Railway line names

A (one day) comprehensive listing

Last update 15 October 2025

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This page attempts to draw together the multitude of line names used for marketing purposes by the train operating companies. Most (though not all) named lines will tend to be rural and/or relatively lightly used routes, or used for local journeys rather than as part of a much longer journey. Obvious names defined by places at each end (e.g. Settle & Carlisle Line) or by the terminus (e.g. Severn Beach Line) do not need a 'translation', and are generally not included here unless there is an illustration. Traditional line names are beyond the scope of this page, unless they are used for marketing purposes, though may be added in future. Many cases are subjective (particularly examples such as 'Northampton Line'), so certain favourites may not appear here, or some lines may be included that perhaps ought not.

Line name Route Photo
Abbey Line Watford - St Albans Abbey Abbey line logo sign
Aberdare Line Cardiff Central - Aberdare
Airedale Line Leeds - Skipton
Argyle Line Milngavie/Dalmuir - Larkhall/Motherwell/Lanark
Arun Valley Line Three Bridges - Horsham - Arundel
Atlantic Coast Line Newquay - Par
Avocet Line Exeter - Exmouth Avocet line logo sign Avocet line logo sign
Berks & Hants Line Reading - Westbury
BedPan Line Bedford - London St Pancras not 100% sure that this was used on marketing material
Bentham Line Leeds - Morecambe via Lancaster Bentham line logo sign Bentham line logo sign
Bishop Line Darlington - Bishop Auckland Bishop line logo sign
Bittern Line Norwich - Sheringham Bittern line logo sign Bittern line logo sign Bittern line logo sign
Borderlands Line Wrexham - Bidston Borderlands line logo sign Borderlands line logo sign
Broads Line Norwich - Sheringham
Calder Vale Line Leeds - Halifax - Huddersfield/Todmorden
Cambrian Line Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth Cambrian line logo sign does not include text
Cambrian Coast Line Machynlleth - Pwllheli Cambrian Coast line logo sign does not include text
Cardiff Bay Line Cardiff Bay - Pontypridd
Castle Line Nottingham - Lincoln
Catford Loop London Victoria - Bromley via Catford
Cathedrals Route London Liverpool Street - Cambridge - Ely - Lincoln - Doncaster (- York) Great Eastern Railway marketing
Central Wales Line Llanelli - Craven Arms
Chase Line Wolverhampton - Rugeley
Chiltern Line Marylebone - Aylesbury/Banbury
CityFlyer Bedford - Brighton
City Line Liverpool - Wigan
City Line Cardiff - Fairwater - Radyr
CityMetro Luton - Sutton - Wimbledon loop
Coastway Hastings - Brighton - Portsmouth
Coastway East Hastings - Brighton
Coastway West Brighton - Portsmouth
Conwy Valley Line Llandudno Junction - Blaenau Ffestiniog
Coryton Line Penarth - Coryton/Caerphilly
Cotswold Line Oxford - Worcester
Cotswolds & Malverns Line Oxford - Worcester - Hereford Cotswold and Malverns line logo sign
Cross City Line Lichfield - Redditch
Crosstown Link Line Camden Road - North Woolwich used 1979 to 1985
Crouch Valley Line Wickford - Southminster
Cumbrian Coast Line Barrow-in-Furness - Carlisle Cumbrian Coast line logo sign Cumbrian Coast line logo sign
Daffodil Line Ledbury and Gloucester Railway not 100% sure that this was used on marketing material
Darent Valley Line Swanley - Sevenoaks Darent Valley line logo sign
Dartmoor Line Exeter - Okehampton Dartmoor line logo sign
Dearne Valley Line York - Sheffield
Derwent Valley Line Derby - Matlock Derwent Valley line logo sign
Durham Coast Line Middlesbrough - Sunderland
East Coast Main Line London Kings Cross - Edinburgh
East Devon Line Exeter - Axminster
