London to Manchester by train

Prices explained

Cheapest Price $18.31
30 day advance $54.94

89% based on 52,371 reviews

First train

06:16
Last train

23:00

Avg changes

0
Fastest journey

2hr 4m

Distance

261 kilometres
Trains per day

44

Avg. journey time

2hr 18m
Train operators

Travelling from London to Manchester by train

Fast trains from London to Manchester take around 2 hours and 4 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 261 kilometres. There are frequent services on the rail route between London and Manchester.

1. Are there direct trains from London to Manchester?

Direct trains from London to Manchester have been found.

We usually find around 46 direct trains on the route from London to Manchester every weekday.

There are typically fewer departures at weekends, when we found around 40 departures.

2. How long is the train journey from London to Manchester?

The London to Manchester train travel time is normally about 2 hours and 4 minutes, whatever time you make the journey.

3. What are the London to Manchester train times and schedule?

On weekdays the earliest direct train to Manchester is usually scheduled to depart London around 06:16 and the last train is around 23:00. At weekends the first train of the day leaves London around 06:36, and the last at 21:51.

What's the London to Manchester train price?

The earlier you book the better, and the cheapest tickets we've found for trains from London to Manchester are $18.31.

Trains departing 30 days in advance will cost around $54, and when booking 7 days in advance the price is usually the same. Booking on the day of travel may be more expensive.

When to book London to Manchester train tickets?

Trains in the UK usually open for booking around 3 months in advance. If booking is not yet open for your dates then you can set a booking alert to receive an email on the day that the cheapest tickets are released for your journey from London to Manchester by train.

Help with booking alerts

Which train companies operate between London and Manchester?

More than one train company operates on the route from London to Manchester, so you’ll be travelling with one or more of the following rail operators:

Avanti West Coast
Virgin Trains

You can check which train you’ll be travelling on by looking for the train name in search results.

Manchester to London by train

Other journeys to Manchester View all journeys to Manchester

From Cheltenham Spa From $21.58
From Edinburgh (Waverley, city centre) From $20.14
From Carlisle From $31.13
From York From $12.43
From Warrington From $4.05
From Chester From $7.85
From Crewe From $2.62
From Norwich From $29.95
From Huddersfield From $109.88
From Cardiff From $37.02
From Bristol From $51.41
From Stoke-on-Trent From $4.58

Virgin Trains

Taking the train from London to Manchester is very easy. There’s one early morning train from Manchester which dashes to London in just two hours. No northbound service can quite match that. The journey cuts through the Hertfordshire hills and then crosses the Midland Plain to Staffordshire, shirting the western edges of the Pennines on the approach to Manchester.

There are alternative routes departing from Marylebone, Paddington or St Pancras stations in London. These all require a change of train en route and the journey time to Manchester is much longer. You may however sometimes find attractive fares on these other routes.