How to travel from Glasgow to the northern part of the Lake District by train

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Glasgow to Penrith by train

Routes you can take to go from Glasgow to Penrith

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 Glasgow

Route Information

Station Guides

The main entrance to Glasgow Central station on Gordon Street

Glasgow Central Rail Station Guide

How to use Penrith station to access the Lake District

Penrith North Lakes Rail Station Guide

Travel Time (approx)

1hr 22min - 1hr 37min

Frequency

Daily

Travel Info

Usual timetable:
Mon-Fri = 17 x trains per day
Saturday = 15 x trains
Sunday = 11 x trains

Travel Information

The train service between Glasgow and Penrith is split between trains operated by Avanti West Coast and trains operated by Trans Pennine Express.

Each of these operators doesn't provide an hourly service, so the pattern of departures can be fairly random.
It can vary from two departures per hour, to gaps of more than 90 minutes between trains.
Though TPE (Trans Pennine Express) typically provides the most frequent train service from Glasgow to Penrith.

However, the Avanti West Coast services have the faster journey times; they're typically 15 mins quicker than the TPE (TransPennine Express) services.

Final Destination: London Euston or Birmingham New Street (Avanti West Coast); Manchester Airport (TransPennine Express)

All trains also call at: Carlisle

This is a direct journey

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

All that's good to know about travelling on an Avanti West Coast Pendolino

Avanti Pendolino (UK) Train Guide

TPE Nova 2 (UK) Train Guide

Journey Features

Scenic - YesLandscape (Hills / Mountains)

Good to Know

Connect at Penrith - North Lakes station for buses on to Cockermouth, Keswick and to villages on the shore of Ullswater including Glenridding and Pooley Bridge.

Journey description:

For the majority of this journey the train will travel through a majestic landscape; all of the videos were taken on a train to Glasgow.

Once the train has passed Motherwell, it leaves the urban areas behind and enters a pastoral landscape, which is a prelude of the delights to come.

For the majority of this journey the train will travel through a majestic landscape;

South of Carstairs the railway follows a route through the beautiful Southern Uplands.
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South of here and north of Lockerbie station, the views as the railway climbs and then descends over Beattock summit, are particularly special, particularly on the left when heading south.

The journey begins with a flourish with a crossing of The River Clyde

Heading south from Motherwell

Approaching the Scottish Uplands south of Carstairs

Passing through the Scottish Uplands north of Lockerbie

Between Lockerbie and Carlisle

Travelling towards Penrith from Carlisle

Between Carstairs and Lockerbie

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Tickets

Choosing a departure

As there are two operators which provide the trains on the Edinburgh to Penrith 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 four key things worth knowing about booking and using 'Advance' tickets for travel by TPE services are:
(1) The ticket(s) will be valid for the specific departure you select when making a booking.
(2) The ticket(s) cannot either be refunded, if you subsequently change your plans or miss the train due to any circumstances not attributable to the train operator.
(3) They can be exchanged to another departure on this route prior to the departure you have booked - but the price difference with the new ticket will need to be paid (the price will likely have risen since your original booking will need to be paid.
(4) TPE doesn't take Advance tickets off sale until 15 mins prior to departure.

Reservations

When you book an Advance ticket for a Glasgow to Penrith 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
Tickets can now be booked online up to a couple of hours prior to departure

However, 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.

That's because reservations at stations need to be booked by the end of the previous day for morning departures and around two hours ahead for afternoon/evening departures - so also keep that in mind if you will be using a rail pass, including a Britrail or Eurail pass.

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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