Guide to wild side of rail travel

The daily commute may seem like a boring grind.

But rail companies are keen to turn train journeys into an exciting nature trail by publishing a free guide to watching wildlife from the window.

It gives tips for the best stretches of line to spot grey herons or cormorants, roe or fallow deer, brown hares, buzzards and badgers.

The guide, produced with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Mammals Trust UK, is available at stations and online.

It features 10 of the most popular train journeys in Britain and describes some of the birds and mammals travellers are most likely to see.

Stuart Hall, of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: "Rail routes can provide green corridors for wildlife, so while people are travelling by train and spotting wildlife they are also helping to conserve it."

The guide features the journey from London Victoria to Brighton - describing the service as "fast and frequent" - and advises travellers that they may see grey herons on the banks of the Thames, as well as peregrines around Battersea Power Station. As the train reaches countryside, moles, rabbits, muntjac and roe deer can all be spotted.