Many people from across the country will wish to travel in the coming days to pay their respects to Her Majesty the Queen and the rail industry is working hard to enable people to do that.
However, people are urged to check service details before travelling and to be prepared for very busy trains and stations.
For London travel information visit Transport for London’s website.
National Rail Enquiries provides the following advice
How do I get the latest information on Train Travel?
If you are travelling next week, please check before you travel and you can sign up to Alert Me by Messenger to receive personalised alerts about your journey.
Travel arrangements from the funeral (once the announcement has been made)
What ticket can I get to London or Windsor for the funeral?
On the day of national mourning, the day of the funeral, off-peak restrictions will not apply and off-peak tickets can be used throughout the day. You should check before you travel on the day as London and Windsor are expected to be very busy.
Are train companies running additional services for the Lying-in-State and the funeral?
We are working with our partners to review arrangements to get people to view the funeral where possible and where there is capacity.
Journeys into London for the Lying-in-State or funeral (National Rail)
London is going to be extremely busy as people come from all over the United Kingdom and abroad, visit to pay their respects to Her Majesty. We encourage people to leave as much time as possible when making their journey and check before they travel.
Where do I need to go to be near where Her Majesty The Queen will be Lying-in-State?
Her Majesty will lie in state in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster in Central London between 17:30 on Wednesday 14 September and 06:30 on Monday 19 September. The Palace of Westminster is closest to Charing Cross, Victoria and Waterloo National Rail stations, with the Lying-In-State queue expected to extend towards Blackfriars and London Bridge stations also.
Funeral
The funeral will take place at 11:00 on Monday 19 September. Westminster Abbey is closest to Charing Cross, Victoria and Waterloo (National Rail) stations. Some Tube stations in the area may be closed during the Funeral. A number of roads may be closed at short notice while the coffin is moved through Central London, with bus routes altered and Tube stations closed, to prevent overcrowding.
There may be a large number of people travelling to and within London for Her Majesty’s funeral.
All major London train stations will have extra staff around to help you on your journey. In busy times like this, the fastest way to get to where you are going might be to walk if you are able to do so.
For more London travel information please see Transport for London’s webpage to plan your route.
Will I be able to book assistance?
We will do everything we can to help passengers on their journeys. Please contact your train company for more information and to book your assistance.
Journeys into Windsor for the burial
Following the funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September, Her Majesty’s final journey will be to St George’s Chapel, Windsor for the burial.
Windsor and Eton Riverside and Windsor and Eton Central stations will be especially busy during this time, and may become full. While a large number of television and other media outlets will cover this part of Her Majesty’s final journey, a large number of people may be expected to travel to Windsor. Please do not plan to view the service in London and then travel to Windsor. Windsor most likely will be full by this time. It is best to choose one location and remain there to pay your respects.
For more details on travelling to or within this area, please visit the Great Western Railway, South Western Railway or Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead websites.
General advice for passengers
Wherever possible, practicable and safe, Network Rail engineering works will be postponed in order to allow the maximum number of trains to run during the period of national mourning.
If you are travelling to the Lying-In-State, you should be prepared to wait for a considerable length of time.
Updates on number of people visiting Central London will be given by official sources including Government, the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London.
After the Funeral
You may want to consider the timing of your journey home. London and Windsor will be very busy.
Summary of agreed passenger arrangements.
This policy will apply throughout the mourning period which will be up to and including 19th September.
- Anytime, Off-Peak, and Super Off-Peak ticket holders will be able to get fee-free refunds on tickets which have been purchased prior to OLB being announced. The usual refund administration fee will be waived. This will apply to most train companies in England & Scotland but will be at the discretion of Transport for Wales, some open-access operators and third-party retailers.
- Advance tickets will be ‘refundable’ in line with the existing “Book with Confidence” scheme, i.e. can be changed or ‘refunded’ for a voucher up to 18:00 the evening before.
This is to allow passengers whose plans change or who decide not to travel because an event has been cancelled to not be penalised for changing their journey plans. It will also help to free up capacity on trains which we expect to be very busy during the mourning period due to large numbers wishing to travel to formal events especially in London.
Ticket restrictions
The funeral date for Her Majesty on 19 September has been confirmed as an official Bank Holiday, peak time ticket restrictions will therefore not apply. However, all other weekdays during the mourning period, normal restrictions will apply. This will allow workers, including key workers to get to their place of work.