East Lancashire Line Colne - Preston
East Suffolk Line Ipswich - Lowestoft East Suffolk line logo sign East Suffolk line logo sign East Suffolk line logo sign
Elephant & Bear Line Leamington Spa - Coventry - Nuneaton Elephant & Bear line logo sign
Erewash Valley Nottingham - Sheffield
Esk Valley Railway Middlesbrough - Whitby Esk Valley line logo sign
Far North Line Inverness - Wick including Thurso branch
Fen Line Cambridge - Kings Lynn
Fife Circle Edinburgh - Dunfermline - Kirkcaldy - Edinburgh loop
Flitch Line Witham - Braintree
Furness Line Barrow-in-Furness - Carnforth Furness line logo sign
Fylde Line Blackpool South branch
Gainsborough Line Marks Tey - Sudbury Gainsborough line logo sign
Golden Valley Line Gloucester - Swindon
Great Eastern London Liverpool Street - Ipswich and Branches
Great Northern King's Cross/Moorgate - Peterborough/Cambridge
Hadrian's Wall Country Line Carlisle - Newcastle Hadrian's Wall Country line logo sign
Hallam Line Sheffield - Leeds
Harlequin Line London Euston - Watford DC lines
Heart of Wales Line Llanelli - Craven Arms Heart of Wales line logo sign
Heart of Wessex Line Bristol - Weymouth Heart of Wessex line logo sign
Hereward Line Peterborough - Ely Hereward line logo sign
Heritage Line Darlington - Bishop Aukland - (Stanhope)
Heron Line London Liverpool Street - Kings Lynn
Highlane Line/Rathad Iarainn Na Gaidhealtachd Glasgow Queen Street - Crianlarich Highland line logo sign
Hope Valley Line Sheffield - Manchester
Humber Linc Line Cleethorpes - Barton
Icknield Line Chinnor - Princes Risborough
Inverclyde Line Glasgow - Gourock/Wemyss Bay
Island Line Ryde Pier Head - Shanklin Island line logo sign
Ivanhoe Line Leicester - Loughborough Ivanhoe line logo sign
Kennet Valley Line Reading - Bedwyn/Newbury
Kent Coast London Victoria/London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street to and around Kent coast
Kent Link London Victoria/London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street suburban services to Kent
Lakes Line Oxenholme - Windermere Lakes line logo sign
Lee Valley Line Hackney Downs - Tottenham Hale - Cheshunt Lee Valley line logo sign
Liberty Line Romford - Upminster
Lioness Line Watford Junction - London Euston
London Crosslink Basingstoke - Ipswich operated 2000-2002
London Tilbury & Southend Line Fenchurch Street - Southend
Looe Valley Line Liskeard - Looe Looe line logo sign
Lovejoy Line Marks Tey - Sudbury
Marches Line Newport - Shrewsbury
Maritime Line Truro - Falmouth Maritime line logo sign
Marshlink Line Hastings - Ashford
Marston Vale Line Bedford - Bletchley Marston Vale line logo sign
Mayflower Line Manningtree - Harwich
Medway Valley Line Paddock Wood - Strood
Merthyr Line Cardiff Central - Merthyr Tydfil
Mid-Cheshire Line Chester - Manchester via Northwich
Midland Electrics Bedford - London St Pancras
Midland Main Line London St Pancras - Sheffield
Mildmay Line Richmond/Clapham Junction - Stratford
New River Line Hertford East - Broxbourne New River line logo sign
Northampton Line London Euston - Northampton; Bletchley - Bedford
North & West Line Cardiff - Manchester
North Clyde Electrics Drumgelloch/Coatbridge - Helensburgh/Balloch
North Downs Reading to Gatwick/Tonbridge via Redhill North Downs line logo sign
Northern Heights Finsbury Park - Edgware/High Barnet/Alexandra Palace Great Northern Railway marketing
Northern Line Hunts Cross - Kirkby/Ormskirk/Southport
Northern Suburban Line Glasgow - Maryhill - Anniesland
North London Line Richmond - North Woolwich (later to Stratford only)
North London Lines London Euston - Watford; Watford - St. Albans; North Woolwich - Richmond; Barking - Gospel Oak
North Staffordshire Line Crewe - Derby via Stoke on Trent
