London to Doncaster by train

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.