Home : Train Tickets :  Rail Companies : Train Timetables : Useful Information : Travel & Holidays : Contacts  

Book Cross Country Train Tickets online using the Rail Easy™ train ticket price check and Rail Saver online reservation system to find the cheapest available Cross Country Train ticket price on your selected route at your preferred travel times on the National Rail network.

		Cross Country Trains network is the most extensive rail franchise in the UK. Stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance, and from Stansted to Cardiff, it covers around 1,500 route miles and calls at over 100 stations. CrossCountry is a new train operating company rail franchise formed through the amalgamation of the Virgin CrossCountry (VXC) franchise, that operated inter-city services which did not terminate in London, with elements of Central Trains that do terminate in London. Cross Country trains operate the routes previously operated by Virgin Trains Cross Country, and Central Trains services between Cardiff and Nottingham,and between Birmingham & Stansted Airport. CrossCountry offer a full and extensive range of cheaper fares, particularly for less busy trains, and make it easier to obtain cheap fares closer to the point of travel. Using the RailEasy™ train ticket price checker and Rail Saver reservation service to complete an online Cross Country Trains train ticket reservation is quick and easy. Rail Saver will find you the cheapest available Cross Country Trains train ticket price and book your Cross Country train tickets in a few quick easy steps using the Rail Easy™ price check and Rail Saver booking engine.

More About Cross Country Trains

Cross Country Trains is a new train operating company who have operated the Cross Country rail franchise from November 2007. CrossCountry is part of Arriva plc, a leading European transport operator with train operations in the UK, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.

The CrossCountry network is the most extensive rail franchise in the UK. Stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance, and from Stansted to Cardiff, it covers around 1,500 route miles and calls at over 100 stations.

Cross Country Train Routes

Cross Country trains operate the routes previously operated by Virgin Trains Cross Country, and Central Trains services between Cardiff and Nottingham,and between Birmingham & Stansted Airport.

Cross Country Train operate an hourly service will run on each of the following basic routes:

There are also extensions to the normal service pattern that include the following routes:

• to Penzance from Plymouth
• to Glasgow Central from Edinburgh Waverley
• to Aberdeen from Edinburgh Waverley
• to Cardiff Central from Bristol Temple Meads
• to Paignton from Bristol Temple Meads
• to Guildford from Reading
• to Bournemouth from Reading
• Summer Saturdays will see trains go to Newquay from various parts of the network.

There are also some Cross Country train services that go from one route to another (eg. from Nottingham to Bournemouth), in order to provide more direct journeys.

The majority of the Cross Country Trains rail network have one train per hour. Notable exceptions that have more frequent services include:

• Cheltenham to Birmingham - 3 trains per hour
• Birmingham to Derby - 4 trains per hour
• Derby to Sheffield - 2 trains per hour
• Bristol to Birmingham - 2 trains per hour
  

CrossCountry offer a full and extensive range of cheaper fares, particularly for less busy trains, and make it easier to obtain cheap fares closer to the point of travel. Cheap discounted fares are currently provided for many UK rail journeys involving multiple operators, and CrossCountry will seek to reach agreement on these with other TOCs towards shared aims of filling up empty seats and maximising passenger revenue.

Cross Country Trains Schedule / Timetable Changes

From 9 December 2007, there will be initial changes to CrossCountry services (part of the Department for Transport (DfT) reshaping of franchises), with Birmingham – Scotland (via Preston) services transferring to Virgin West Coast and Manchester – Scotland (via Preston) services transferring to First TransPennine Express. Details of journey times from 9 December 2007 onwards are available on ww.nationalrail.co.uk.

December 2008 heralds the main timetable changes with the introduction of new train timings. Plans for this timetable (referred to as the 2009 timetable) will create a more simplified service, making better use of limited capacity at Birmingham New Street and providing consistent journey patterns across the day.