Northumberland Line Newcastle - Ashington Northumberland line logo sign
Oxford Canal Line Oxford - Banbury Oxford Canal line logo sign
Poacher Line Nottingham - Grantham - Skegness Poacher line logo sign
Primrose Line Totnes - Buckfastleigh
Regatta Line Twyford - Henley-On-Thames Regatta line logo sign
Ribble Valley Line Blackburn - Clitheroe (sometimes used from Manchester Victoria)
Riviera Line Exeter - Paignton Riviera line logo sign Riviera line logo sign Riviera line logo sign
Robin Hood Line Nottingham - Worksop Robin Hood line logo sign
Settle Carlisle Line Settle - Carlisle Settle-Carlisle line logo sign
Severn Beach Line Bristol - Severn Beach Severn Beach line logo sign Severn Beach line logo sign
Shakespeare Line Jewellery Quarter - Shirley - Stratford-upon-Avon
Solent & Wessex London Waterloo - Portsmouth/Weymouth
Solent Link Southampton/Eastleigh - Portsmouth
Southend Line Shenfield - Southend Victoria
South Fylde Line Preston - Blackpool South South Fylde Line logo sign
South London Lines London Victoria/London Bridge suburban services to Surrey/Sussex
South Western Lines London Waterloo Suburban services to Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey
Stour Line Rugby - Birmingham - Stafford
Stour Valley Line Marks Tey - Sudbury
Strawberry Line Shepton Mallet - Clevedon not 100% sure that this was used on marketing material when an operational railway
Suffragette Line Gospel Oak - Barking Riverside
Sunshine Coast Line Colchester - Walton/Clacton Sunshine line logo sign
Sussex Coast London Victoria/London Bridge to and around Sussex coast
Swanline Cardiff - Swansea (stopping services) Swanline line logo sign
Tamar Valley Line Gunnislake branch Tamar Valley line logo sign Tamar Valley line logo sign Tamar Valley line logo sign
Tarka Line Exeter - Barnstaple Tarka line logo sign Tarka line logo sign Tarka line logo sign
Tees Valley Line Bishop Aukland - Saltburn
Thames Line London Paddington - Reading and branches
Thameslink Sevenoaks/Brighton/Guildford via Elephant & Castle/London Bridge and Blackfriars - Bedford, including Moorgate - Farringdon this is as the service started, and is significantly different from the Thameslink map as it is now
Treherbert Line Cardiff Central - Treherbert
Trent Valley line Rugby - Stafford (direct)
Tyne Valley Line Newcastle - Carlisle
Vale of Glamorgan Line Cardiff - Rhoose - Bridgend
Vale of Glamorgan Line/Rhymney Line Bridgend/Barry Island - Cardiff Central/Rhymney note that the 2024 Transport for Wales route diagram does not distinguish between these two lines, showing one line and colour thought but labelled separately at each end
Varsity Line Oxford - Cambridge
WatEus Line Suggested name for Watford - London Euston suburban route, named in similar manner to BedPan line. Believed (but not certain) never seriously considered or used, Harlequin Line used instead
Waveney Valley Line Halesworth - Norwich - Stowmarket? Waveney Valley line logo sign
Weaver Line London Liverpool Street - Enfield Town/Cheshunt/Chingford
West Anglia London Liverpool Street - Kings Lynn and branches
West Coast Main Line London Euston - Glasgow
West Highland Line Craigendoran - Fort William - Mallaig West Highland line logo sign
West Highland Line Craigendoran - Fort William
West Of England London Waterloo - Exeter via Salisbury
Wharfedale Line Ilkley branch
Wherry Line Norwich - Great Yarmouth/Lowestoft Wherry line logo sign Wherry line logo sign
Windrush Line Highbury & Islington - New Cross/Clapham Junction/Crystal Palace/West Croydon
Wirral Line Liverpool - New Brighton/West Kirby/Ellesmere Port/Chester Wirral line logo sign
Yorkshire Coast Line Hull - Scarborough