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:
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- 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. On quieter parts of the network (such as west of Worthing, and between Sutton and Epsom Downs), there aren’t any restrictions.
Up to two dogs, cats or other small domestic animals can travel free in both Standard and 1st Class.