How to travel by train from Edinburgh to Leeds

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Edinburgh to Leeds by train

Routes you can take to go from Edinburgh to Leeds

When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.

Choose one of the following options:

Looking for connections?

Journey guides for travel to Edinburgh

Route Information

Station Guides

Edinburgh Waverley Rail Station Guide

Looking across Leeds station from platform 8 - platform 17

Leeds City Rail Station Guide

Travel Time (approx)

2hr 54 min - 2hr57min

Frequency

Daily

Travel Info

1 x train per hour

Is this journey from Edinburgh to Leeds direct?
Yes

Is the journey scenic?
Yes, the train will travel by the coast between Dunbar and Morpeth, which equates to most of the journey between Edinburgh and Newcastle . See the Journey Information for images and videos.

What other tourist locations are along this route from Edinburgh to Leeds?
Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Newcastle, Durham and York

When is the usual approximate earliest arrival at Leeds?

After 09:05 on Monday to Saturday
After 12:05 on Sunday
Source: National Rail

How easy is it to travel on from the station in Leeds?
Leeds station is very conveniently located in the heart of the city - See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay in the area around the station.

When is the usual approximate latest departure from Edinburgh Waverley?

Around 21:00 on Monday to Friday (the LNER service)
Before 18:10 on Saturday and Sunday

How easy is it to travel to the station in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh Waverley is conveniently located in the heart of the city and it served by the Edinburgh trams, and all buses which serve Princes Street.
See the Station Guide above for more info, plus easy access to multiple options for booking somewhere to stay by Edinburgh Waverley.

Are tickets cheaper if booked in advance for this journey option?
Yes

How soon ahead of travel are tickets typically placed on sale for this journey option?
12 weeks; See the Ticket Information for more details

What are the child ticket terms for the journey from Edinburgh to Leeds?
Aged 5 to 15 = 50%; 4 and under = free

Does the ticket for the for this journey option include assigned seats?
Varies according to the type of ticket being booked, but Yes when booking Advance Tickets; See the Ticket Information for more details

Do rail pass users need to book reservations for the journey from Edinburgh to Leeds?
No

Is catering available on the train?
CrossCountry trains
Yes - A catering trolley should be taken through the Standard Class coaches.
A service of complimentary hot and cold drinks, snacks and sandwiches is served in coach A, which is for exclusive use of First Class travellers.

What else is good to know?
See the general guide to travelling in Britain by train.

Travel Information

Final Destination:
Penzance or Plymouth or Bristol or Birmingham - the CrossCountry trains.
Leeds - the LNER train

All trains also call at: York

The final departure of the day comprises an Azuma train operated by LNER, but it is the slowest service of the day as it has a journey time of 3hr 45mins.

Which company and train is used on each departure won't particularly impact on ticket prices, travel at quieter times and you'll be more likely to find cheaper Advance tickets, irrespective of which train is being used for a departure.
The train you will be travelling by also doesn't particularly impact on the journey times, as they all follow the same route.

Aside from environmental considerations there are two very good reasons for opting to take the train from Edinburgh to Leeds:

(1) Edinburgh Waverley station has a fabulous location in the heart of the Scottish capital, and Leeds station also offers easy this route, there are now more departures than ever before to choose from, when travelling by train between these cities.

(2) Very few routes taken by trains between cities are as fabulous as this journey!
Because for the majority of the train ride between Edinburgh and Leeds the railway lives up to its name of the 'The East Coast Mainline'.

This is a direct journey

You will be travelling on one of these trains...

A 4 coach version of a CrossCountry Vogager train has arrived in Exeter...

CrossCountry Voyager (UK) Train Guide

Journey Features

Scenic - YesCoastal views

Good to Know

On Monday to Friday the regular service of CrossCountry trains is supplemented by an LNER service operated by one of its Azuma trains.
Though it usually departs Leeds at around 21:00.

Journey description:

It's a journey of three phases:
It's a journey of three phases:

(1) Most of the journey between Edinburgh and Alnmouth is beside the coast

The sea views kick in before the train has even left Edinburgh behind; and they initially continue until south of Dunbar.

To the north of Berwick-upon-Tweed the train will travel across the clifftops as it crosses the border into England, these are the most dramatic coastal views on the journey.

Minutes after the train has passed through Berwick-upon-Tweed, the next highlight is the view from the majestic Royal Border Bridge.

Between there and Alnmouth there are views on the left over the dramatic Northumberland coast.

