Virgin rail service reaches more than 175 kilometres per hour.

Novelty shop near the National Museum in London.

POSTED: 26 DECEMBER 2010

Destination: Britain by rail

MIKE SMITH gets away from the congested motorways and discovers travel through Britain couldn’t be more pleasurable than by rail, especially if you book before leaving Australia.

The departure time on the electronic indicator board read 9.40am.

“Yes sir, the train is on time,” announced the station attendant as I made a last-minute dash for the platform.

No, it wasn’t Tokyo. Nor was I boarding one of Germany’s high-speed trains in Berlin, where the reputation for promptness is legendary.

The station was in London’s northern suburbs — Euston, to be precise, rail’s gateway to Britain’s north, far beyond Watford.

Waiting near the door of the nearest carriage stood three well-dressed stewards, their uniforms as sleek as the design of the Virgin train, with its impressive red, yellow and silver livery.

Having organised a four-day-in-two-months Britrail Flexipass through Rail Plus Australia, boarding was as efficient and swift as it was to arrange the train travel.

I simply stepped on board, placed the luggage on the rack, found a seat and showed the pass to the inspector. The rest was sheer bliss as the train made its way through the suburbs bound for Lancashire.

Rail travel in the UK is as British as lacing up a pair of football boots or ordering steak-and-kidney pie to accompany the pint of ale at the corner pub.

As a prerequisite to the rail journey north to Manchester and beyond to neighbouring Bolton — home of the Bolton Wanderers Premier League team — I was able to sample the London Underground over three days, throughout the day and during peak periods.

Between 7am and 9am, and again between 3pm and 6pm, the Underground is aptly described as consisting of sardine cans and can be quite a daunting prospect for visitors “from out of town”.

Pick a spot on the platform where the train doors are most likely to open and you have a good chance of boarding — but not until after at least 10 attempts, such is the congestion on the system. Don’t worry, though, as there is a train every one or two minutes.

Once squeezed in, there’s no fear of falling over, as sheer numbers of passengers will keep you upright.

Little wonder London has begun a bike-hire system at street level. There’s far less traffic to worry about since the English capital introduced a congestion tax for motorists, and getting around the fairly flat city by pedal power has become a favoured option for tourists who simply slot a credit card into a machine before grabbing one of the waiting pushbikes.

After three days exploring London and visiting such famous landmarks as St Pauls Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and a more recent addition, The London Eye, focus was on boarding the train for greener pastures — on the line to Manchester’s Piccadilly Station to visit family and friends.

Within a few minutes of leaving Euston Station, the giant frame of the new Wembley Stadium was spotted about the same time the friendly steward, Simon, took breakfast orders.

“Coffee or tea?” he asked before urging the passengers to choose from the complimentary first-class menu, which included juice, cereal, salmon and eggs, a vegetarian dish and a simple selection of bacon or sausages in a roll.

With free laptop and mobile phone connections available in the class, it didn’t take long for the business travellers to sift through their emails. For we leisure passengers, though, the ride was a smooth and relaxed experience as the train reached speeds in excess of 170 kilometres per hour. Reading the names on the stations proved too much of a blurred mission.

Despite grey skies and the bleakness of an early winter, the countryside had a touch of beauty, a far more tranquil setting than that of bustling London. Leafless trees lined ploughed fields, with horses, sheep and cattle grazing in neighbouring fields fronted by empty canals normally dotted with colourful houseboats in summer.

The graffiti covered brick walls of London soon gave way to small towns and quaint villages, and whitewashed farmhouses. Rows of country homes with thatched roofing were connected by twisting narrow lanes — barely a car in sight.

That was until a congested motorway came into view, confirming the wisdom of my decision to travel by rail rather than road.

It was appropriate that on arrival into Manchester a rainbow would appear. Not only did the train arrive on time, but the sun broke through the clouds to bring certain warmth to the north, albeit only12ºC.

With a further three days to cover on the Britrail Flexipass, I couldn’t wait to take the next leg.

But not until I’d enjoyed the warm hospitality of Lancashire and the Sunday hotpot served at the historic Pack Horse Inn, perched on a hill overlooking a picturesque Pennines.

The Plough Hotel – good watering hole near Tottenham Court in northern London.

London Eye, off Westminster Bridge..

GETTING THERE

Major airlines such as Qantas, British Airways, Thai Airways International, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific have regular flights to London via their major hubs in Asia and the Middle East. Emirates and Singapore Airlines also fly into Manchester.

TRAIN TRAVEL

Rail Plus offers a range of rail passes at prices below the normal fares charged in the UK. For example, a first-class, four-day Britrail Flexipass, which covers England, Scotland and Wales and can be used over two months, is priced at $575, a saving of $571 compared with booking separate rail journeys between London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and back to London. The price of the four-day, two-month standard-class ticket is $429. Three-day, two-month standard tickets are $345.

DETAILS

Rail Plus Australia, www.railplus.com.au or phone (03) 03 9642 8644 (within Victoria), 1300 555003 (outside Victoria).

MORE

Visit Britain, www.visitbritain.com.au.

Warm welcome from rail steward Simon.

Pack Horse Inn, overlooking the Pennines near Bolton.

One of the lions that guard Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square.

Typical pub sign in London.

St Pauls Cathedral.