Birmingham to London train

Trains from Birmingham to London

Trains from Birmingham to London are prolific, and you’ll have no problem finding one at almost any hour of the day, from early morning until late at night. At peak times in the mornings, evenings and at lunchtime, they leave every 3-10 min. The rest of the day, you can catch one every 15 min or so. It takes an average of around 2 h 15 min to make the journey, give or take about 15min either side.

Birmingham to London Train Time: Daily Departures

You can catch a Birmingham to London train from just before 07:00 till roughly 22:15 on weekdays, with around 54 trains a day. On Saturdays, the first train leaves a little earlier, at about 06:15, whilst the last train departs at the same time as during the week. There are also over 50 trains each Saturday. Sundays are a little quieter – there are around 40 trains available, with the first leaving at around 08:30 and the last departing at around 23:00.

How long is the journey by train from Birmingham to London?

Trains to London from Birmingham usually only take about an average of 2h 15min for the journey. A closer look reveals that the fastest trip takes roughly 1 h 45 min, with the longest one making the journey in around 2 h 45 min. The vast majority of trains travel directly between the two cities, with a few making one change on the way.

Trains from Birmingham to London: canals of Birmingham at night. Source: Shutterstock

What are the departure and arrival stations for trains from Birmingham to London?

Departure train station:Birmingham to London trains leave from Birmingham New Street Station or Moor Street Station. New Street Station has a shopping mall and many pubs, coffee shops and restaurants. Personal assistance is available for passengers with limited mobility. You can get to the station from the city centre on the Line 23 bus in about 7min. Moor Street Station has Passenger Assistance points for accessibility needs, platform ramps and step-free access. It has a café, a coffee kiosk and baby changing facilities. Take the Line 25 bus from the city centre for a ride of about 50min.

Arrival train station:The train from Birmingham to London arrives at one of two stations, London Euston Station or London Marylebone Station. The train arrivals are roughly split evenly between the two. Both are modern stations with Passenger Assist facilities for travellers with hidden disabilities or limited mobility. They offer a few convenience stores and newsagents, as well as eateries ranging from small restaurants to takeaway kiosks. Euston Station is about 14min from Central London on the underground’s Northern Line, and you can reach Marylebone Station in about 12min on the Bakerloo Line.

Which train companies travel from Birmingham to London?

Trains from Birmingham to London are shared between three train companies. The Avanti West Coast trains tend to be the fastest, running throughout the day and into the evening. They usually take under 2h to make the trip, with most of them getting you there in about 1h 50min. West Midlands Railway also operates throughout the day and provides the first and last trains of the day. They tend to take between about 2h and 2h 45min and are regularly available. The third train operator on this route is Chiltern Railways, making the trip just under 2h. These are the trains that leave from Moor Street Station. Almost all the train trips are non-stop. Avanti West Coast sometimes makes a change on the way, which doesn’t impact much on its relatively fast total travel time.

Night trains Birmingham

There’s at least one night train from Birmingham to London every day, but one wouldn’t classify these as true night trains. They depart at around 22:10, one operated by Avanti West Coast, taking about 1h 10 min, and the other offered by West Midlands Railway, taking roughly 2h 45min. Both of them travel direct, with one arriving in London sometime before about 12:00 and the other at 01:00.

Avanti West Coast trains from Birmingham to London

Avanti West Coast’s Birmingham to London trains are high-speed trains that travel at a brisk 125 mph (200 km/h) at their usual clip and up to 140mph (225 km/h) at full power. They take between 1h 45 min and just over 2h to make the journey, and you’ll be able to catch one from the early morning ‘til late at night, out of Birmingham New Street Station. All bar one are direct journeys ­– the exception makes a single change on the way in Rugby.

West Midlands Railway trains from Birmingham to London

West Midlands Railway’s Birmingham to London trains travel slightly slower, taking between about 2h and 2h 15min on average, with its late-night train getting to London in about 2h 45min. These are all direct trips, so you won’t need to change trains on the way. As with Avanti West Coast, these trains run throughout the day from early morning till late at night, leaving from Birmingham New Street Station.

Chiltern Railways trains from Birmingham to London

Chiltern Railways’ Birmingham to London trains are the only ones leaving from Moor Street Station. They cover the distance in about 1h 55min. While not as plentiful as those operated by the other two companies, they run regularly throughout the day, with the first one at around 07:10 and the last one at about 21:20. All are non-stop trips.

Trains from Birmingham to London: Sustainability travel

Travelling by train is inherently one of the most carbon-efficient ways of getting from A to B. For one thing, many trains to London from Birmingham run on electric rather than diesel power. They also significantly reduce carbon emissions through economies of scale – 100 people travelling on one train obviously emit far less carbon per person than each person driving a car. All train providers on this route conform to the UK’s 10 RSSB Rail Sustainable Development Principles, with the aim of ultimately emitting zero carbon in the near future.

Train Birmingham to London: Services on Board

Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Railway offer First-Class tickets on Birmingham to London trains, while Chiltern Railways has a single class. Staff on all three carriers will help with on-board limited mobility needs as per the national Passenger Assist policy. On Avanti West Coast, you can travel with up to two small domestic pets free of charge, and you can bring a bicycle in a dedicated cycle carriage. Overhead luggage compartments are available, and you can put small items under your seat. Larger suitcases are kept in a space near the inter-coach doors.

West Midlands Railway provides extra space for wheelchairs and mobility scooters, which you’ll need to book in advance. Up to two pets are allowed, either in a travel container or on a lead. Each train can carry two rigid-frame bicycles on board by pre-arrangement, or you can take a foldable one as a luggage item. The same luggage arrangement applies as with Avanti. With Chiltern Railways, you can arrange accessibility assistance from an Assisted Travel Team. You can only bring a folding bicycle on weekdays, but you can bring regular ones on weekend trips. Two small pets are allowed, and all guide dogs are welcome.

How to find cheap train tickets from Birmingham to London?

Cheap tickets for trains from Birmingham to London can be found if you know how to look for them. The first way is to scan the timetables a few months in advance, when train companies often offer discounts for early-bird bookings. Conversely, you can remain completely uncommitted and flexible about when you travel and look for discounted tickets that become available at the last minute. Many of the longer train journeys are also cheaper, due to the extra travel time. If you don’t mind waiting a while at intermediate stations, train journeys with multiple stops for train changes can also be more cost-effective.

Trains from Birmingham to London: child gazing out of the window on a train to London. Source: Shutterstock

To London by train—travel tips

Arriving on a train to London from Birmingham, you won’t have to look very far for things to see and do. London has some of the world’s most iconic landmarks for you to visit. There’s the legendary British Museum, or you can watch the time-old ritual of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Westminster Abbey is another of the city’s venerable landmarks that has stood for centuries. A fascinating tour to take is of Churchill’s Underground War Rooms, which have been preserved as they were since WWII. For outdoor relaxation, picnics or pick-up football games, Hyde Park is the place to go – it also hosts huge outdoor music festivals. One of the city’s most modern attractions is The Shard, a steel-and-glass building jutting high into the air, from which you can get a 360-degree view for many miles. For late afternoon cocktails or trendy bistros, head to the Canary Wharf district. More ideas can be found in the Omio travel magazine, The Window Seat.

• Trafalgar Square with Nelson’s Column
• Cleopatra’s Needle
• The London Eye
• The Tower of London
• The Natural History Museum
• The Imperial War Museum