Liverpool to London train with Avanti West Coast

Trains from Liverpool to London

Trains from Liverpool to London are available at a rate of about 20-25 per day on weekdays, and around 14 each on Saturdays and Sundays. They run pretty regularly at hourly intervals, except at peak times when they leave more frequently. Most of them take just over 2h to make the trip, with the rest getting you to your destination in about 2h 55min.

Liverpool to London Train Time: Daily Departures

The first Liverpool to London train leaves just after dawn, followed by about four or five until mid-morning. From then on, the trains run like clockwork, every hour at roughly the 45min mark, all the way through to the early evening. The majority of trains are direct, with a few per day making one or two connections on the way. You’ll always travel with Avanti West Coast as your train provider.

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

On non-stop trains to London from Liverpool you can expect the journey to take between about 2h 05min and 2h 16min. The trips that make a single connection en route take from around 2h 45min to 3h 30. There are also a few trains that make two stops on the way for changes, and these take about 3h 05min. The difference in total travel time is due to the time spent during these connections, rather than how many you make.

Trains from Liverpool to London: Echo wheel ferris at night in Liverpool. Source: Shutterstock

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

Departure train station: All Liverpool to London trains depart from a single Merseyside station, Liverpool Lime Street Station. It’s pretty much in the centre of Liverpool. Public transport from there comes in the form of a No 21 or 53 bus, leaving from Islington or Kempston Street. The station caters well for passengers with limited mobility through its Passenger Assist programme. There are cafés, coffee shops and fast-food outlets, and a few convenience stores.

Arrival train station: Every train from Liverpool to London arrives at London Euston Station. To get there from the city centre in about 11min, catch the underground’s Northern Line from Charing Cross. London Buses will get you there in about 13min on the No 168 bus. The station also has a Passenger Assist service, with tactile direction indicators and an induction loop for passengers with limited mobility or hidden disabilities. There are a few retail stores as well as places to buy food and drinks.

Which train companies travel from Liverpool to London?

Avanti West Coast operates all the trains from Liverpool to London. These are all high-speed trips. Most of the routes go directly to Euston Station without any stops in-between. The ones that make one stop do so in Birmingham, changing trains at New Street Station. Avanti also offers a few two-stop routes. On these, you’ll first travel to Chester for a connection and then on to Crewe, where you’ll make a second train change to continue to London Euston. The direct routes are the quickest, getting you there in about 2h 15min on average. The one- and two-stop routes take a bit longer, arriving in London around 3h after departure.

Night trains Liverpool

There isn’t any real night train from Liverpool to London, so if you want to leave as late as possible, the last one departs from Lime Street Station in the mid-evening. It’s a direct train that takes just under 3h for the trip, so you’ll arrive in London before midnight. You’ll travel on Avanti West Coast on this journey, too.

Avanti West Coast trains from Liverpool to London

Avanti West Coast’s Liverpool to London trains are part of a modern fleet of high-speed models. They travel at around 125 mph (200 km/h) on the slower sections of the journey and up to 140mph (225 km/h) at full speed. It operates all of the trains on this route, with a journey duration from about 2h to 3h 30min. The vast majority of trips are direct, with a handful making one stop on the way, at Birmingham New Street Station. Each day you’ll also find one or two routes requiring two connections in Chester and Crewe.

Trains from Liverpool to London: Sustainability travel

In general, catching a train to London from Liverpool vastly reduces each individual’s carbon emission on the journey, simply by having so many people in one vehicle. Contrast this with every passenger driving in a separate car, and the point becomes obvious. Avanti West Coast, specifically, has a Responsible Plan for greener travel in line with the 10 RSSB Rail Sustainable Development Principles in the UK. The aim is ultimately to emit zero carbon, and the company has introduced more fuel-efficient engines and more recycled materials. It also includes sustainable-produce menus on all its long-distance trains.

Train Liverpool to London: Services on Board

Avanti offers Standard-, Standard Premium- and First-Class tickets for Liverpool to London trains. The Standard ticket is more than sufficient for this journey, offering plenty of on-board facilities, including fully trained staff to assist passengers with limited mobility needs. You’re welcome to bring a wheelchair on board with you, subject to available space, so book early to ensure it. With cycling such a popular pastime, all Avanti trains have a dedicated cycle carriage. You can bring up to two small domestic pets on board with you, as long as they’re either on a lead or in a suitable travel container. You can order food to your seat in Standard Class, too, with plug sockets and free Wi-Fi also available. You can also use the on-board entertainment app to stream to your mobile device. All luggage is stored in overhead compartments or near the internal carriage doors. The maximum dimensions allowed are about 35.5 x 27.5 x 12 inches. You can also stow items like small cases or backpacks under your seat.

How to find cheap train tickets from Liverpool to London?

One of the ways to find cheap tickets for trains from Liverpool to London is to be entirely flexible with your travel schedule and prepared to travel at short notice. It will allow you to pick up last-minute discounted tickets that become available as other passengers cancel. You can often save quite a bit this way. Alternatively, you can book well ahead of time – the Omio timetables display trips months in advance. Train companies often offer lower prices when they first open up bookings for specific trains to try and fill them as soon as possible. You’ll sometimes find that trains making one or two connections on the way are cheaper, so if you don’t mind a longer journey, this can be a good way of getting cheaper train tickets.

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

To London by train—travel tips

Once your train to London from Liverpool has arrived, you’ll have all the famous attractions of one of the world’s leading tourist cities to explore. Big Ben is one of London’s most renowned buildings, along with the Houses of Parliament next door. The city’s museums are the envy of the world – most notably The British Museum, The Natural History Museum and the Imperial War Museum. Art lovers will find the Tate Gallery and the Tate Modern, and if you want to relax in a trendy bar or bistro in the late afternoon, head to Canary Wharf. To spend more time during the day relaxing, London’s Hyde Park is the place to go. The Shard is another big attraction, soaring into the London sky and offering 360-degree-views for miles. Amongst the most fascinating sites in London are Churchill’s Underground War Rooms, from which he directed operations during the Blitz. For more London highlights, have a look at The Window Seat, our online travel magazine.

• Trafalgar Square
• Nelson’s Column
• Westminster Abbey
• Cleopatra’s Needle
• Buckingham Palace
• The London Eye