London to Crewe by train

London to Crewe is a direct train journey of about 1 hour 35 minutes on the fastest services. You leave from London Euston, and two companies run trains here: Avanti West Coast with the fast trains, and London Northwestern Railway with slower ones that take around 2 hours. Crewe is a big railway junction, so many visitors pass through on the way to Manchester, Chester or Liverpool. Advance fares start from £25 on Avanti West Coast and from £10.50 on London Northwestern Railway.

Euston is the only London station for this trip

Every train to Crewe leaves from London Euston, on Euston Road in north London. Look for the station name, not the area: London has several large stations in a line along Euston Road and nearby, and they serve different parts of the country. Trains from Euston go north and north west. If your ticket or booking says Euston, you are in the right place.

Euston has step-free access to all platforms, a ticket office and ticket machines, shops, refreshments and a first class lounge. The Northern and Victoria lines of the Underground stop at Euston, and Euston Square station next door has the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, so you can reach the station from much of central London without a taxi. Platforms are shown on the departure screens shortly before each train leaves, so wait under the board until yours appears.

Avanti West Coast is the fast train, London Northwestern Railway the slower one

Avanti West Coast runs the quickest trains to Crewe, with the fastest journey taking 1 hour 35 minutes. London Northwestern Railway runs direct trains too, but they call at more stations and take around 2 hours. Both are direct. You do not change trains with either company.

Trains run through the day, with several an hour between the two companies. If you are in a hurry, look at the arrival time on the booking screen rather than the departure time, because the gap is what tells you which company you are on. If you are not in a hurry, the slower train is a perfectly good way to travel and can be cheaper.

Check which company your ticket is valid on before you board

This is where visitors lose money. Some cheap tickets are tied to one train company. London Northwestern Railway sells Off-Peak and Anytime tickets marked "WMR & LNR only", which are valid only on London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway trains. If you buy one of these and board an Avanti West Coast train, it will not be valid and you may have to pay again. Tickets marked "any permitted" work on both companies.

Read the wording on your ticket or booking confirmation, and match the company to the train you board. If you are not sure, ask staff at Euston before you get on.

Advance, Off-Peak and Anytime tickets

Advance tickets are single tickets for one named train. They are the cheapest option and are usually on sale up to 12 weeks ahead, but once the cheap ones are gone they are gone, and you cannot catch a different train. Advance fares start from £25 with Avanti West Coast and from £10.50 with London Northwestern Railway. An Advance ticket with Avanti West Coast always comes with a seat booking.

Off-Peak tickets are cheaper than Anytime but cannot be used on the busiest trains, usually weekday mornings. Anytime tickets cost the most and let you travel on any train at any time. Both Off-Peak and Anytime give you freedom to pick a train on the day. A Railcard can take up to one third off most fares, so if you qualify for one, buy it before you book.

Rail passes work on both companies

Interrail Global Passes (for people who live in Europe) and Eurail Global Passes (for people who live outside Europe) are valid on Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway, so you can use a pass on every direct train from Euston to Crewe. Pass holders can board either company without a seat reservation. If you live in the UK, a Global Pass covers only one outbound and one inbound journey in your own country, so you cannot use it for an ordinary trip within Britain.

Arriving in Crewe

Crewe station is on Nantwich Road, about a 25 minute walk from the town centre. Local buses 37, 38, 84 and 85 stop at the station if you would rather ride. The station has lifts to every platform, a ticket office, a first class lounge and shops.

Many people come to Crewe to change trains. Trains run from Crewe to Chester in about 19 minutes and to Manchester in about 32 minutes, and London Northwestern Railway runs to Liverpool Lime Street in 45 minutes at its fastest and to Birmingham New Street in 55 minutes. Follow the platform numbers on the screens and allow a few minutes to cross the station.

Engineering work on Sunday 8 November 2026

On Sunday 8 November 2026, no trains run on the direct line between Stafford and Crewe. Avanti West Coast trains are diverted and London Northwestern Railway uses buses between Stafford and Crewe, so your journey may take longer. Check your train on National Rail before you travel.