From the moment that the first train ran on tracks between Liverpool and Manchester, train travel has been an important part of how we get around the country. Although prices to do so have gone through the roof, passengers continue to value the ability to get from place to place without having to drive in order to do so. Now it looks as though the people of Guildford are going to benefit from the ability to get to new places courtesy of a direct route that will take them to the likes of Brighton and Newcastle, as well as holidaymakers being able to get straight to Gatwick.
Where You Can Currently Travel to Directly from Guildford Railway Station
It is not as though you can’t already get to some fun and interesting places by train from Guildford Railway Station. If you want to head to the station in order to jump on any old train and see where you end up, you can do so and get a train to London Waterloo, for example, with the journey taking you via Epsom. Similarly, there is the ability to get the train to Portsmouth Harbour, which completes its journey via Cobham, in case you wanted to jump out and go to have a look at where Chelsea Football Club’s players complete their training before they play a big match.
Unsurprisingly, there are journeys to local towns and cities like Reading and Farnham, whilst the likes of Woking can also be reached directly from Guildford. Obviously, each of the various stops along the way is also open to you if you wish to get off somewhere else, with the train from London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour stopping at 15 locations, including Guildford, along its journey. That means that stops such as Godalming and Witley are already available, as are the likes of Milford and Witley. Portsmouth & Southsea is the stop before the Harbour, too.
What the New Route May Look Like
🚄 Arriva Group is set to revolutionise travel with a new direct rail service connecting Newcastle and Brighton via London Gatwick! 🌟
Read more: https://t.co/gbom7KoRG7@ArrivaGroup @GC_Rail #RailInnovation #SustainableTravel #Connectivity #NewcastleToBrighton… pic.twitter.com/Y8HZIOT54Z
— Rail Technology Magazine (@thertmnews) April 28, 2025
A new service has been suggested by Grand Central, the train operator, that will look to allow people to go to other locations on top of the ones that are currently available to them. The aim of the route is to open up Surrey to the rest of the country, given the fact that it is currently quite tricky for residents to get around the place on the train. Here is what the route could look like if it is introduced as planned:
- Newcastle
- Durham
- Darlington
- Northallerton
- York
- Doncaster
- Sheffield
- Derby
- Burton-on-Trent
- Birmingham New Street
- Warwick Parkway
- Banbury
- Oxford
- Reading
- Wokingham
- Guildford
- Redhill
- London Gatwick
- Haywards Heath
- Brighton
Obviously, that list imagines that the journey begins in Newcastle, but if you want to start it in Brighton, then just read them the other way around. The important thing is the number of places that will be opened up to Guildford residents if the service goes live, which will make life significantly more convenient than it is at present. A trip to Newcastle as well as Durham or Darlington would be a live possibility, as would the ability to go to Sheffield or Derby in a nice, straightforward manner. It is something that train travellers will more than appreciate.
What You Need to Do at Present
It might look reasonably simplistic to go from Guildford to other places around the country, but the reality is a little bit more complex than that. If you currently wish to go to Newcastle or York, as an example, then you need to do so via London. You would have to get a train to London Waterloo and then make your way across the capital, either on the bus, in a taxi or via the London Underground, in order to arrive at King’s Cross, from where you would be able to get a direct train up to the northern towns and cities that are currently off-limits to Guildford people without a change.
Similarly, a journey to a city such as Birmingham or Oxford would not be one that you could do without having to make some changes on your route. You would need to first head to Reading, from where you would then be able to get a different train to complete your journey. It is little wonder, therefore, that the idea of a train that could take you directly from one location to another without having to mess about with going via another location first is something that the people of Guildford find so appealing. Train travel may not be cheap, but it should at least be convenient.
A New Route by December 2026
The Aviva Group has put forward a suggestion to Network Rail that would allow it to run five trains per day in either direction between Newcastle and Brighton. It would be the first time that a direct route would take place between the two locations. The Managing Director of the company, Paul Hutchings, said that people should be allowed to travel in ways that are ‘convenient and sustainable’. The network capacity is there to be able to allow as many as 300 passengers to travel, with room on the trains for the luggage of people heading to the airport or on a long trip.
Grand Central as a train service has undergone significant growth in recent times, with Arriva UK Trains’ Rail Services getting access rights until 2038. With the recent announcement of investment of around £300 million having been confirmed by the company, it means that a new ‘battery hybrid’ fleet of trains can be added to the company’s existing routes. It demonstrates, according to Hutchings, the commitment of Arriva to the ambition of rail travel in the United Kingdom and an ‘exciting time’ for the Grand Central brand.