London Train Stations: Which station do I need?

It goes without saying that there’s a fair few major train stations in London. Most of them act as a terminus, so you’ll need to use the tube, bus or walk to get between them. Some destinations can be reached from multiple London train stations too, so it’s good to know which one is most convenient for you. In this guide, we’ll take you through all of the major terminals so you’re armed with all the information you need for your next trip!

Which London train stations are where?

Before we delve into each of the London train stations, it’s good to know where they are in relation to everything else in London! Take a look at the handy map below to get your bearings and to get an idea of where each London train station is:

Cannon Street

What’s it near? You’ll find Cannon Street station in the heart of the City of London. Nearby, there’s the Bank of England and the Monument to the Great Fire of London. You could also pay a visit to the Sky Garden or have a wander around Leadenhall Market.

Which trains go there? On a typical weekday, you’ll find trains that serve the suburbs of South East London, as well as ones that serve Dartford and Gravesend. Cannon Street has traditionally been one of the ‘commuter’ London train stations for those that work in the nearby offices of the City of London. If you use it outside of main ‘rush’ hours, you might find it to be rather peaceful!

On a weekend, there’s usually four trains per hour serving the suburbs of London. However, this can change depending on engineering works. You might find that there’s no trains at all, or that you can suddenly get to most of Kent if another London station isn’t able to be served!

Can I get there by Tube? It’s served directly by Cannon Street Underground station, where you can change to and from the District and Circle lines.

Charing Cross

What’s it near? If you’re looking to visit Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, then this is the station for you. You can also access the Adelphi Theatre, Covent Garden, the London Transport Museum and the Royal Opera House within a short walk. The station is in a perfect location for a classic day trip to London!

Which trains go there? Trains to/from Dover Priory, Ramsgate and Hastings, as well as Dartford, Maidstone East and Hayes.

Can I get there by Tube? You can interchange with the Northern and Bakerloo lines from Charing Cross Tube station. Alternatively, a short walk towards the River Thames will take you to Embankment, where you can catch the District and Circle lines.

Euston

What’s it near? You can visit the British Library, the British Museum and Regent’s Park. The University of London campus is just a short walk away, while you can reach Camden Town by foot, bus or tube.

Which trains go there? Euston is the main station for trains to/from Birmingham, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Glasgow and North Wales. You’ll also find suburban services heading to Watford Junction (for Harry Potter World) as well as Milton Keynes and Northampton. Travelling by Caledonian Sleeper? Your trains to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen and Fort William also arrive and depart from Euston.

Can I get there by Tube? Interchange is possible with the Northern and Victoria lines from Euston. If you’re changing to/from the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, it’s just a short walk down Euston Road to Euston Square.

Fenchurch Street

What’s it near? Fenchurch Street is another station well-placed for the City of London. It’s also the nearest station for the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and St Katharine Docks.

Which trains go there? It’s a fairly small station served exclusively by trains heading for Grays, Southend and Shoeburyness.

Can I get there by Tube? There’s no direct tube access to Fenchurch Street. The nearest station is Tower Hill, where you can interchange with the Circle and District lines.

Kings Cross

What’s it near? Nearby, you’ll find the Regent’s Canal and Granary Square. Just like Euston, it’s just a short walk to the British Library, too. Of course, we can’t forget that the station itself also houses the Platform 9 3/4 of Harry Potter fame!

Which trains go there? You’ll find long-distance trains to Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness from Kings Cross. Some suburban services to Cambridge and King’s Lynn also depart from here.

Can I get there by Tube? Kings Cross St Pancras is one of the best-served Tube stations on the network. You can change to/from the Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines, as well as the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines.

Liverpool Street

What’s it near? The station is just a stone’s throw from Spitalfields Market. It’s also just a short walk to trendy Brick Lane and Shoreditch.

Which trains go there? You’ll find trains to Norwich, Ipswich, Braintree, Clacton and Southend Victoria, as well as Cambridge, Hertford East and Stansted Airport. London Overground trains also run from here to Chingford, Enfield Town and Cheshunt.

It’s also possible to catch Elizabeth Line trains from here to Abbey Wood and Paddington. From November 6th 2022, they’re also scheduled to continue to Reading and Heathrow Airport.

Can I get there by Tube? You can change to and from the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, as well as the Central Line.

London Bridge

What’s it near? Look up when you’re near the station and you’ll see that the iconic Shard is right next door! You’ll also find Borough Market, Southwark Cathedral and the HMS Belfast nearby.

Which trains go there? London Bridge is a true hub of destinations throughout the South East. You’ll find the following trains:

Southeastern: For destinations such as Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Dover Priory, Ramsgate, Margate, Orpington, Sevenoaks and throughout South East London towards Dartford and Gravesend
Southern: Trains for Caterham, Tattenham Corner, West Croydon and Uckfield, as well as stations in South London.
Thameslink: Trains to Luton and Bedford, as well as Gatwick Airport and Brighton

Can I get there by Tube? The Northern and Jubilee lines directly serve London Bridge for a quick and easy interchange.

Marylebone

What’s it near? Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes Museum are just nearby, as well as the iconic Madame Tussauds. If you walk a little further, you’ll also find yourself in Regent’s Park.

Which trains go there? You can use Marylebone for trains to Aylesbury (via Amersham), High Wycombe, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington Spa and Birmingham Moor Street/Snow Hill.

