--- title: "Trains from London to Leicester | EveryRail" description: "Direct East Midlands Railway trains take about 1h10 from London St Pancras to Leicester, fastest 1h03. Advance from £15.90 each way. No reservation needed." image: "https://everyrail.com/api/route-image/london-to-leicester/" --- [Home]()[Europe by train]()[United Kingdom]()London to Leicester by train [Home]()[Europe by train]()[United Kingdom]()London to Leicester by train **Share** - - [Share on WhatsApp]() - [Share on X]() - [Share on Facebook]() - [Share by email]() **On this page** - [About London to Leicester by train]() - [Where to book]() - [Find places to stay in Leicester]() - [Frequently asked questions]() - [More routes]() [Book now]() Last updated October 2026 # London to Leicester by train Direct East Midlands Railway trains take about 1h10 from London St Pancras to Leicester, fastest 1h03. Advance from £15.90 each way. No reservation needed. ![Old John Tower in Bradgate Park, near Leicester]() Origin [London]() Destination Leicester Country [United Kingdom]() [London]() to Leicester is a direct East Midlands Railway journey of about 1 hour 10 minutes, and the fastest trains take 1 hour 3 minutes. Trains leave London St Pancras International and run to Leicester station without a change. They run up to three times an hour through the day. Advance fares from £15.90 each way are the cheapest option. ## Trains leave from St Pancras and take about 1 hour 10 minutes Every train is direct. East Midlands Railway runs them on the Midland Main Line, and the usual journey is about 1 hour 10 minutes. The quickest services take 1 hour 3 minutes, so a train that stops less often is worth picking if you have a connection. East Midlands Railway is the only company running direct trains between London and Leicester. ## Trains run from early morning to late evening, up to three an hour The first train leaves St Pancras at 05:27 and the last at 23:35. Between those times you can expect up to three departures an hour. Weekend and holiday timetables can differ, so check your own date before you travel. ## Find St Pancras International, not King's Cross London St Pancras International is on Pancras Road in north London. King's Cross station is next door, and the two are easy to confuse, but Leicester trains leave from St Pancras. Check the departure board for East Midlands Railway and Leicester, and follow the platform number once it appears. St Pancras shares King's Cross St Pancras Underground station, served by the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines. It also has bus connections, a taxi rank, step-free access to all platforms, a ticket office and ticket machines. ## Advance, Off-Peak and Anytime tickets work differently An Advance ticket is the cheapest, and it is valid only on the date and train printed on it. You can usually buy one up to 12 weeks ahead, in limited numbers, and changes cost £10 plus any fare difference. Miss the train and you cannot just take the next one. An Off-Peak ticket is tied to a time of day, not a train. On weekdays from London it is valid from 08:47 to 16:35 and again from 18:47, and on Fridays all day from 08:47. At weekends it is valid all day. Use any train within those hours. From Monday to Thursday, only an Anytime ticket works between 16:35 and 18:47. An Anytime ticket is the most expensive and works on any train at any time. Tickets bought directly from East Midlands Railway carry no booking fee, and a Railcard can take up to a third off. ## You do not need a seat reservation Seat reservations are not currently available on East Midlands Railway intercity trains, so you sit in any unreserved seat in the class on your ticket. An Advance ticket is for one booked train. Pass holders do not need a reservation either. ## Interrail and Eurail Global Pass holders can use these trains Interrail Global Passes (for people who live in Europe) and Eurail Global Passes (for people who live outside Europe) are valid on East Midlands Railway, and a pass holder can board without a reservation. You activate a travel day and add the journey to your pass in the app before you board. 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. ## Arriving at Leicester station Leicester station is on London Road, in the city centre. Taxis and buses leave from the station. Leicester Market and the King Richard III Visitor Centre are in the centre. The National Space Centre is two miles north, so take a taxi or a bus from Haymarket Bus Station, a short walk from the station. The station has step-free access to all platforms, a ticket office and machines. ## 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 - [East Midlands Railway]() East Midlands Railway runs Intercity trains to London St Pancras, regional services across the Midlands and North, and Eurostar connections. [Official website]() [Check times & prices]() ## Find places to stay in Leicester [![Bright bedroom with white bedding and a breakfast tray on the bed]()**Browse stays in Leicester**Hotels and apartments via Booking.com]() ## Frequently asked questions ### How long is the train from London to Leicester? About 1 hour 10 minutes on the usual direct train, and 1 hour 3 minutes on the fastest. ### Is there a direct train from London to Leicester? Yes. East Midlands Railway runs direct trains from London St Pancras International to Leicester with no change. ### Which London station do I leave from for Leicester? London St Pancras International. King's Cross is next door but Leicester trains do not leave from there. ### How much is a train ticket from London to Leicester? Advance fares start from £15.90 each way when booked ahead. Off-Peak and Anytime tickets cost more, and a Railcard can take up to a third off. ### Do I need to reserve a seat or book ahead? No. Seat reservations are not currently available on East Midlands Railway intercity trains, so you sit in any unreserved seat. Book an Advance ticket ahead only if you want the lowest fare, because it is tied to one train. ### Does my Interrail or Eurail pass work from London to Leicester? Yes. East Midlands Railway accepts Global Passes and no reservation is needed. Activate a travel day and add the journey in the app before boarding. ## 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. Advance fares from £25.]() ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#organization", "name": "EveryRail", "url": "https://everyrail.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://everyrail.com/_astro/everyrail-logomark-2026.VJ4vNX1T.webp", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#organization-logo-1" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.instagram.com/everyrailtravel/", "https://www.facebook.com/everyrail", "https://www.threads.com/@everyrailtravel" ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#website", "name": "EveryRail", "url": "https://everyrail.com/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://everyrail.com/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://everyrail.com/trains/london-to-leicester/#webpage", "name": "Trains from London to Leicester | EveryRail", "description": "Train travel information for London to Leicester. Origin: London. 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