(2) Between Alnmouth and Darlington the railway snakes its way through the towns and cities of north-east England, and just before Newcastle station on the left there are views of the city's iconic Tyne Bridge.

The next highlight of the journey is the passage over the River Tyne, as the train departs from Newcastle Central station and heads over the King Edward VII Bridge.

Looking to the left, five other bridges that span the river can be seen; and there are also some great views of the Tyne Bridge as the train arrives in Newcastle station.

Around 15 mins after leaving Newcastle comes the final highlight of the journey, the stunning views over the city of Durham.

Over on the left before and after the station, the town's stunning castle and cathedral can be clearly seen in all their glory.

(3) The train will attain the highest speeds of the journey as it races across the flat landscape between Darlington and York and the on to the outskirts of Leeds

If when you board, you discover that your assigned seat(s) are on the right-hand side of the train, when facing the direction of travel, see if you can find available seats on the left of the train.
If you move to a different seat(s) it won't affect the validity of your ticket.

If your ticket(s) don't include reserved seats, then try to choose seats on the left when facing the direction of travel.

Sadly there is no guarantee of rainbows as the train leaves Edinburgh behind

Look out on the left for the view of the Bass Rock

By the coast to the south of Dunbar

Passing by the town of Alnmouth

The view of the Tyne Bridge as the train arrives in Newcastle

Looking down on the River Tyne as the train departs Newcastle

The stunning view over the city of Durham

Looking left on the Royal Border Bridge just after departing Berwick

A glimpse of the ruins of the smugglers bothy at Lamberton Skerrs south of Berwick

Save with Split Ticketing on Trainline When it's possible to save money on rail journeys in Britain, by splitting tickets in one booking, Trainline now automatically offers this option - look out for for the blue symbol!

Save with Split Ticketing on Trainline When it's possible to save money on rail journeys in Britain, by splitting tickets in one booking, T...

The general guide to rail travel in Britain Discover what's good to know about riding the trains, taking popular journeys, using the major stations, booking tickets and travelling with rail passes.

Tickets

Book Early and Save: Yes

Online Bookings Usually Open: from 12 weeks ahead of the travel date (u

Choosing a departure

As there are multiple perators which provide the trains on the Edinburgh to York route, the recommendation is to use the National Rail booking service when looking up this journey.
By doing so you'll have an overview of the ticket times and prices of all departures, no matter which company is operating each departure, and you will also avoid any booking fees.

One company doesn't always offer the cheapest fares on this route, so it's worth making an easy comparison across all departures.

Booking Advance Tickets

If you want to travel at the cheapest possible price, look for the 'Advance tickets', though the three key things worth knowing about booking and using 'Advance' tickets in usual circumstances are:
(1) Your ticket(s) will only be valid on the departure you selected when making a booking.
(2) But when travelling by CrossCountry trains, you can amend your ticket free of charge, regardless of when it was booked and when you will be travelling from 2 hours after purchase and up to 15 minutes before your train is due to depart, as long as the stations are the same.
(3) If the train you are booked on is delayed, you cannot then just hop on an alternative train operated by a different company.

The potential to save by splitting tickets on Trainline

It can be worth looking up this journey on Trainline.

It can be possible to save money by using split ticketing, with the booking process being no more complicated than booking conventional tickets - find out more.

Reservations

When you book an Advance ticket for an Edinburgh to Leeds train journey, you will be automatically assigned a seat(s), but if you book the other types of ticket ahead, you can request a complimentary reservation - more info on this
Discounted Advance tickets will in theory be available until 10mins prior to departure on the CrossCountry trains and up to 5mins prior to departure on the LNER train; though they will have sold out on the most popular trains.

Though, if you buy Off Peak or Anytime tickets just prior to boarding at the station, a seat reservation WON'T be automatically included with your booking.

Travelling on Monday - Friday

Tickets are usually available 12 weeks ahead of the travel date.
However, when you look up a journey you may see dates further ahead on the calendar, but you'll be informed that tickets aren't yet available for those dates.

Travelling on Saturday-Sunday

Tickets are usually available 12 weeks ahead of the travel date, but maintenance work on the route is periodically undertaken at weekends and if it is scheduled on your travel date, it can affect when tickets will be released for sale.

If you're looking up a journey less than 12 weeks ahead and tickets aren't available, it can be a good indication that works will be impacting on your travel date.
It can be worth checking this on the National Rail website

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