Peterborough to London by train

Peterborough to London is a direct journey of about 50 minutes. LNER runs the fast trains to King's Cross about twice an hour, with a journey of about 48 to 51 minutes. Thameslink and Great Northern also run direct trains, which call at more stations and take longer. Check which company your ticket is for, because some cheaper tickets are tied to one company's trains.

Peterborough station is the start of your trip

Trains leave from Peterborough, on Station Road. The station is step-free to all platforms, with lifts and a ticket office, and it has refreshments, bus and taxi links for getting there. LNER manages the station. Platforms are shown on the board shortly before departure, so check it before you head down.

Trains arrive at King's Cross or St Pancras International

LNER runs the fast direct trains about twice an hour, and Great Northern also runs direct trains to King's Cross. Thameslink trains call at more stations and take longer. Some run to King's Cross, and others stop at St Pancras International instead and carry on across London. A few Grand Central trains a day also run from Peterborough to King's Cross, Monday to Saturday. Look at the arrival time and not only the departure when you choose a train, then check your date before you travel.

Some cheap tickets are tied to one company

British fares come in three main kinds. Advance tickets are cheapest, are for one named train and are sold in limited numbers, usually from some weeks ahead. Off-Peak tickets are cheaper than Anytime tickets and are valid on any train outside the busiest hours. Anytime tickets cost the most and let you take any train on the day.

The trap is that train companies sell some of their own cheaper tickets. Thameslink and Great Northern sell Super Off-Peak Day Returns between Peterborough and London that cannot be used on trains arriving in London before 10:56 or leaving London between 16:30 and 19:01 on weekdays. Check the train company and times on your ticket, so you match the ticket to the train before you board. If in doubt, ask at the ticket office.

LNER fares start from £16.60 in Standard class, and Advance tickets booked about four weeks ahead can save up to 45%. Fares are higher at busy times. A Railcard takes about a third off most fares, but you need to be eligible and buy one first, and some restrict weekday morning travel.

Interrail and Eurail Global Passes work on these trains

Interrail Global Passes (for people who live in Europe) and Eurail Global Passes (for people who live outside Europe) are valid on National Rail trains in Great Britain, including LNER, Thameslink, Great Northern and Grand Central. On Thameslink, Great Northern and Grand Central you can board without a seat reservation. On LNER, 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.

What you can reach from King's Cross

LNER, Great Northern and Grand Central trains arrive at King's Cross. The Underground station there, King's Cross St Pancras, is served by the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines. St Pancras International is next door and is the terminal for Eurostar, so you can step across to a Paris train. Thameslink trains that stop at St Pancras arrive there instead.

Sunday 18 October 2026 can disrupt trains from the north

Planned works between Peterborough and Doncaster on Sunday 18 October 2026 cut LNER services beyond Peterborough to hourly Scotland trains and one train every two hours to Leeds. Journeys beyond Peterborough take about 60 minutes longer and rail replacement coaches run between Peterborough and Doncaster. LNER runs a reduced timetable on the line that day, and if you are continuing north, leave extra time. Check your date before you travel.