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Trains from London to Leeds

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Each fare is the lowest adult economy ticket fare found by our customers on Trainline. Fares booked further in advance than the dates displayed may be cheaper. Prices are updated daily, subject to change and indicative of price last update. Limited availability. Discount cards and coach journeys excluded, prices exclusive of booking fee.
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  3. London to Leeds

London to Leeds by train

It takes an average of 2h 32m to travel from London to Leeds by train, over a distance of around 169 miles (272 km). There are normally 40 trains per day travelling from London to Leeds and tickets for this journey start from £19.40 when you book in advance.

First train

04:55

Last train

23:33

Departure station

London

Arrival station

Leeds

Journey time

From 2h 10m

Distance

169 miles (272 km)

Frequency

40 trains per day

Changes

Direct trains available

Price

From £19.40

Train operators

London North Eastern Railway

Travel from London to Leeds by train in 2 hours and 10 minutes

Leeds is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in Northern England. Packed with museums, markets, shopping centres, performing arts centres and nightlife, this West Yorkshire city should be at the top of your list of places to visit in the UK. It’s also easy to get to from London—just over 2 hours away by train!

Direct trains from London to Leeds depart from London King’s Cross station and you’ll travel on London North Eastern Railway (LNER) trains. From there, trains arrive at Leeds station just over 2 hours later.

Onboard, you’ll enjoy a range of amenities, from free WiFi and plug sockets to food and drinks available for purchase from the onboard café. If you fancy an even more luxurious experience, you can upgrade your ticket to First Class and receive complimentary food and drink delivered straight to your table.

Once you arrive in Leeds, you’ll already be right in the city centre and only a quick walk from the top attractions. Leeds is home to fantastic art galleries and museums, including the Royal Armouries. You’ll also find excellent shopping opportunities at Trinity Leeds and historical market spots Kirkgate Market and Leeds Corn Exchange.

Ready to book? Head straight up to our journey planner at the top of the page and enter the dates and times you’d like to travel. We’ll take care of the rest. If you want to find out more about the journey and what to do when you arrive in Leeds, read on!

FAQs about the train journey from London to Leeds

Want to know more about your journey from London to Leeds? We've compiled some of the most frequently asked questions by our customers to help you plan your journey.

How do I get from London to Leeds?

You can travel from London to Leeds by train in about 2 hours and 32 minutes. With around 40 trains running each day, taking the train is easy. Find out more in our Journey Planner.

How long is the train journey from London to Leeds?

On average, the train journey from London to Leeds takes around 2 hours and 32 minutes, with 40 trains per day. The duration may vary slightly depending on the specific train and any potential delays. Use our Journey Planner to check out more information.

How much is the train from London to Leeds?

Train tickets from London to Leeds start from as little as £19.40, depending on the time of booking, class of service and type of train. Booking in advance often results in cheaper prices.

What is the fastest train from London to Leeds?

The fastest trains from London to Leeds can cover the distance of 169 miles (272 km) in as little as 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Cheap train tickets from London to Leeds

Train tickets from London to Leeds start at £19.40‡ one way for a Standard Class ticket if you book in advance. As most UK train companies increase their prices as the departure date approaches, we’ll help you find the cheapest tickets.

Book in advance

Look out for Advance tickets – they usually come out up to 12 weeks before the departure date and can be cheaper than buying on the day. If you’re here a tad early, sign up for our Advance ticket alert today to get notified when your tickets are released.

Consider a Season Ticket

If you catch this train more than 3 times per week, you could save money with a Season Ticket. With annual, monthly and weekly options available, find out if a season ticket for London to Leeds is right for you.

Use your Railcard

National Railcards offer a 1/3 off eligible train tickets in the UK and can be a great investment if you travel a few times or more in a year. Find out how you can save with a National Railcard here.

Split your tickets

Download our app to find split tickets — courtesy of SplitSave, our handy feature which 'splits' your train tickets where possible to find you a better deal. Learn more about the clever tech behind split tickets, and how to spot SplitSave discounts in our app.

For more money-saving tips on UK and European train travel, read our cheap train tickets guide.

‡Advance adult single fare. Excludes booking fee. Prices seen by Trainline customers in the last 30 days. Availability limited.

LNER trains from London to Leeds

If you’re taking a direct train from London to Leeds, you’ll be travelling on an LNER train.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER)

LNER has been operating on the East Coast Main Line since June 2018 and is the only train company offering direct high-speed trains between London and Leeds. With its fleet of new Azuma trains, LNER offers frequent services and gives you the choice between Standard and First Class tickets.

Learn more about LNER trains.

LNER train classes from London to Leeds

Compare the seating classes on LNER trains in a bit more detail.

