Book Southern train tickets
Who are Southern?
Southern actually isn’t a rail company in itself. These days, it’s a brand of Govia Thameslink Railway. Southern trains call at 213 stations, and the Southern brand operates 156 of them. They have 235 trains.
Travelling a long way? If you’re travelling to/from Portsmouth or Southampton, then Southern offers a cheaper, slower alternative to South Western Railway. Here’s how much the cheapest day return fares are:
-
- Portsmouth & Southsea to London – £22.50 for a Super Off-Peak Day Return
- Southampton to London – £22.50 for a Super Off-Peak Day Return.
They’re valid at any time on weekends and Bank Holidays. On weekdays, you can arrive in London after 10:44 and leave before 16:15 and after 19:14.
On board services
Free WiFi is available on all Southern services.
You’ll find power sockets at window seats on most trains to keep devices charged. The end carriages of each four-coach train (eg. coaches 1, 4, 5 and 8 on an eight-coach one) are usually in an all-table layout.
There’s no need to make a reservation if you want to bring a non-folding bike on board. However, they aren’t permitted on services scheduled to arrive in London, Brighton or Kensington Olympia between 07:00 and 10:00, and departing these stations between 16:00 and 19:00 on weekdays. There’s more information in our dedicated guide to travelling with bikes.
Up to two dogs, cats or other small domestic animals can travel free in both Standard and 1st Class.