Train stations in Windsor

Windsor & Eton Central is the main station, with GWR shuttles from Slough. Windsor & Eton Riverside has direct trains to London Waterloo.

Which station to use

Windsor & Eton Central is inside the Royal Windsor shopping centre on Thames Street, and the High Street is a 2-minute walk away. Windsor & Eton Riverside is on Datchet Road beside the Thames, around 10 minutes on foot from Central via Jubilee Arch, Thames Street and Datchet Road.

Choose by where you start. From London Waterloo, Riverside is the simple option because South Western Railway trains run direct. From London Paddington you change at Slough for the branch train to Central. Central has lifts and step-free access to every platform. Riverside has no lifts, and its step-free routes use long or steep ramps or the street.

Windsor Castle and Eton

From Central you come out on Thames Street, opposite the castle walls. From Riverside, the castle is about 10 minutes on foot via Datchet Road and Thames Street. The castle is at the top of a steep hill and the visitor route inside covers long distances. Windsor Castle opens Thursday to Monday and is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday. From November to February it opens 10:00 to 16:15, with last entry 75 minutes before closing, and as a working palace it can close at short notice. A standard adult ticket costs £32.00 booked in advance and £36.00 on the day. St George's Chapel is also closed to visitors on Sundays.

Eton is across the Thames over the Eton Walkway bridge. Eton College is a 10 to 15 minute walk from Riverside and 15 to 20 minutes from Central, and its museums and gallery are free to enter on Sunday afternoons from 13:30 to 16:00.

Trains from London

Times follow the timetables that run until 12 December 2026; new ones start on 13 December.

• London Waterloo to Windsor & Eton Riverside: South Western Railway runs direct trains twice an hour, taking just under an hour Monday to Saturday and about 65 to 70 minutes on Sundays. They also stop at Clapham Junction, Richmond, Twickenham and Feltham.
• London Paddington to Windsor & Eton Central: change at Slough. Two GWR trains an hour from Paddington connect into the branch: the fastest regular journey takes about 28 minutes and the other about 38 minutes. The branch train from Slough runs every 20 minutes and takes 6 minutes.

Engineering works and holidays

Buses replace South Western Railway trains between Hounslow and Windsor & Eton Riverside on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November 2026. On Sunday 8 November, trains to and from Waterloo run to a revised timetable. On Sunday 22 November, Waterloo to Riverside trains are diverted and retimed while buses replace trains between Clapham Junction and Richmond. On Sunday 13 December, buses replace trains between Clapham Junction and Barnes, which affects Waterloo to Riverside journeys.

London Paddington is closed to trains on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November 2026, with buses between Ealing Broadway and Slough. Riverside to Waterloo is the alternative that weekend.

Over Christmas, South Western Railway's last train from Waterloo on Thursday 24 December leaves around 22:00, and no trains run on 25 or 26 December. A reduced timetable runs on 27 and 28 December, and on 27 December SWR's first train of the day leaves Waterloo at 06:14. On Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 December a Saturday service runs, and on 31 December the last train leaves Waterloo before midnight.

GWR trains finish earlier from around 21:30 on 24 December and do not run on 25 or 26 December. From Sunday 27 December to Sunday 3 January 2027 no GWR trains run to or from Paddington. Buses run between Ealing Broadway and Slough from 27 to 30 December, and from Thursday 31 December to Sunday 3 January Elizabeth line trains stop at Hayes & Harlington, with buses on to Slough. Use Riverside and Waterloo for London in that week.

Tickets

Windsor is outside the London fare zones. Advance tickets are valid only on the train you book and usually go on sale up to 12 weeks ahead. Off-Peak tickets are cheaper for travel at quieter times and are valid all day at weekends. Anytime tickets are valid on any train on the route. A railcard takes up to a third off.

Buy before you board. South Western Railway's penalty fare is £100 plus the single fare, or £50 plus the fare if paid within 21 days. Central's ticket office is open 06:40 to 19:00 Monday to Saturday and 08:20 to 17:50 on Sunday. Riverside's is open 06:40 to 20:20 Monday to Saturday and 08:50 to 18:20 on Sunday. Both stations have ticket machines.

Rail passes and reservations

As of October 2026, Interrail covers both operators here, Great Western Railway on the Slough to Windsor & Eton Central branch and South Western Railway on the Waterloo line. Neither needs a reservation. Interrail names the Elizabeth line only between Paddington and Heathrow, so use a GWR train between Paddington and Slough.