Standard Class

Standard Class seats are either arranged airline style with two seats next to each other on either side of the central aisle or with four seats around a table. These amenities come as standard:

Plug sockets

✔

Free WiFi

✔

Table at every seat (fold-down or fixed)

✔

Luggage storage

✔

First Class

First Class seats are arranged with four seats around a table, two seats side by side, two seats facing each other, or one seat on its own. You’ll benefit from these additional amenities:

Complimentary food and drinks

✔

Plenty of legroom

✔

Larger tables

✔

Reclining seats

✔

Plug sockets and USB outlets at seats

✔

Ambient lighting

✔

LNER’s best-ever WiFi connection

✔

Onboard services from London to Leeds

Here are the services to expect on board LNER trains, as well as rules and restrictions.

How to get to London King’s Cross station

Your train to Leeds will depart from London King’s Cross station. Here’s how to get there.

London King’s Cross station is directly north of Central London and is easily accessible by public transport—you can even walk there if you’re up for it!

  • By tube: King’s Cross St Pancras Underground station is served by six Tube lines: the Hammersmith and City (pink), Circle (yellow), Metropolitan (magenta), Northern (black), Piccadilly (dark blue) and Victoria (light blue) lines.
  • By bus: There are 13 daytime bus routes which serve King's Cross station: 17, 30, 46, 63, 73, 91, 205, 214, 259, 390, 476, 748 Green Line, A8.
  • By taxi: It will most likely be more expensive to take a taxi than public transport, but if you opt for a cab, there is a drop-off point just outside the station's side entrance on Pancras Road.
  • By car: There is a Click and Park car park across the road at London St Pancras International station. It has 315 spaces and is open and staffed 24/7.
  • By bike: You'll find sheltered and CCTV-monitored cycle storage in the station at Platforms 1, 8 and 9. There are 204 spaces in total.

Everything you need to know about King's Cross station

Did you know? London King’s Cross station opened in 1852.

Facilities

You’ll find the following facilities in King’s Cross station:

  • Toilets (including accessible toilets and baby changing facilities)
  • Cash machines
  • Left luggage
  • Waiting room
  • Cafes, shops and restaurants
  • Luggage trolleys

LNER First Class Lounge

Travelling in First Class with LNER from London to Leeds? You can unwind in their newly redesigned First Class Lounge at London King's Cross. The entrance is right next to Waitrose. Here's what you'll enjoy in the lounge:

  • Comfortable modern seating
  • Complimentary hot and cold drinks and light snacks
  • TVs showing the latest news
  • Free WiFi
  • Wireless phone chargers

Arriving at Leeds station

Also known as Leeds City station, Leeds station is the busiest train station in the North of England.

Leeds station is right in the centre of the city—step outside and you’re no more than a 10-minute walk from most of the top attractions. If you want to take public transport to your final destination, there are a number of options.

  • By train: From Leeds station, you can reach local towns and cities across West Yorkshire and beyond by train, including to Bradford, Wakefield and Harrogate.
  • By bus: You can catch buses from nearby Boar Lane and Neville Street. The Leeds bus network serves the city centre and surrounding suburbs.
  • By taxi: There is a taxi rank outside the station’s main entrance on New Station Street.

What to do in Leeds

Leeds was one of the powerhouses of the Industrial Revolution in England. Even on a quick walking tour of the city, you can explore the city’s rich history.

Shopping

A prosperous market town for its entire history, Leeds continues to offer fantastic options for retail therapy. The Trinity Shopping Centre is the go-to for a modern shopping experience, offering fashion and luxury brands as well as restaurants. If you’re looking for more independent retailers, Leeds Corn Exchange is the city’s old corn exchange in a beautiful 19th-century oval-shaped building. For more shopping in beautiful Victorian surroundings, explore the Kirkgate Market and Victoria Quarter.

Arts and Culture

The Leeds Art Gallery, The Henry Moore Institute and The Tetley are the top art galleries to visit in the city. Among museums, as well as the Leeds City Museum, Leeds Industrial Museum and Abbey House Museum, you’ll find the Royal Armouries Museum, which is the National Museum for arms and armour in the UK (entrance free). The Grand Theatre is the home of Opera North.

Where to travel next after Leeds

Leeds is an excellent jumping-off point to explore the North of England. Check out our guide to 8 of the best day trips from Leeds. Also, scroll through some of the most popular train routes from Leeds for more inspiration:

Leeds to Sheffield

Leeds to Harrogate

Leeds to York

Leeds to Manchester

Leeds to Liverpool

Leeds to Birmingham

Enjoy Simpler Fares from London to Newcastle with LNER

LNER’s new Simpler Fares pilot has launched on the journey between London and Newcastle. From 16th January 2024, there are now just three ticket types available to buy for travel from 5th February 2024, to make planning your journey easier:

Advance (non-flexible)

Tis ticket remains the same and is valid for a specific time and date that you book in advance. Find out more about Advance train tickets.

70min Flex (semi-flexible)

This new ticket type is valid for a single journey and allows you to travel on any LNER service that departs up to 70 minutes before or after your original booked train. Like Advance tickets, you’ll have a seat reservation on your original booked train, but can simply board another valid train and find an available seat with your 70min Flex ticket.

