Onboard
We welcome bikes and e-bikes on our trains, but we recommend that you reserve a bike space whenever you are given the choice.
If you are travelling on one of our long distance Intercity Express Trains, you will need to store your bike vertically on a hook in the dedicated bike compartment. If your bike is electric, we advise that you remove the battery when travelling to deter theft.
A bike reservation is mandatory on our Night Riviera Sleeper service.
Find out more about travelling with a bike and how to reserve a space.
Our services carry complimentary Wi-Fi. Search for ‘GWR WiFi’ and select connect to get online.
We do our best, but the Wi-Fi signal can be intermittent (for example when going through tunnels) and data speeds may vary across the route and depending on the number of customers using it.
We want everyone travelling with us to have an easy and comfortable journey – including our older customers and people with a disability. If you need support getting on and off the train, navigating the station or planning your journey, we're more than happy to help.
We can provide the following assistance:
- getting on and off the train
- transfering between services
- help with luggage
- assistance to onward travel
- assistance in and around the station
We ask that this is booked at least 2 hours before you travel by calling our Passenger Assist team on 0800 197 1329 or by using our online form.
If you aren't able to give us any notice of your journey, we will do our best to support you. This might take longer as our staff may not be freely available to help when you need them.
Please think carefully about what you need for your trip.
There is plenty of room for cabin-style hand luggage, laptop bags and handbags under seats and in the overhead racks.
We have limited space for larger, standard suitcase-size bags, in the luggage rack at the end of each carriage.
You can’t bring more than three pieces of luggage or anything you can’t carry or easily move about.
Find out more about luggage allowances on our trains and what you can't bring.
- We serve classic snacks and sweet treats, plus a great range of soft drinks, beers, and wines from our popular trolley service.
Find out more about our on-board catering service.
Yes, Pullman Dining is available on some of our services. We think it’s an experience everyone should be able to treat themselves to.
Check our Pullman Dining timetable and sample menu, and make a reservation here.- We have baby changing facilities on all our trains. Please speak to a member of train crew if you need help locating these facilities.
Smoking is not permitted inside any of our stations, or on our platforms and trains. As well as cigarettes, we don't allow e-cigarettes, vaping devices, or any other smoking devices.
All GWR train services can carry manual or powered wheelchairs up to the following dimensional and weight limitations:
- Width 700 millimetres
- Length (including footplates) 1200 millimetres
- Weight (including passenger) 300 kilograms
We recommend that you book a space by contacting our Passenger Assist team at least 2 hours before you wish to travel. We can also provide you with any additional help you may need for example with your luggage, or changing trains.
Find out more about Passenger Assist and book assistance here.
If you have a mobility scooter, we’re happy for you to bring it with you on certain trains, as long as you have a permit. The only exceptions are scooters which are more than 120cm long or 70cm wide and/or if the combined weight of you and the scooter exceeds 300kg.
You can find out more about travelling with a mobility scooter and apply for a permit by downloading our Mobility Scooter Policy (PDF, 997 KB).
You won’t need a permit if your mobility scooter can be folded down, so it is no bigger than an average large suitcase; that way it can go in the luggage rack.
Find out about our Passenger Assist service and book assistance here.
From 21 May 2023, customers are no longer able to bring e-Scooters onto GWR trains or stations.
This follows a number of incidents on the UK rail and tube network where lithium-ion batteries in e-Scooters have been associated with severe overheating, increasing the risk of fire.
If unchecked, this carries particular risks in enclosed spaces on board trains.
Unlike other personal mobility devices such as e-bikes or mobility scooters, e-Scooters are not currently regulated, and are not required to meet minimum safety standards for vehicles.
Customers bringing e-Scooters onto GWR trains or stations will be asked to leave. Unattended e-Scooters will be treated as abandoned and will be safely disposed of.
Our policy for mobility scooters is different.
We always ask our customers to give up priority seats for people who need them more, but it’s not always obvious why someone needs a seat.
