As Britain's largest city and the centre of its politics and commerce, London is the destination for tens or hundreds of thousands of travellers every day. Visitors and commuters come to London by coach, by car, by aeroplane, and by rail. Travelling by train is an attractive option for many, because railway lines tend to radiate out from London, meaning that it's relatively simple to get to the city from wherever you happen to be. 

London is served by 18 rail stations, of which several are major terminals. The major stations include Blackfriars, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Fenchurch Street, King's Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Marylebone, Paddington, St Pancras, Victoria and Waterloo. Because 19th-century legislators refused to permit a major railway station in the heart of London, rail stations circle the capital's centre, connected by the London Underground. Nearly half a billion travellers pass through London's railway stations every year.

The busiest concentration of railway stations in London is probably around King's Cross. King's Cross and St Pancras stations are within a few moments' walk of one another; they share a single Underground station. In addition to these two stations, another large railway terminal, Euston Station, is only a short distance away down Euston Road. Between them, these three stations handle around 75 million passengers per year. 

Naturally, this dense concentration means that these stations can be crowded at peak times. As rush hour begins, large numbers of commuters head for the rail and Underground stations, creating tides of foot traffic that can crowd the pavements and station entrances. Travellers passing through any of these busy stations would be well advised to take the high level of traffic into account when planning their journeys. 

Despite crowding at certain times of day, these stations offer access to London and further destinations for travellers, with destinations ranging from Glasgow, served by Euston Station, to France, accessible from the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras. The high number of hotels near London Euston, and the numerous Underground lines to all parts of London served by the terminals, make the area a popular destination for both business travellers and tourists.