ London Oyster Photocard, is after 9.30am, weekdays (9.00am on TfL services) and anytime on weekends and bank holidays.The Disabled Persons Freedom Pass can be used at any time.

Bus and Tram Photo Card

If claiming certain benefits and aged between 18–60, you may be able to get discounted travel via the Bus & Tram Photo Discount Card.

• Remember, ticket machines on the London Underground accept cash, but paying by contactless cards or using an Oyster card is the preferred method. 
• Trams are cash free and accept contactless cards, Oyster cards or the above concessionary passes. Travel is free for 5–10-year-olds.

Special assistance

Passenger assistance

If you are planning to travel on the London Overground services, you can request an assistance booking in advance – now up to 2 hours before your journey is due to start, any time of the day.  

Passenger Assist is a national system used by all train companies, which allows them to make the necessary arrangements for your journey. 

Passenger Assist includes: 

• offering a helping hand to navigate the station 
• support when boarding the train  
• meeting you from your train and taking you to your next train or the exit 
• arranging a ramp on or off your train 
• assistance relating to a non-visible impairment 
• carrying your bag(s) – up to three items of luggage as per the National Rail Conditions of Travel 

How it works 

If you have a disability, non-visible disability, or are elderly, you can pre-book journey assistance to make sure you get all the help you need for your journey, including changes, and connections that involve other train companies. 

You can request assistance either via the train company you are travelling with or through National Rail and Transport for London (TfL). 

Book Passenger Assistance via National Rail 

Plan Assistance

Contact: 0800 022 3720 or text 60083 

Lines are open 24 hours a day. 

Book Passenger Assistance via Transport for London (TfL)

Help from staff

Contact: 0343 222 2000 

You can also book via a new app which allows you to request assistance using a smartphone. You receive a confirmation email once your request has been checked and confirmed. Passenger Assistance by Transreport page. 

You can “turn up and go” without booking assistance in advance on the London Overground, London Underground and Elizabeth line. If you require assistance at short notice, make yourself known to a member of staff or use a Help Point when you arrive at the station. 

Transport Support Card

Transport for London (TFL) offer a free Transport Support Card for people who may have communication difficulties or who want to communicate any support needs with staff. 

TFL Travel Mentor

This free service for London residents helps people with a mobility requirement or disability become more confident using public transport to enable independent travel. This might include journey planning or showing someone how to access a bus ramp with an appropriate mobility scooter, for instance. 

Contact: 0203 0544361 or travelmentor@tfl.gov.uk

Travelling with mobility equipment 

Wheelchairs can be taken on London Overground and Underground if no wider than 700mm, 1200mm long or under a combined weight of 300kg (user & wheelchair). 

As there are a limited number of spaces available to wheelchair users on overground trains, you are advised to book your space before you travel. 

It’s important to check whether you need a permit to travel with a mobility scooter. Some operators require that you apply for a permit in advance, and they will assess whether your scooter meets their travel requirements. 

If you are making a connection to an onward service with another operator, remember to check if you will need a permit for the connecting train. 

• Transport for London provides advice on wheelchair access and how to avoid stairs, plus accessibility maps and guides online: Transport and Accessibility | Transport for London (TfL)
• The TfL guide to stations provides information regarding lifts, and quieter times to travel, for instance: Station Guide | Transport for London (TfL)  

London trams

Trams are step free, with no need for ramps. Each tram has two designated wheelchair spaces, with an intercom to speak to the driver in an emergency. Most tram stops are unmanned but have help points where you can speak to a customer service assistant.

There are audio announcements on the trains for each stop and request stop buttons.

Assistance dogs are allowed on trams. It is worth noting that trams are smaller than trains and they may get busy at peak times.

Routes and timetable links

You can check train times, ticket prices and routes on a number of different websites.

National Rail 

For train times and tickets. 

Transport for London (TfL)

Journey plan on the London Overground using the TfL Go app  and the TFL journey planner. 

Trainline  

In addition to finding train timetables and buying your ticket, the Trainline website will give you information on live train times, including real-time journey and platform information with live train tracking. You can also check which trains are faster, and which stations they are stopping at. 

Traveline  

You can plan local or long-distance journeys by bus, coach or train and check timetables with Traveline.

Traveline is a public transport information and journey planning service and is a partnership of transport companies, local authorities and passenger groups which have come together to bring you routes and times for all travel in Great Britain by bus, rail, coach and ferry and to provide it in as many different ways as possible. 

Contact Traveline: 0871 200 22 33