Train stations in Nottingham

Nottingham station on Carrington Street is the station for the city centre, and East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry and Northern trains all call there. The centre is around a 10-minute walk away, and NET trams run from the Nottingham Station stop.

Arriving at Nottingham station

The station, also known as Nottingham Midland, has seven platforms with lifts to all of them. The ticket office is open 05:00 to 22:00 Monday to Saturday and 07:15 to 22:20 on Sunday.

The footbridge between Station Street and Queen's Road stays open as a public route to the tram stop, but it does not lead onto the platforms from 19:00 on Friday until 06:00 on Monday, or between 19:00 and 06:00 each night. Then use the main entrance and ticket gates.

From the station to Old Market Square

Walking to the centre takes around 10 minutes, and the Victoria Centre and the Lace Market are 10 to 15 minutes on foot.

The NET tram is the easy option with luggage: board at the Nottingham Station stop, reached from the station footbridge, and ride to Old Market Square, both in NET's City Centre short hop zone. A short hop costs £1.50 if you tap a contactless card on the platform validator before boarding and tap off when you get off, or £2 from the ticket machine at the stop. A machine short hop ticket is valid for 20 minutes from purchase. If you forget to tap off, you pay the £3.60 single fare. Trams run every 3 to 10 minutes in the centre, and Nottingham Castle is close to the Old Market Square stop.

Buy before you board: travelling on the tram without a valid ticket brings a £120 penalty fare.

Trains from Nottingham

Times below follow the timetable that runs until 12 December 2026; a new one starts on 13 December.

• London St Pancras International: East Midlands Railway runs direct trains, usually 2 an hour and up to 3 at busy times, in about 1 hour 36 minutes from Nottingham on the fastest trains.
• Leicester: East Midlands Railway takes 21 minutes on the fastest trains.
• Derby: East Midlands Railway takes as little as 20 minutes, and CrossCountry also calls at Derby.
• Sheffield: East Midlands Railway takes about 51 minutes on the fastest trains, and Northern also runs there.
• Leeds: Northern takes about 2 hours.
• Birmingham New Street: CrossCountry takes around 1 hour 15 minutes. The trains continue to Cardiff Central.
• Lincoln: East Midlands Railway takes 50 minutes on the fastest trains.
• Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich: East Midlands Railway's route between the two calls at Nottingham. The average journey is around 2 hours 54 minutes to Liverpool and 2 hours 49 minutes to Norwich.

Engineering works and Christmas

On Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026, Northern trains between Nottingham and Leeds run only between Sheffield and Leeds. Northern tickets are accepted on East Midlands Railway trains between Nottingham and Sheffield. On the Saturday some Liverpool trains from Nottingham end at Sheffield or Manchester Piccadilly.

Buses replace morning trains between Nottingham and Derby on Sunday 29 November (calling at Beeston, Attenborough and Long Eaton) and Sunday 6 December 2026. On 6 December the 08:21 and 09:24 London trains start from East Midlands Parkway instead.

From Saturday 5 December to 05:30 on Monday 7 December 2026, no trains run between London St Pancras International and Bedford. Buses run between Bedford and Hitchin, and your ticket is valid on Great Northern and Thameslink trains from Hitchin to London at no extra cost.

Over Christmas, East Midlands Railway trains run on Thursday 24 December but finish earlier, with the last trains usually leaving between 19:00 and 21:00. No trains run on 25 or 26 December. Trains resume on Sunday 27 December, and some London trains leave a few minutes earlier than usual from Monday 28 December to Friday 1 January 2027. Trains end earlier on 31 December and start later on 1 January. No trains run to or from Birmingham New Street from Thursday 24 to Monday 28 December 2026, so plan Birmingham and Cardiff journeys for other days.

East Midlands Airport

trentbarton's skylink express coach runs from Nottingham station to East Midlands Airport between 04:00 and 22:00, every half hour in the day. It takes about 30 minutes and costs £6.60 on the bus. trentbarton's skylink Nottingham bus runs 24 hours from Broadmarsh Bus Station, a five-minute walk from the station, every 20 minutes in the day and hourly at night. It takes around 55 minutes and costs £5.30 on the bus.

Tickets

Advance tickets are valid only on the train you book and go on sale up to 12 weeks ahead. Off-Peak tickets are valid outside the busiest hours, and Anytime tickets are valid on any train at any time. On weekdays, Off-Peak tickets to London are valid on trains arriving in London at or after 10:03, and at weekends they are valid all day. A railcard takes up to a third off. Buy before you board, because penalty fares apply on East Midlands Railway trains.

Rail passes and reservations

As of October 2026, an Interrail pass covers East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry and Northern, the three operators at Nottingham. East Midlands Railway and Northern trains need no reservation. A CrossCountry reservation is recommended but not required. Since 1 April 2026 East Midlands Railway has not taken seat reservations on its intercity trains while it brings in new trains, though wheelchair and bicycle spaces can still be booked.