London to Birmingham by train

Two routes, and they are genuinely different

Most people assume there is one London–Birmingham train. There are two, from different London terminals, into different Birmingham stations, run by different companies.

The headline is that the Euston route is capable of being much faster, but only on its fastest services — plenty of Avanti departures take closer to two hours, which is slower than Chiltern. So “the fast route” is only fast if you actually book a fast train on it.

Which Birmingham station do you want?

New Street is the big one, underneath the Grand Central shopping centre, and it is the main interchange for onward trains across the Midlands and the north. Moor Street is smaller, a few minutes’ walk away, and is arguably the more pleasant arrival — it is a restored period station at street level rather than a deep concourse.

For the city centre, the Bullring and the canals, both are within easy walking distance. If you are connecting onwards by rail, check which station your next train leaves from before you pick your inbound route.

How the timings work out

Both routes run frequently through the day. Because the journey is short, the difference between a good fare and a bad one is proportionally larger here than on a long route — a walk-up ticket can cost several times what the same seat cost booked ahead.

Train, car or coach?

The drive is around 120 miles and takes roughly two to two and a half hours without traffic, plus city-centre parking at the other end. Coaches are cheaper again but take around three hours. For a single traveller booking with any notice, rail is usually both the fastest and the least stressful of the three.

Getting the fare down

British fares reward planning more than almost any other network. The cheap Advance fares are released around twelve weeks before travel and sold in limited batches at rising prices — buy early and you pay a fraction of the walk-up fare, buy on the day and you pay the lot. The catch is that an Advance ticket is valid only on the train you booked.

Two other things are worth knowing and neither is a trick: a railcard costs around £30 a year and takes roughly a third off most fares, and split ticketing — buying two tickets covering consecutive parts of the same journey, staying in the same seat — is entirely permitted and frequently cheaper than the through fare.

Our guide to train travel in the UK goes through ticket types, railcards and split ticketing in full.

Common questions

Which route should I book?

If you want the shortest possible journey and can get one of the fast Avanti services from Euston, take that. If price matters more, Chiltern from Marylebone to Moor Street is usually cheaper and more consistent in journey time. Compare both.

Are the two stations in Birmingham far apart?

No — New Street and Moor Street are a few minutes’ walk from each other, both in the city centre. Either works for most visits.

Is a ticket valid on both routes?

Not automatically. Cheap Advance tickets are tied to a specific operator and train. A flexible ticket may permit either route, but check the routing printed on it rather than assuming.

How long does it really take?

Anywhere from about an hour and a quarter on the fastest Avanti service to around two hours on a slower one. Read the journey time on each result — the variation on this route is unusually wide.