Anytime (fully-flexible)

This ticket remains the same and is valid on any service within the booked date validity. Find out more about Anytime train tickets.

Can I book the 70min Flex ticket on Trainline?

Yes you can! Once you make a search for times and tickets, you’ll be able to find the new 70min Flex ticket in the ‘Compare all ticket types’ section on our website and ‘First Class and more’ section on our app.

Book now

Passenger reviews about this journey

Booking is simple. Trains leave on time and personal seating requests are met. Will continue to use Trainline- no reason not to!

Sue Brownlee5 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

Bang on time. Nice seat. Awful tea.

C Blake6 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

Good service. On time and clean train. Would recommend.

Karen Reeve6 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

No problem at all

Olurotimi Sotunde6 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

Very good journey, a bit delayed but everything was ok.

Ildiko Konig6 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

It was a very pleasant journey. The train left on time both ways ( from London and back from Leeds)

Dijana Derakovic Hodzic8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

Train was comfortable left on time and arrived on time.

Mary Tomlin8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

I had a most comfortable journey in a very short time-I’m a convert to train travel !!

Sue Grafton8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

Comfortable seats. Buffet bar. On time. Really enjoyed my journey

Susan Ward8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

The return journey 16:16pm on Sunday 14th April from Leeds was fine. However, the guard could have put in more effort with his announcements. He seemed really bored and tired and this came across in each communication.

Cliff Russell8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

Train cancelled 2 min before departure. Could have got on earlier train if communication had been better.

Customer6 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

The coaches were bad enough, e.g. Coach B was so stinky and it caused me committing almost but my luggage was in that coach which made me so worried and unwell, and Coach E was extremely hot. The coach carpets were really dirty. The only good point was the cleaner was moving and collecting the rubbish. The train company should give us compensation. Otherwise, It could stop us from traveling by train in the future. Too horrible smell!!!

Hong Song6 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

The train was delayed and I missed my connection

Alexandra6 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

paid for 2 seats & no reserved signs on chairs. Woman and child was in ours so we felt too guilty getting them both to stand up & causing a scene, not fair especially with price we paid!

Cat8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

It didn’t happen because of the rail strikes our train was cancelled and so was all the connecting trains. Ruined a girlie weekend with my best friend, with whom I see once every 2 years if I’m lucky as she lives in Oz.

Customer8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

Train was delayed and subsequent train was overbooked and overcrowded. Was told I could get a partial refund via your website but couldn’t

Emily Cordle8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

Extremely crowded as the train before had broken down . Very overcrowded so couldn’t get a toilet . Not good

Paula Manning8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

The train from Doncaster to London was over half an hour delayed. I had reserved a seat but due to faults on the train reservations were cancelled. There were no available seats and people were crowded in hall ways and forced to stand from Doncaster to London.

Tabitha Butler8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

There was no water to wash hands either on the outward or homeward journey. I was not able to use the ‘order food to your seat ‘ app and when I went to the buffet car to get drinks no one was there as he was busy delivering food to passengers in their seats. Surely more staff are needed to implement this service.

Julie8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

Excellent timekeeping and comfortable but shame that the boiler wasn't working so not hot drinks or food.

SP8 months agoChevronRightChevronRight

Rated 3.2 / 5. Showing 20 out of 23 reviews.

Tips and tricks from our Trainline team

We love helping our customers find inspiration for their next train journey. Discover some travel stories written based on our employees' experiences.

London to Leeds on an Azuma train

My journey from London to Leeds took just under two and a half from station to station. I travelled on one of LNER’s high-speed Azuma trains – a real treat for a train nerd such as myself!

The journey

I had booked an Advance ticket as it was the cheapest option, meaning I had to catch the specific train listed on my ticket. During the booking process I’d specified my seating preferences, so when I boarded I was happy to find that my seat was exactly where I wanted it: forward-facing and next to the window.

Standard Class is perfectly comfortable and served my purposes well. I had access to a fold-down table and a plug socket, and I also connected to the free onboard WiFi. This allowed me to get on with some work, which helped pass the time!

For the purposes of the review, I had a peek into First Class. The carriages are roomier with wider seats. Meals are included as part of the ticket (I was content with bringing my own food on board!) and the seats have plug sockets as well as stand-alone USB ports. Most of the passengers in First Class looked to be travelling on business and were therefore using the USB to charge their phone while their laptop charged in the socket. Suffice to say if the right deal came about, I’d love to travel First Class!

Arrival into London Kings Cross

We arrived into Kings Cross a few minutes late owing to upgrade works taking place on the East Coast Main Line. I was meeting a friend at Granary Square, a bustling canal-side spot with food trucks, which is located conveniently behind Kings Cross station. All in all, it was a very easy and convenient journey.

About Freddie

Freddie, a former Trainline employee, chose to share his experience of the journey between London and Leeds.

† Average savings on advance fares booked at least one week before day of travel vs Anytime fares purchased on day of travel. Subject to availability. Excludes coach.

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