Train stations in Cambridge

Cambridge station is about a mile from the city centre, with direct trains to London King's Cross, London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.

Arriving at Cambridge station

The station is on Station Road. Every platform has step-free access, with lifts to platforms 7 and 8. The ticket office is open from 05:10 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and from 07:00 to 22:55 on Sunday, and there are ticket machines. Toilets are on platform 4, taxis wait in front of the station, and bicycles can be hired there.

From the station to the centre

Walking into the centre takes around 20 to 25 minutes. The easier way is a Stagecoach Citi bus: Citi 1 and Citi 3 both stop at the station and run to the city centre, Citi 1 up to every 12 minutes and Citi 3 up to every 15 minutes at peak times. A single costs no more than £3, and tickets can be bought in the Stagecoach app. If you plan several bus rides, a PlusBus ticket bought with your train ticket gives unlimited bus travel around the city at a discount.

The centre is around Market Square and King's Parade, close to the colleges.

Trains from Cambridge

Four operators run trains from Cambridge. Journey times are as of October 2026.

• Greater Anglia runs to London Liverpool Street up to six times an hour on weekdays, and the fastest train takes 1 hour 5 minutes. It also runs to Stansted Airport (fastest 29 minutes), Norwich (fastest 1 hour 13 minutes), Ipswich, Ely and Peterborough.
• Great Northern runs fast trains to London King's Cross about every half hour in around 50 minutes, with slower stopping trains taking about 1 hour 30 minutes. It also runs to Ely in 15 to 20 minutes and to King's Lynn in about 50 minutes.
• Thameslink reaches London St Pancras International in about 1 hour 10 minutes, every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sunday. The same trains continue to Gatwick Airport in about 1 hour 55 minutes and to Brighton in about 2 hours 30 minutes. Eurostar trains leave from St Pancras International.
• CrossCountry runs hourly between Stansted Airport and Birmingham New Street, calling at Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough and Leicester. Birmingham is about 2 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes from Cambridge, and Peterborough about 50 minutes.

Cambridge South and Cambridge North

Cambridge South opened on 28 June 2026 to serve the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. It is the stop before Cambridge on trains from London, so stay on the train for the city centre. Cambridge North is a separate station on the line towards Ely and King's Lynn, four minutes from Cambridge by Great Northern. The Citi 2 bus serves it.

Tickets

Advance singles are the cheapest fares. Each is tied to one train, goes on sale up to 12 weeks ahead on Greater Anglia and can be changed for a £10 fee plus any difference in fare. It is not refundable unless the train is delayed or cancelled. National Railcard discounts apply to Advance fares, except the Network Railcard.

Off-Peak tickets can be used at any time on weekends. On weekdays, a Greater Anglia train to London Liverpool Street must not arrive before 10:00. Anytime tickets are valid on any train on the day, with no advance booking.

Buy before you board. Greater Anglia sells tickets on board only on some rural routes, and a penalty fare is £100 plus the full single fare for your journey, or £50 plus the fare if you pay within 21 days.

Rail passes and reservations

As of October 2026, Interrail covers Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink and CrossCountry, and none of the trains from Cambridge needs a paid reservation. A seat reservation is recommended on CrossCountry. The Interrail Great Britain Pass is not valid on Eurostar, and with a Global Pass a Eurostar seat reservation is compulsory.

Before you go

Great Northern and Thameslink use King's Cross and St Pancras, which are neighbouring stations, while Greater Anglia uses Liverpool Street. Choose the London terminal before you buy a ticket.

Greater Anglia has late-night works between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge from 9 to 13 November 2026.