In its pre-rail days, the sleepy village of Egham was a coaching hub. All that changed in 1856 with the arrival of the rail line, which boosted the town's prospects and led to a spike in population. The original station building survived until the 1980s, when it was refurbished and given its futuristic metal roof. Signs for the station read 'Egham, for Royal Holloway, University of London' - the research-intensive university's campus is just west of the town.
Egham station is the main gateway for tourists visiting Runnymede, the Thames-side meadow where the Magna Carta was signed in 1215. On the other side of the Thames you'll find the charming woodland of Ankerwycke and the National Trust's oldest tree, a 2,500-year-old Yew where Henry VIII wooed his second wife-to-be, Anne Boleyn. A bus to both of these historic destinations runs from outside the station, taking around 40 minutes.