Inter-city rail in the United Kingdom

Most of these trains are high speed, and some operate into France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

In 1830, the first intercity railway in the world was built between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in northwest England for the purpose of transporting both passengers and goods.

Intercity was broken into varying franchises during the privatisation of British Rail.

There are also numerous companies which operate a mixture of inter-city, regional express and local services.

The UK's longest direct rail service is operated by CrossCountry from Aberdeen to Penzance, and takes 13 hours 23 minutes to complete.

The InterCity 125 is the world's fastest diesel train
Eurostar services are one of only two international rail services serving the United Kingdom, the other being between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . They are also the only services in Great Britain operating at speeds of more than 250 km/h (155 mph).
Increase in passenger rail by sector 1994–2015, [ 1 ] as well as a comparison with the London Underground . [ 2 ] [ 3 ]