Many of us want to stay connected while we’re on the move. So, it’s always good to know whether you’ll be able to charge up on the train. Don’t worry though, as we’ve put together this quick guide to power sockets on trains, so you’ll know whether or not you need to pack a power bank on your next trip.

Are there power sockets on trains?

In most cases these days, yes! Most trains have power sockets available for you to use. They might have a three-pin socket, a USB slot or both. They’ll either be on the wall, under the seat in front of you or under your own seat. If you’re sat at the table, they might be under the table itself or fixed to the table. 

If a socket is attached to the wall, then you can only access it if you have a window seat.

Where will I find power sockets on trains?

Here’s our quick summary of each company and whether you can expect to find a power socket on the trains that they operate. It isn’t always as straightforward as ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but most companies have a pretty consistent approach.

Company	Three-pin socket?	USB port?	Where?
Avanti West Coast	Yes1	Yes1	On seat in front/on table/ wall
c2c	No	No	N/A
Chiltern Railways	Longer-distance services only2	No	Wall/on table
CrossCountry	On ‘Voyager’ trains only3	No	Wall
East Midlands Railway	InterCity services only	Some ‘Regional’ services	Wall
Elizabeth Line	No	Yes	Some on wall/at carriage ends
Gatwick Express	Yes	No	Wall
Grand Central	Yes	No	Wall
Great Northern	Yes	No	Wall/under seat
Great Western Railway	Yes	Most trains	Wall/under seat
Greater Anglia	Yes	Yes	Under seat
Heathrow Express	Yes	Yes	Wall
Hull Trains	Yes	Yes	Under seat
LNER	Yes	First Class only	Under seat (Azuma)/wall (Electric Train)
London Overground	No	Some trains	Between carriages/behind drivers cab
Lumo	Yes	Yes	Under seat in front
Merseyrail	Yes4	Yes4	Under seat
Northern	Some trains5	Almost all trains5	Under seat/wall
ScotRail	Yes	Some trains	Under seat/wall/on table
Southeastern	Most trains6	Some trains6	Under seat/wall
Southern	Most trains6	Most trains6	Wall
South Western Railway	All except ‘suburban’ services near London	Some trains	Wall
Thameslink	First Class only	No	Under seat
TransPennine Express	Yes	Yes	Under seat/wall
Transport for Wales	Yes	Yes	Under seat/wall
West Midlands Trains	Yes7	Yes7	Under seat/wall

Is there anything else I should know?

We’ve written some footnotes below where the situation isn’t quite so straightforward! Otherwise, you’re all set.

Looking to book some train tickets now? No problem. You can do it all with Railsmartr. We don’t charge any extra fees either, even if you just change your mind about your trip.

Footnotes

^{1 – Avanti West Coast is currently refurbishing its ‘Pendolino’ trains. On unrefurbished trains, you’ll only find sockets at tables in Standard Class.}

^{2 – All London-Birmingham services and some London-Oxford services.}

^{3 – Voyager trains run between Scotland/Newcastle and the South West, and Manchester and the South Coast.}

^{4 – Merseyrail are currently replacing their fleet. Older trains do not have power sockets.}

^{5 – Northern has a very diverse fleet of trains. Almost all trains will have either a USB socket or a three-pin socket. A small number don’t have either.}

^{6 – Southern and Southeastern are currently refurbishing their trains and adding sockets. ‘Javelin’ trains will soon be fitted with USB-C ports.}

^{7 – All services except the ‘CrossCity’ line, and other trains that have a 3+2 seating layout.}

_{^{All information is issued without liability and was correct at August 2023. Railsmartr is not responsible for any loss or inconvenience incurred as a result of the information provided.}}