Highlights of the 2008/9 Cross Country Trains timetable include:

• a consistent pattern of services.
• regular half-hourly services on key sections of the network including Birmingham to Bristol, Reading, Manchester, Sheffield and Leicester.
• hourly direct services between Bristol and Manchester.
• hourly through services for all destinations between Plymouth and Edinburgh (via Leeds), Reading and Newcastle (via Doncaster), Bournemouth and Manchester, Cardiff and Nottingham, Birmingham and Stansted Airport.
• faster journey times on certain trains to the North East of England.
• more late evening trains to and from Stansted Airport.
• High Speed Trains on Edinburgh-Plymouth services and longer Voyagers on key routes providing much needed additional capacity.

Recognising that almost half of all journeys on the CrossCountry network require a change of train, Cross Country are also looking to make interchange easier for our passengers through a combination of the best in modern technology, better equipped and more visible staff and a £1 million investment in additional ticket machines and information screens at key stations. Cross Country will also actively promote the use of alternative changing points to Birmingham New Street.

More About Cross Country Trains

The CrossCountry network is the most extensive rail franchise in the UK. Stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance, and from Stansted to Cardiff, it covers around 1,500 route miles and calls at over 100 stations.

Arriva run the franchise under the new CrossCountry brand and livery. The centre of operations is in Birmingham - the heart of the network and the largest city served by Cross Country trains.

Arriva’s successful bid for the franchise featured the following benefits for travellers which will be introduced over the course of the franchise:

Providing more seats and better trains is one of Cross Country's key priorities having committed to:

• Providing 35 per cent more seats on evening peak services on key routes by June 2009
• Providing around 20,000 extra seats through Birmingham every weekday
• Introducing five High Speed Trains each with eight state-of-the-art refurbished coaches, providing longer trains with more luggage space on the North East-South West route
• Introducing longer Voyager trains on other key services
• Reconfiguring the Voyager and Class 170 fleets internally to give more seats and more luggage space
• Additional services to enable daily through journeys between Edinburgh and Reading, Bournemouth and Newcastle, and Penzance and Manchester
• Additional late evening services to and from Stansted Airport.
• High quality service on board

Cross Country Trains are focusing on improving their passengers' journey experience with:

• The introduction of at-seat catering, because that's what people have told us they want
• Providing Wi-Fi access for all seats on all HSTs and Voyagers, and improved mobile phone reception on Voyagers
• Providing First Class accommodation on all trains, including ex-Central Trains services
• Making hot food available to First Class passengers
• Three members of staff providing on board service on long distance trains
• Making staff more accessible and visible to passengers.
• A ticketing and information revolution

Cross Country Trains also embrace the very latest technological advances to introduce a new internet retailing service, providing:

• An easy to use service, guiding passengers towards the cheapest fares and the best interchange options.
• A 'print at home' facility and mobile phone ticketing.
• Personalised journey information, with text updates.
• Wider and better information on stations and connecting transport services.
• Flexible reservations systems to cope with late changes to journey plans.
• £1 million investment in more ticket machines and information screens at key stations.
• An information campaign on alternative locations (to Birmingham New Street) for interchanging between trains.
• Additional staffing to provide help and assistance during December 2008 timetable change.
• A greener railway

Cross Country provide options for people to make more environmentally friendly journeys by train, and:

• Train staff in environmentally-friendly ways of working.
• Reduce on-board waste and increase recycling.
• Co-operate with the industry and introduce Arriva initiatives to develop alternative fuels.
• Encourage people to take more journeys by rail by providing more trains with more seats.

Safety First - Ensuring people to feel safe when they’re travelling with Cross Country rail by:

• Introducing the 'Secure Trains Scheme' giving passengers confidence about their on-board security.
• Working with industry partners to extend Secure Station Accreditation across key CrossCountry points.
• Employing additional security staff.
• Investing £1.4 million annually in staff training and development.
• Conducting regular employee surveys.
• Holding regular stakeholder events across the whole franchise area.

Trains that operate on existing routes will continue to do so throughout the franchise, however all will be refurbished or refreshed. In addition to existing rolling stock, Cross Country Trains will introduce five High Speed Trains to supplement Voyagers on the busiest services on the Plymouth to Edinburgh route. This will allow the release of Voyagers to strengthen other services across the network.

Rail Saver finds the most cost effective Cross Country Train fares for your rail journey quickly and easilly. Enjoy more rail travel for less when you use Rail Saver to book your Cross Country Train tickets online.