Edinburgh to London train with London North Eastern Railway

Trains from Edinburgh to London

There are roughly 40 trains from Edinburgh to London each weekday and an average of about 12 per day on Saturdays and Sundays. The fastest trains take between about 4h and 4h 52 to make the trip, with an average of about 4h 30min. These make up the majority of routes available and are provided by LNER. Avanti West Coast trains generally take between 6h and 6h 40min, with evening trains taking slightly longer, from roughly 5h to about 7h 50min.

Edinburgh to London Train Time: Daily Departures

Edinburgh to London trains run frequently, so you'll seldom have to wait long for your departure. Around 220 trains run between the cities each week, spread out from very early morning until late at night. Trains are most densely concentrated during peak hours, with several leaving within a few minutes of each other. During off-peak hours, you'll typically find a train departing every 30min. The first trip of the day is a direct LNER train that leaves at around dawn. The last train leaves at just before midnight, operated by Caledonian Sleeper.

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

The train to London from Edinburgh usually takes around 4h 30min on average, with some trains taking about 4h and others about 4h 55min. These make up the majority of the train schedule from Edinburgh to London. Others can take an average of around 6h 20min. The journey also takes a bit longer on the evening trains, with some taking around 5h and the late-night train about 7h 50min. All trips are direct, with no stops or connections required.

Trains from Edinburgh to London: woman on a train from Edinburgh. Source: Shutterstock

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

Departure train station: All trains from Edinburgh to London depart from Edinburgh Waverley Station. It will take about 3 min to get there from the city centre on Lothian Buses Line 27. Waverley is a major transit hub with trained staff to assist with limited mobility needs. There are wheelchairs and mobility vehicles for hire and accessible toilets, baby change facilities, and showers. You will also find pubs, coffee shops and eateries, and a few retail outlets like WH Smith.

Arrival train station: Most trains to London from Edinburgh arrive at London Kings Cross Station. The quickest way to get to Central London from here is to catch the tube on the Piccadilly Line, which takes about 13min. Otherwise, London Buses will get you there in about 13min on Lines 91 and 73. Some trains arrive at Euston Station, about 14min from the city centre on the underground's Northern Line, or about 16min on Line 73 or 91 bus. Both stations have Passenger Assist services for travellers with limited mobility and infant changing rooms. There are also a few retail shops and plenty of places to eat and drink.

Which train companies travel from Edinburgh to London?

You'll most often be travelling with LNER on Edinburgh to London trains. They cover the entire day and are all direct trips with no intermediate connections. These trains all travel from Edinburgh Waverley Station to London Kings Cross. They are usually the faster train trips between the two cities. Most of the other trains are courtesy of Avanti West Coast. These are also direct trips and the second-fastest option. Leaving from Waverley Station, they arrive at London Euston. They also run throughout the day, at about two-hourly intervals. You'll also find the odd trip with Lumo, travelling from Waverley Station to Kings Cross.

Night trains London

There are a few night trains from Edinburgh to London every day, although technically, only one of them counts as a true night train. One leaves in the very early evening and arrives an hour or so after midnight, taking around 6h 30min to make the trip. The other only takes about 5h 30min, arriving at the same time, but leaving about an hour later than the first. The night train proper leaves a little before midnight and arrives about 8h later the next morning.

LNER trains from Edinburgh to London

On an LNER Edinburgh to London train, you'll travel directly to the capital without any connections required on the way. These trains leave throughout the day, from around dawn until the early evening. They are the faster trains servicing this route and take from 4-5 h. All leave from Edinburgh Waverley Station and arrive at London Kings Cross. You can catch one every 30min or so, except for the early mornings when departures are more frequent.

Avanti West Coast trains from Edinburgh to London

Avanti West Coast also offers a train to London from Edinburgh every couple of hours throughout the day, beginning in the early morning and ending in the early evening. They take between 6h and 6h 40 min to reach London Euston Station from Edinburgh Waverley. These are also all direct trains; the difference in travel time is due to the trains' speed. The last Avanti train of the day is one of the night trains that will have you in London about an hour after midnight.

Lumo trains from Edinburgh to London

Lumo is a newer cross-country, all-electric budget service that operates a few trains from Edinburgh to London. It only runs about two trips a day, which take about 4h 35min to get to Kings Cross from Edinburgh Waverley. There's a train mid-morning and another mid-afternoon. These, too, are direct trips without any connecting stops on the way. They aren't necessarily the cheapest trips, though, despite this being a budget carrier, so choose your options carefully.

Trains from Edinburgh to London: Sustainability travel

Travelling by train to London from Edinburgh can save a huge amount of carbon emissions through economies of scale; it's not hard to see that a few hundred people travelling together will have a far smaller carbon footprint than each of them travelling separately in a car. UK train companies all have dedicated sustainability programmes in place, including building carriages from recycled materials and using efficient engines to reduce energy consumption.

Train Edinburgh to London: Services on Board

On an LNER train from Edinburgh to London, you can book First- or Second-Class tickets. Both include extra legroom with each seat and a power socket. Wi-Fi is free and unlimited. There is space for under-seat and overhead luggage storage. Each train also has a Quiet Coach where you can have a nap. Those with limited mobility have priority seating, with an Assisted Travel Team to look after arrangements. You can take a bicycle with you by booking in advance, and up to two pets can travel as long as they don't need their own seat. On Avanti West Coast, you can reserve space for your bicycle in a dedicated carriage, and a Passenger Assist service supports passengers with limited mobility. You can also bring up to two small domestic pets on a leash or in a travel container. All luggage travels with you and must be small enough to stow in the overhead compartments. With Lumo, you can bring up to three items: a large suitcase, a carry-bag and a small lap bag. Their "Customer Experience Ambassadors" provide limited mobility assistance. You can only take a foldable bicycle on board with you, and small domestic pets are allowed on leads or in a container. Stool bags and water bowls are provided.

How to find cheap train tickets from Edinburgh to London?

You can employ two opposite strategies to find cheap tickets for trains from Edinburgh to London. The first is to book a long time – up to four months – in advance. This is when trains are still empty, and companies offer early-bird discounts to encourage seat take-up. You can set price alerts for these through Omio. The other option is to be entirely flexible about when you travel, pretty much down to the hour. It will allow you to pick up cheaper tickets that go on sale at the last minute due to passenger cancellations. While it may not be the case on this route, trains that take longer or make more stops in-between are often cheaper, so watch for those too.

Trains from Edinburgh to London: Buckingham Palace in London. Source: Shutterstock

To London by train—travel tips

London is one of the world's most popular tourist cities, overflowing with things to see and do, from the historical to the ultra-modern. There's literally a tourist attraction around each corner after you've arrived on the Edinburgh to London train. The London Eye has become one of the city's biggest drawcards; it will swing you high above the city for an unparalleled view. There's also the chic Canary Wharf area, where you can go to restaurants, coffee shops and some of the trendiest nightspots. The city also has a wonderful selection of museums, some of which are historical landmarks in their own right, like the iconic British Museum. Other world-renowned museums include the Imperial War Museum and the Natural History Museum. Also highly recommended are visits to Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Square and Trafalgar Square, where you can see the famous Nelson's Column among many other fountains and statues. There's so much more to cover in London, so for more ideas, check out the Omio online travel magazine, The Window Seat.

• The iconic Big Ben clock tower
• Churchill’s Underground War Rooms
• The National Gallery
• The panoramic city view from The Shard
• Hyde Park
• Westminster Abbey