Can I get there by Tube? There’s a direct connection with the Bakerloo Line. Alternatively, it’s just a short walk to Baker Street, where you can change for the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Jubilee lines.

Moorgate

What’s it near? If you’re visiting the Barbican Centre or the Museum of London, this is one of the nearest London train stations for you.

Which trains go there? Moorgate is the terminus of the ‘Northern City’ Line, which serves stopping trains to Welwyn Garden City, Hertford North and Stevenage.

Can I get there by Tube? Interchange is possible with the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Northern Lines. You can also access this station from Liverpool Street (Elizabeth Line).

Paddington

What’s it near? It isn’t far to Paddington Basin and Little Venice, as well as Hyde Park.

Which trains go there? Paddington is the terminus for trains heading for Penzance, Plymouth, Bristol, Worcester, Hereford, Cheltenham Spa, Cardiff and Swansea. You’ll also find local trains to Heathrow Airport and Reading, as well as Heathrow Express trains.

You can also catch Elizabeth Line trains to Abbey Wood. From November 6th, 2022, these are scheduled to continue to Shenfield, too.

Can I get there by Tube? Yes, though they’re a little bit all over the place! You can change to/from the Circle (via Edgware Road/High Street Kensington) and Bakerloo lines from the Underground entrance located in the middle of the main concourse.

If you need to travel to/from Hammersmith or prefer to catch the Circle/Hammersmith & City lines without a possible change at Edgware Road, you’ll need to head towards the end of the platforms. If you’re coming off a train, you may find it easier to head up onto the footbridge and across, rather than going onto the main concourse. These platforms are numbered 15 and 16.

St Pancras International

What’s it near? Nearby, you’ll find the Regent’s Canal and Granary Square. Just like Euston and Kings Cross, it’s just a short walk to the British Library, too. The iconic Midland Hotel (also known as the Renaissance Hotel) is also attached to the station.

Which trains go there? St Pancras is a gateway to a great deal of the country as well as the European continent. Out of all of the London train stations, it’s also home to the fastest trains! Here’s what you can catch from here:

East Midlands Railway: Trains to Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, Leicester, Derby, Sheffield and Nottingham
Southeastern: Trains to Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Dover, Ramsgate and Faversham
Thameslink: Services for St Albans, Luton, Bedford, Gatwick Airport, Brighton and Sutton
Eurostar: International trains to Lille Europe, Brussels Midi, Amsterdam Centraal and Paris Nord.

Victoria

What’s it near? This is the nearest of the London train stations to Buckingham Palace and St James’s Park. It’s also next door to the Apollo Victoria Theatre, the Victoria Palace Theatre and the iconic Little Ben!

Which trains go there? Two major operators serve London Victoria. On the ‘Southern’ side, you can travel to Gatwick Airport, Crawley, Horsham, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Portsmouth, Southampton, Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings, as well as to stations around South London. Southeastern services also operate to Dover, Ramsgate, Ashford, Maidstone and to local stations in South East London.

Can I get there by Tube? Victoria is served by the Victoria Line, as well as the Circle and District lines.

Waterloo

What’s it near? For the London Eye, London Dungeon and SEA Life Centre, Waterloo’s the one for you. There’s also easy access to the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall and National Theatre.

Which trains go there? Waterloo, the station with the highest number of platforms in Great Britain, serves destinations through South West London and the South of England. You can travel to Woking, Guildford, Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Weymouth, Salisbury, Exeter, Windsor, Shepperton and Hampton Court, as well as destinations all over the suburbs.

Can I get there by Tube? You can catch the Bakerloo, Jubilee and Northern lines from Waterloo. There’s also the Waterloo & City Line which operates directly to Bank.

Blackfriars

What’s it near? Blackfriars is conveniently located for the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Millennium Bridge.

Which trains go there? You’ll find trains to Luton, Bedford, Gatwick Airport, Brighton, Sutton and Sevenoaks. Trains to St Pancras and London Bridge run every few minutes.

Can I get there by tube? The Circle and District lines have an Underground station here for easy interchange.

Elizabeth Line

Now that we’ve covered the key London train stations, there are two other lines that you might find useful. They’re full-size railway lines, but they continue through the heart of London and out the other side!

The new Elizabeth Line joins up existing railways between Reading and Paddington and Liverpool Street and Shenfield with a new railway between Paddington and Abbey Wood. At Liverpool Street, some trains split off and head for Shenfield, while others continue along the new railway to Abbey Wood.

You can visit our dedicated page about the Elizabeth Line to find out more.

Thameslink

Thameslink is a north-south railway that connects the line between Bedford and St Pancras, as well as Peterborough/Cambridge and London, with the line between London Bridge, Gatwick Airport and Brighton.

So, if you’re coming from the south, you’ll be able to access stations at Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras, as well as London Bridge.

Coming from the north? St Pancras isn’t where the fun stops! You can stay on and alight at Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars, London Bridge and beyond.

City Thameslink is the best station if you’re visiting St Paul’s Cathedral. Just be careful, as it isn’t open on Sundays.

Looking for more information about London? Take a look at our page about travelling around London. You’ll find everything you need to know, including how to understand your ticket, and your best options for reaching London airports. Don’t forget to take a look at our quick guide to crossing London, either.

Ready to book your next adventure? Railsmartr is here to help. We don’t charge any admin fees, change fees or refund fees.