Birmingham to Edinburgh train

Trains from Birmingham to Edinburgh

There are close to 40 trains from Birmingham to Edinburgh each weekday. For most, the journey takes between four and five hours to complete, however, some journeys require transfers and may take longer to complete. Four operators work this route, with CrossCountry offering the most direct trips, and Avanti West Coast's trips being the fastest and the cheapest.

 Birmingham to Edinburgh Train Times: Daily departures

Journeys commence at about 6:00 a.m. on weekdays with the last departure leaving Birmingham at around 11:00 p.m. each night.  There are almost 40 departures each day of the week, with services leaving at approximately hourly intervals. 

 How long is the journey by train from Birmingham to Edinburgh?

The distance between Birmingham and Edinburgh is approximately 300 miles. Travelling by train, for most departures from Birmingham to Edinburgh, takes around four to five hours to complete this long journey. It is worth noting that some journeys involve long transfer layovers, resulting in the duration being as long as 11 hours. It is best to check on this when booking. There are 16 direct journeys every day, starting at about 6:00 a.m. and ending at around 6:00 pm.

What are the departure and arrival stations for trains from Birmingham to Edinburgh?

Departure train station: All services from Birmingham heading for Edinburgh depart from the busiest of Birmingham's three stations: Newcastle Street. The station is situated right in the city centre, and is well-served by public transport, including trains to and from other locations. It is a modern station with shopping and restaurant facilities, as well as access for passengers with limited mobility. 

Arrival train station: Most direct trains head for the Waverley or the Haymarket station in Edinburgh. Most trips indicated as requiring one transfer are, in fact, heading first for one of these stations and then the other. The TransPennine train trips requiring two transfers head ultimately for the Slateford station.

Waverley is Edinburgh's main train station. It is situated directly in the city centre of Edinburgh, close to the many tourist attractions the city has to offer. Waverley is well serviced by taxis and buses, but also has many shops and restaurants on site for the convenience of travellers.

Haymarket is Edinburgh's second-largest station and is located approximately one mile from the city centre. It is very well serviced by public transport, and also has numerous facilities available on site for commuters' comfort.

Slateford Station serves the Edinburgh area of Slateford and offers hourly train trips to Edinburgh centre. This is a small commuter station. It is unstaffed and has minimal facilities.

Which train companies travel from Birmingham to Edinburgh?

Trains from Birmingham to Edinburgh are operated by four operators: Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, TransPennine Express and LNER.

 Avanti West Coast Birmingham to Edinburgh

Six direct trips are offered by Avanti West Coast each day. An additional trip requiring one transfer is offered mid-morning. Avanti provides the fastest direct trip along the route, taking about four hours to cover the distance.

CrossCountry Birmingham to Edinburgh

CrossCountry offers 10 direct journeys each weekday, plus six trips with one transfer and two trips with two transfers, with a total of 18 journeys each day.

TransPennine Express Birmingham to Edinburgh

The TransPennine Express offers 11 separate departures each day, with none resulting in direct journeys with seven of these departures requiring one transfer to reach Edinburgh. The six journeys involving two transfers operate to Slateford. TransPennine services operate from about 7:00 a.m. to around 11:00 p.m. each day.

 London North Eastern Express (LNER) Birmingham to Edinburgh

LNER offers only one departure, at 8:30 a.m. each morning, requiring one transfer to complete.

Birmingham to Edinburgh Trains: Services on Board

All train operators offer standard and first-class tickets on their services. There is no reserved seating available, but first-class coaches are less busy and offer a greater choice of seating. All operators allow one piece of hand luggage and two suitcases, as well as a fold-up bicycle and two small pets (on a lead). Travelling with any more pets will incur a surplus charge. Free WiFi is offered by all train operators along this route. All operators offer assistance for the disabled and for those with limited mobility. Station and train staff are able to offer assistance at the station and boarding the train. Passengers are advised to ring ahead to book this service.

How do I find cheap train tickets from Birmingham to Edinburgh?

It is best to use a site like Omio to handle bookings online and in advance. This will allow comparison of prices between operators, at different times and on different days. Flexibility with respect to travel times could well result in savings. It is also worth checking the price of group discounts: most operators offer these at off-peak times.