If you’re disabled, pregnant, 65 or over, or travelling with a child under 3, and you need to sit down when you travel, you are eligible for a Priority Seat Card. That way, when you ask someone for their seat, you can show your card without having to explain anything.
To see if you can get a card, call our Passenger Assist team on 0800 197 1329 or download an application form (PDF, 149 KB).
There are clearly labelled priority seats on all our trains, usually near the doors.
- On our long-distance high speed trains, prams and pushchairs must be folded down before boarding and stored in the luggage area. They can’t be stored in a wheelchair area and they must not block aisles or doors on the train.
If you’d like to travel with your pet, we’re happy for you to do so. Please keep dogs on a lead.
Other small domestic animals must always travel in a fully enclosed carrier that does not exceed 85 x 60 x 60 cm.
You can take up to two animals free of charge. You’ll also need to keep them off the seats and make sure they aren’t taking up space that other customers could use.
- There are toilets onboard all of our trains. You'll usually find one at the end of a carriage. Please speak to a member of staff if you need any help finding a toilet.
- Assistance dogs are more than welcome onboard our trains. To help us make your journey as smooth as possible, you have the option to arrange assistance in advance through our Passenger Assist team. We ask that this is booked at least 2 hours in advance.
Find out more about Passenger Assist and book assistance here. Surfboards can be carried in the Guards Van on our Night Riviera Sleeper service. On local stopping services surfboards are permitted if the train is not busy, and the loading will not cause delays, injury, or inconvenience.
We are not able to carry surfboards on any of our Intercity Express Trains (in any circumstances).
Every night at the depot, the whole interiors of our trains are cleaned – Tables wiped, floors hoovered and mopped, windows cleaned, bins emptied, and regular touch points sanitised.
We regularly have a periodic heavy clean which is more thorough and includes the carpets and seats, and the exterior of our trains, including the windows. We also deliver in transit and turnaround cleaning throughout the day on all our services where practicable.
All the waste from our trains are cleared at the end of the day and hand sorted. All recyclable materials are recycled, and food waste is either composted or turned into energy.
All the waste from our trains are cleared at the end of the day and hand sorted. All recyclable materials are recycled, and food waste is either composted or turned into energy.
You can find out more by watching this video.
- Customers joining the Night Riviera Sleeper at London Paddington may board the train from 22:30 hours. Customers joining the service at Penzance may board at 21:15. On arrival at London Paddington customers may remain on board until 07:00.
- We welcome cats, dogs, and domestic pets, and up to two can join you on board without having to pay for travel. However, we do charge a cleaning fee of £30 a cabin which will need to be paid on the night.
- dogs must have a suitable lead and any other pets will need to travel in a rigid carrier
- your pet(s) must stay on the floor of your cabin and not sleep on the beds
- only recognised assistance dogs are allowed in our on-board lounge
- pets should not be exercised in corridors or aisles
At station
Customers travelling from one of our main stations or from most GWR managed stations in Cornwall can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi access in waiting areas and on platforms.
How to connect:
1. Search for ‘GWR Free Station WiFi’ and select connect
2. Open your device's internet browser; our Wi-Fi registration page should load automatically
3. Follow the instructions on screen to activate complimentary Wi-Fi access
Find out more about Wi-Fi at stations.- Car parking is available at many of our stations.
Most of our stations offer off-peak (after 10:00) and weekend tariff at up to 40% discount of the daily rate. Regular travellers could save even more with a car park season ticket.
Find the number of spaces available and car parking rates. We’ll explain our range of ticket and fare options, and help you find the best one for your journey. We can also help you plan a journey and give timetable information.
You can use cash and most credit and debit cards, and valid Rail Travel Vouchers to pay – each office displays a list of the payment cards it accepts in the window.
You’ll find the opening hours of our ticket offices here or displayed at our stations, along with details of how to buy tickets if the office is closed.
At a ticket machine, you can buy a wide range of tickets available for immediate use. You can also pick up tickets you have booked online or over the phone. Most of our stations have them, and they take cash and/or most credit and debit cards. Sometimes we limit what tickets are available. For example, you can't buy an off-peak ticket from a ticket machine at peak time.
