FAQs

Generally not.  Most filming and photography is considered commercial and will be subject to fees.  Non-commercial filming is managed by our Media Relations teams and generally has to be rail-related (breaking news, railway documentaries).

Amateur rail enthusiasts have their own process to follow.

Certain discounts are available for qualifying productions.  See the Do you offer discounts? question below for further details.

Please refer to the risk assessment guidance page.

If you are filming at a station or near our network, we need to be informed of your action and all of your equipment (including props) in advance.  This, along with a site specific risk assessment and method statement (RAMS), needs to be accepted by our teams before your shoot can go ahead.

Boom poles and dolly track are only permitted on platforms in exceptional circumstances.

Lighting can only be considered in pre-agreed areas and care must be taken to prevent light or reflections being seen from railway lines.  Flash lighting is prohibited in view of platforms.  For further information please refer to our golden rules of safety and risk assessment guidance pages.

No.  If the station you wish to film in is not listed in our location library then you will need to contact the Train Operating Company (TOC) of that station.  Information on who to contact can be found under the other railway stations and TfL tab on our about our service page.

No, although for our larger productions, we do have the measurement train - subject to availability.  You can find more detail in the location library.

Yes, although in certain instances you will require a staff escort which may be subject to extra fees.  We will advise you in advance if this is the case.

If you want to feature a train you will need to obtain permission from the relevant Train Operating Company (TOC) before you apply to film. More detail on who to contact can be found under the other railway stations and TfL tab on our about our service page.

Yes, you need to have Public Liability Insurance and this must be in pounds sterling.  We require cover of up to £10million for productions in Bands C and E, but can accept £5million for those in Bands A and B.

If you are a student (Band D), you will need your college or university to indemnify you under their insurance.  We need to see evidence of this.

Yes, all filming and photography at our stations needs to take place outside of peak hours. Off peak means between 10.00hrs and 16.00hrs, or between 20.00hrs and 06.30hrs, Monday to Friday.  You can usually film without restriction on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

No-one is permitted to work beyond 12-hrs on our property, so you may need to factor in crew shifts for longer days.

You will need to notify local tenants and residents of any activity that may affect them or their business.

Platform 9 ¾

In London King's Cross, Harry Potter Platform 9 ¾ is the property of Warner Bros. Studios and permission must be obtained and sent to us prior to filming.  Warner Bros. can be contacted through James.Dudley@warnerbros.com.

Statues
If you are featuring the statues at our stations other than incidentally,  you will need to obtain permissions from the sculptor, their representative or the managing estate.

In London Liverpool Street, both Kindertransport statues are the property of the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) and permission must be obtained and sent to us before filming.  The AJR can be contacted either on 020 8385 3070 / enquiries@ajr.org.uk.

In London Paddington, the Paddington Bear statue was created by Marcus Cornish who can be contacted directly through info@marcuscornish.com.

In London St. Pancras International, The Meeting Place statue was created by Paul Day who can be contacted directly through paul@pauldaysculpture.com.  The John Betjeman statue was created by Martin Jennings who can be contacted through Pete Woronkowicz, Licensing Executive at DACS either on 020 7553 9068 / pete.woronkowicz@dacs.org.uk.

Event spaces in our stations are managed by Space and People and all event-related filming is facilitated by them on our behalf.

Rarely.  Filming or photography on operational railway track is heavily dependent on location and usually requires at least 4 weeks notice. More time is often required.  Network Rail teams need to provide safe access and charges will apply (for both recces and filming).  There will be restrictions on crew numbers, equipment and lighting.

Track Visitor Permits (TVPs) must be arranged by Network Rail in advance, upon receipt of a completed TVP application per person visiting the track.  Additional administration charges will apply.  Accessing track without permission is an offence, and offenders will be prosecuted.

You may need to inform our Asset Protection team, please refer to our filming nearby page.

Parking agreements are generally not provided within our locations.  Public car parks at Network Rail managed stations are managed by APCOA and available space varies.  You will need to contact them direct to make a booking.

Filming within the Eurostar restricted zones (i.e. Eurostar platforms, departures lounge and arrivals area) at London St. Pancras International and Ebbsfleet International is managed by Eurostar International. They can be contacted on 020 7843 5300 / press.office@eurostar.com.

The station's forecourt (excluding the steps down to Pancras Road) is managed by the St. Pancras Renaissance hotel.  Permission must be obtained from the hotel and separate fees will apply.

Both the St. Pancras Grand Brasserie and the Champagne Bar are owned and managed by Searcys who can advise you on filming and photography requests. Separate location fees will apply.  The reflective stainless steel construction of the Champagne Bar and close proximity to platforms means lights must be screened to avoid dazzling train drivers.

Certain productions qualify for discounts on our filming fees (not costs) :

• Rail Enthusiast.  If your production is wholly aimed at the rail enthusiast market, Band A fees will be applied.
• Sustainability.  We encourage all crews to behave in environmentally responsible ways.  To support this, we are happy to offer discounts of between 3-5% on fees to productions who have an accreditation from an industry recognised scheme (such as Albert and Green Screen).  Please ask us for further information.
• TOC.  If the production you are working on is for the benefit of a train operator then a discount of 25% will be applied onto fees within Band C, as long our minimum timescales are met.  The discount is not available with SSFA applications received with less than five working days.