--- title: "Trains from London to Doncaster | EveryRail" description: "Direct trains from London King's Cross to Doncaster take about 1h45. LNER, Hull Trains and Grand Central run them. LNER Advance from £19.10." image: "https://everyrail.com/api/route-image/london-to-doncaster/" --- [Home]()[Europe by train]()[United Kingdom]()London to Doncaster by train [Home]()[Europe by train]()[United Kingdom]()London to Doncaster by train **Share** - - [Share on WhatsApp]() - [Share on X]() - [Share on Facebook]() - [Share by email]() **On this page** - [About London to Doncaster by train]() - [Where to book]() - [Find places to stay in Doncaster]() - [Frequently asked questions]() - [More routes]() [Book now]() Last updated October 2026 # London to Doncaster by train Direct trains from London King's Cross to Doncaster take about 1h45. LNER, Hull Trains and Grand Central run them. LNER Advance from £19.10. ![An LNER Azuma train at a station platform]() Origin [London]() Destination Doncaster Country [United Kingdom]() [London]() to Doncaster is a direct journey of about 1 hour 45 minutes. Every train leaves London King's Cross and arrives at Doncaster, with no change. Three companies run them: LNER, Hull Trains and Grand Central, so you have a choice of trains and prices. LNER Advance tickets start at £19.10, but they only work on the train you book. ## Three companies run direct trains from King's Cross LNER is the main operator, with about two trains an hour at busy times. Hull Trains runs up to 7 direct trains a day and carries on to Hull. Grand Central runs four direct trains each weekday. All three use London King's Cross. You do not need to choose between terminals. LNER takes about 1 hour 44 minutes on average, Hull Trains about 1 hour 40 minutes and Grand Central about 1 hour 42 minutes. Look at the arrival time when you compare trains. ## Find King's Cross, not St Pancras London King's Cross is on Euston Road in north London. The Underground station, King's Cross St Pancras, is next to the terminal and has the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines. St Pancras International, where [Eurostar]() arrives, is next door, so check the name on your ticket if you are coming straight from Paris or Brussels. Check the departure board for your platform. ## Buy the ticket for the train you will actually take Advance tickets are single fares for one named train. They are the cheapest, and they cannot be refunded. LNER lets you change the date for a £10 fee. If you miss the train you booked, you need a new ticket. Off-Peak tickets are for travel outside the weekday rush, and Anytime tickets are for any time of day and cost the most. Fares vary a lot by day, and they rise close to travel. Check which company a ticket is for before you pay. Some tickets sold by Hull Trains or Grand Central are valid only on that company's own trains. A Grand Central Advance ticket is valid only on the Grand Central train you booked. Some Hull Trains tickets also have weekday time limits. This is where visitors lose money, so match the company, the date and the time before you book. A Railcard takes about a third off most fares, and all three companies accept them. LNER and Grand Central say they charge no booking fees on their own websites. ## A free LNER seat reservation is worth having LNER says a seat reservation is highly recommended, and it is free on its website, app or in its stations if your ticket does not already include one. An LNER Advance ticket comes with a seat reserved. ## Interrail and Eurail Global Passes work on all three Interrail Global Passes (for people who live in Europe) and Eurail Global Passes (for people who live outside Europe) are valid on LNER, Hull Trains and Grand Central. You can board Hull Trains and Grand Central without a seat reservation. Book a free seat reservation with LNER before you travel, because some LNER trains require one. 