You can check whether your local station has a ticket machine here or by calling National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50.
- Parking is free for all customers displaying a current International Blue Badge. The badge just needs to be visible through your windscreen. At car parks monitored by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) there may be additional procedures required. Please check local signage.
Opening hours
Monday to Friday (including public holidays): 05:00–23:30
Saturday: 05:00–21:00
Sunday: 10:00–23:30
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday: 06:30–18:30
Saturday: 09:00–16:00
Sunday: 10:00–16:00
Public holiday: Closed
Find out more about our First Class lounges here.
Night Riviera Sleeper passengers travelling to London Paddington can use our exclusive lounges at Penzance and Truro, which are open an hour before departure. They are also available for use by passengers arriving on the Sleeper. Passengers travelling from Paddington can use the First Class lounge from 21:00.
There are normally baby changing facilities at our stations with accessible toilets.
The easiest way to check if a station has baby changing facilities is by visiting our stations and routes page. Enter the name of the station and check ‘Baby Changing facilities’ under Station details.
Smoking is not permitted inside any of our stations, or on our platforms and trains. As well as cigarettes, we don't allow e-cigarettes, vaping devices, or any other smoking devices.
If you're not sure about where you can smoke, please speak to a member of staff. They may be able to point you in the direction of the nearest designated smoking area.
Plan your journey
- Some services may be subject to late notice alterations, so check your journey details as close as possible to your date of travel.
We offer a JourneyCheck Alert service, which will let you know if any trains you are personally interested are disrupted. You can specify when you wish to be alerted and receive updates if the situation changes.
Email message alerts confirm whether all is well or whether there are any problems.
The service is free.
You can reserve a seat when you buy your ticket. If you already have a ticket and want to add a reservation or change what you already have, then you can do it:
- in the booking section of your online account
- by calling us on 03457 000 125
- at your local staffed ticket office
If you need assistance with this please message us on Twitter @GWRhelp, on Facebook Messenger @GWRUK, or on WhatsApp at 07890 608043.
If you have a season ticket, you can make reservations for your regular trains by sending details of your services, seat preferences, the duration of time you’d like the seat reserved for, and your photocard number to gwrreservations@gwr.com.
You can make a reservation at any time before your train arrives, but spaces are limited, so you should do this as early as you can.
You can reserve a space when you buy your ticket. If you already have a ticket and want to add a reservation, then you can do it:
- in the booking section of your online account
- by calling us on 03457 000 125
- at your local staffed ticket office
Find out more about travelling with your bike.You can plan your journey and buy tickets at any time on our website.
You can also get information about trains and journey times from National Rail Enquiries via 03457 48 49 50 (phone) or 0345 60 50 600 (textphone), and they’re available 24 hours a day.
If you are catching a plane, please leave plenty of time to make it there. For flights, you can ask your airline how much time you need to leave to check-in. For example, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports both suggest allowing 3 hours additional time if catching a long-haul flight and at least 2 hours if flying to European destinations. It is also important to get full travel insurance.
Plan and book your travel with GWR for a hassle-free journey to airports across the region.
We may sometimes have to change our timetables so please check your journey details as close as possible to your date of travel.
If you’re changing trains and the service you are on is running late, your next train may not be able to wait. That’s because we don’t want to make the customers already on that train run late as well. There may be occasions when we can wait – for example, if your connecting train is the last one of the day. If not, your ticket will be valid for the next available service.
Please check our timetables to see how much time you’ll need to change trains before you book your tickets, and it is always sensible to allow a reasonable amount of time to catch your onward connection.We want everyone travelling with us to have an easy and comfortable journey – including our older customers and people with a disability. If you need support getting on and off the train, navigating the station or planning your journey, we’re more than happy to help.
We can provide assistance:
- on and off the train
- transfer between services
- help with luggage
- assistance to onward travel
- assistance in and around the station
You don’t need to book assistance in advance, but it helps us plan better if you get in touch at least 2 hours before you travel.