Train stations in Exeter
Exeter St Davids is the main station for GWR, CrossCountry and SWR trains; Exeter Central, a 12 to 15 minute walk away, is the stop for the High Street.
- Stations
- 2
- Primary station
- Exeter St Davids
- Passenger operators
- 3
Exeter St Davids is the main station, a 12 to 15 minute walk from Exeter Central, which is the stop for the High Street.
Which Exeter station to use
Exeter St Davids is where Great Western Railway (GWR) and CrossCountry trains stop: London Paddington, Bristol, Plymouth, Penzance and Birmingham, plus branch lines to Paignton, Exmouth, Barnstaple and Okehampton. South Western Railway (SWR) trains from London Waterloo call here too. Central is the smaller station nearer the shops, served by SWR's Waterloo trains and GWR's Exmouth trains but not CrossCountry.
Waterloo and Exmouth trains run through both, taking 3 to 4 minutes between them. Both have step-free access to every platform. The St Davids ticket office opens 05:45 to 20:40 Monday to Friday, 06:15 to 20:00 on Saturday and 07:30 to 20:40 on Sunday. Central's opens 07:50 to 18:15 Monday to Saturday and 09:30 to 16:30 on Sunday.
From the station into the centre
From St Davids, Central is a 12 to 15 minute walk, and the High Street is about 5 minutes on foot beyond it. The cathedral is about 20 minutes uphill on foot from St Davids, or 10 minutes by taxi, and about 10 minutes on foot from Central. Route H runs Monday to Saturday from stop A at St Davids to Central and the High Street, and route 4 runs daily from stop B to the city centre in 8 minutes, up to every 12 minutes Monday to Saturday. An adult Exeter DayRider costs £6.50, bought in the Stagecoach app or on board. St Davids has a taxi rank. Central has none, so book a taxi ahead.
Trains to and from Exeter
- London Paddington (GWR): about 2 hours 10 minutes, with the fastest trains taking 2 hours. Trains usually leave every half hour.
- London Waterloo (SWR): normally one train an hour, calling at Exeter Central and St Davids. See below for the current reduced service.
- Night Riviera sleeper (GWR): London Paddington to Penzance, every night except Saturday, calling at St Davids in the small hours. A seat costs nothing on top of the ticket, and a cabin adds from £49.
- Bristol Temple Meads: just over 1 hour on CrossCountry.
- Birmingham New Street: about 2 hours 30 minutes on CrossCountry, and some CrossCountry trains run through to Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- Plymouth: about 1 hour. Penzance: about 2 hours 55 minutes on CrossCountry.
- Exmouth (GWR): about every 30 minutes, 30 minutes to Central and 32 to St Davids.
- Paignton via Torquay (GWR): about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Barnstaple (GWR): about every hour, roughly 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes.
Monday to Friday times, timetables to 12 December 2026.
SWR has run a reduced timetable since 10 August 2026, until further notice, because of speed restrictions between Salisbury and Exeter: one direct train every two hours, with journeys up to 24 minutes longer than usual from London and 27 towards London. Weekday journeys take about 3 hours 40 minutes to 4 hours, calling at Exeter Central before St Davids.
Works and Christmas
London Paddington has no trains on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, and again from Sunday 27 December to Sunday 3 January, when GWR trains from Exeter go only as far as Reading. On 14, 15, 21 and 22 November CrossCountry trains between Bristol and Taunton take a longer route, adding up to an hour.
SWR's Waterloo trains start from Basingstoke on Saturday 7 November and from Andover on Sunday 8 November. On Sunday 29 November they run only as far as Salisbury, with buses from Salisbury to Gillingham and trains on from Gillingham to Exeter. Some late Saturday and early Sunday trains near Yeovil Junction are replaced by buses on 21 and 22 November.
No trains run on 25 and 26 December. On 24 and 31 December GWR trains finish by 21:30, and on 24 December SWR's last train leaves Waterloo around 22:00. No trains reach Birmingham New Street from 24 to 28 December, so CrossCountry trains towards Birmingham and the North are diverted. SWR runs a reduced service towards Exeter on 27 and 28 December. The line between Andover and Gillingham is closed on 1 January, and between Salisbury and Gillingham on 2 and 3 January.
Exeter Airport
Stagecoach bus 4A runs from stop B outside St Davids through the city centre (Cheeke Street) to Exeter Airport in about 30 to 40 minutes. Buses run about every 35 minutes from 06:00 to 20:00 Monday to Saturday, and hourly from 09:15 to 18:15 on Sundays.
Tickets
Advance singles on GWR are valid only on the booked train, are not refundable, and cost £10 to change. Off-Peak and Anytime tickets are not tied to a train. Railcards take 34% off GWR Advance fares. Buy before you board: travelling without a valid ticket can bring a penalty fare.
Rail passes and reservations
As of October 2026, Interrail covers GWR, CrossCountry and SWR, so every train that calls at Exeter is included. Day trains need no reservation, though GWR and CrossCountry recommend one, and pass holders can reserve GWR day trains through GWR. The one exception is GWR's Night Riviera sleeper between London Paddington and Penzance, which needs a reservation. The Interrail Great Britain Pass is for travellers who live in Europe; visitors from outside Europe use a Global Pass.
Where to book
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CrossCountry runs long-distance trains linking Scotland, the North, Midlands, Wales and the South West without changing in London.
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GWR runs from London Paddington to Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Devon, Cornwall, Oxford and Reading, with Advance, Off-Peak and Anytime fares.
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South Western Railway runs from London Waterloo to Southampton, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Exeter and the Isle of Wight's Island Line.
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Train stations in Exeter
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Frequently asked questions
Do I get off at Exeter St Davids or Exeter Central?
Get off at St Davids for GWR and CrossCountry trains and for most onward connections. Choose Central if you are heading for the High Street, and your train from Waterloo or Exmouth calls there before St Davids.
Is the train from London Waterloo or London Paddington better?
Paddington is faster. GWR takes about 2 hours 10 minutes and trains leave about every half hour, while SWR's Waterloo trains normally run hourly but, under the reduced timetable since 10 August 2026, leave about every two hours and take between about 3 hours 40 minutes and 4 hours.
Can I walk between Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central?
Yes, it takes 12 to 15 minutes on foot. With luggage, the 3 to 4 minute train between them is the easier option.
How do I get from Exeter to Exeter Airport without a car?
Take Stagecoach bus 4A from stop B at St Davids. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes and runs about every 35 minutes Monday to Saturday, hourly on Sundays. A taxi from the St Davids rank is the alternative.
Are trains running at Christmas and New Year in Exeter?
Only partly. No trains run on 25 and 26 December. From 27 December to 3 January GWR trains from Exeter run only as far as Reading, because London Paddington is closed, and SWR runs a reduced Waterloo service, with its line closed between Andover and Gillingham on 1 January and between Salisbury and Gillingham on 2 and 3 January. CrossCountry trains cannot use Birmingham New Street from 24 to 28 December. A normal service returns on Monday 4 January.