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 inside Britain. Use a travel day on your pass and board without buying a ticket. ## Planned works on Sunday 18 October 2026 On Sunday 18 October 2026, upgrade work between Peterborough and Doncaster means fewer LNER trains, journeys about an hour longer and rail replacement buses on part of the route. Hull Trains runs only three trains each way that day, with longer journey times. Check your train company before you book. ## Arriving at Doncaster Doncaster station is in the town centre, joined to the Frenchgate shopping centre. It has buses and taxis outside, and the staffed ticket office is open on weekdays from 05:45 to 20:00. ## Where to book ### Train tickets - Omio Omio connects you with over 1,000 transport providers - trains, buses, flights, and more - to simplify your travel planning. [Check times & prices]() ### Train service - [Grand Central]() Grand Central is an open-access operator from London King's Cross to York, Sunderland, Doncaster and Bradford. Bike spaces are limited. [Official website]() [Check times & prices]() - [Hull Trains]() Hull Trains is an open-access operator running direct services from Hull and Beverley to London King's Cross, with Advance fares bookable up to 26 weeks ahead. [Official website]() [Check times & prices]() - [LNER]() LNER runs East Coast Main Line trains from London King's Cross to Yorkshire, the North East, Edinburgh and Inverness. [Official website]() [Check times & prices]() ## Find places to stay in Doncaster [![Bright bedroom with white bedding and a breakfast tray on the bed]()**Browse stays in Doncaster**Hotels and apartments via Booking.com]() ## Frequently asked questions ### How long does the train from London to Doncaster take? Most trains take about 1 hour 40 to 1 hour 50 minutes. All three companies run direct trains, so there is no change. ### Is there a direct train from London to Doncaster? Yes. LNER, Hull Trains and Grand Central all run direct trains from London King's Cross to Doncaster. Trains run through the day, with LNER the most frequent. ### Which London station do trains to Doncaster leave from? London King's Cross, for LNER, Hull Trains and Grand Central alike. St Pancras International is next door but has no trains to Doncaster. ### How much is a train ticket from London to Doncaster? LNER Advance fares start from £19.10 one way. Fares vary with the day and time, and they rise as the date gets closer, so book ahead for the cheapest tickets. ### Do I need to book a seat from London to Doncaster? Not always. LNER recommends a free seat reservation, and an LNER Advance ticket includes one. ### Does my Interrail or Eurail pass work from London to Doncaster? Yes. Interrail and Eurail Global Passes are valid on LNER, Hull Trains and Grand Central. Hull Trains and Grand Central need no seat reservation, but book a free one with LNER before you travel, because some LNER trains require it. Residents of the UK cannot use a Global Pass for an ordinary trip inside Britain. ## More routes [![Tower Bridge in London at dusk]()Amsterdam to London by trainDirect Eurostar trains take about 4 hours 10 minutes from Amsterdam to London, with around 3 daily departures and fares from about €57 / £52.]()[![Tower Bridge in London at dusk]()Barcelona to London by trainNo direct train. TGV INOUI Barcelona Sants to Paris Gare de Lyon (about 6h46), RER D to Gare du Nord, then Eurostar (2h17) to London St Pancras.]()[![Tower Bridge in London at dusk]()Birmingham to London by trainDirect trains from Birmingham New Street to London Euston take about 1h30, fastest 1h17. Chiltern Railways from Moor Street to Marylebone takes about 2 hours.]()[![Tower Bridge in London at dusk]()Brighton to London by trainDirect trains take about 1 hour from Brighton to London, to Victoria, London Bridge or St Pancras. Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express. No reservations.]()[![Tower Bridge in London at dusk]()Brussels to London by trainDirect Eurostar trains link Bruxelles-Midi / Brussel-Zuid and London St Pancras in about two hours; fares start at £39 on selected departures.]()[![Tower Bridge in London at dusk]()Budapest to London by trainBudapest to London by train is not direct: connect via Paris or Brussels, then take Eurostar to London St Pancras. Fastest trips take around 17 hours.]()[![Tower Bridge in London at dusk]()Coventry to London by trainDirect trains from Coventry to London Euston take about 1 hour on Avanti West Coast and about 1h20 to 1h30 on London Northwestern Railway. Fares from £9.]()[![Tower Bridge in London at dusk]()Crewe to London by trainDirect trains from Crewe to London Euston take 1h37 on the fastest Avanti West Coast services and around 2h10 on slower ones. 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