Looking towards The Lake District on a London to Glasgow train journey

Manchester to Penrith by train

How to take the rail journey Manchester to the North Lakes area of The Lake District

A day trip by train from Manchester to The Lake District is easily done, and this is the way to come if you want to holiday in Cockermouth, Kewsick and Ullswater

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Routes

From Manchester to Penrith by train

Travel Information

Final Destination Edinburgh or Glasgow

Most of these trains also call at Oxenholme - Lake District

These trains commence their journeys in the station at Manchester Airport and after departure from Piccadilly station they also call at Manchester Oxford Road station

If you can book ahead of travel, so will have reserved seats, and Oxford Road has convenient access from the starting point of your journey, boarding the train there can be a a good option.
At Manchester Piccadilly the access to these trains is more convoluted, as they depart from the platform/track which is furthest from the entrance to the station.

Monday to Friday: =10 x trains per day
Saturday: = 11 x trains
Saturday = 5 x trains

Tickets

Book Early and Save: Yes

Online Bookings Usually Open: from up to 24 weeks ahead of the travel date (usually); TransPennnine Express (TPE) places its ticket on sale sooner than other UK train operating companies.

Saving money:

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:

All types of ticket booked at least 15 minutes ahead of travel for TPE trains have complimentary seat reservation.

If you book and Advance ticket(s) you have to travel on the train shown on the reservation, which will be the specific departure you selected when making a booking.
Though on boarding, you won't have to occupy the seat(s) you have been assigned for your ticket to be valid.

If you book Anytime or Off-Peak tickets you will be provided with a reservation(s) on the departure you selected when making a booking, but are able to transfer the reservation to any other valid departure on your travel date.
You can do this by contacting the TPE social media team, or at a station ticket desk.

What is unusual about travelling with TPE is that these reservations can be arranged up to around 15 minutes prior to departure - which is a much shorter time limit than the norm.

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 Advance 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 - enter TransPennine Express as the operator.

Booking at the station

As TPE doesn't take Advance tickets off sale until 15 mins prior to departure, if you will be booking walk-up tickets at the station try to avoid booking at the last minute.

Offers and deals:

TPE offers a group deal for when groups of 3 - 9 adults are travelling together and Advance tickets are booked online - make sure you see the 'G' symbol which indicates that the discount has been applied.
You can save 33% of the total costs of the tickets and no Railcard is required.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
TPE *

TPE Guide

TPE offers three unconventional means of booking and using tickets for travel by the trains it operates:

  • Advance tickets can be booked online up to 15 mins before departure
  • Seats are assigned on TPE trains when booking up to an hour prior to departure
  • There is no charge for transferring Advance tickets to an alternative departure, on the route originally booked.
National Rail *

National Rail Guide

In Great Britain each Train Operating Company provides its own booking service for journeys by its trains, but many of their websites also sell tickets for nationwide journeys, regardless of which company operates the trains on the routes you wish to travel by.

The National Rail website is plugged into all of the train operator's booking services, so when more than one of these companies offers tickets for a route, it in effect offers a price comparison service.
It isn't a ticket agent, so you will be connected to the website of your choice in order to make a booking.

On this journey

Journey Features

Scenic - YesLandscape (Hills / Mountains)

Good to Know

For an easy and glorious day trip from the Manchester to The Lake District by train:

  1. Take train to Penrith which typically departs Piccadilly station at 09:23 or 09:26
  2. Take the 508 bus on its glorious journey to Bowness-on-Windermere
    Bus route 508 links Windermere station to Ullswater
  3. You'll have time to take a lake cruise; head across Lake Windermere to take a ride on The Lakeside Railway
    Those local buses connect Windermere station to the lake cruise piers
    Those cruise boats can to you to the Lakeside Steam Railway
  4. Take the trains to Manchester which usually depart Windermere between 18:55 and 19:05
Travelling between Lancaster and Oxenholme Travelling between Lancaster and Oxenholme
Passing a farm on a train journey between Oxenholme and Penrith Passing a farm on a train journey between Oxenholme and Penrith
Looking towards The Lake District on a London to Glasgow train journey Looking towards The Lake District on a London to Glasgow train journey
Low Gill Viaduct as seen from a London to Glasgow train Low Gill Viaduct as seen from a London to Glasgow train
Looking towards The Lake District on the West Coast mainline Looking towards The Lake District on the West Coast mainline
Looking towards The Lake District on a Lancaster to Glasgow journey Looking towards The Lake District on a Lancaster to Glasgow journey
Through the Lune Valley on the West Coast mainline Through the Lune Valley on the West Coast mainline
Looking towards the Yorkshire Dales on the train journey between Lancaster and Glasgow Looking towards the Yorkshire Dales on the train journey between Lancaster and Glasgow

After departure from Lancaster the railway passes through a glorious landscape for the remainder of the journey.

Around five minutes north of Lancaster, the West Coast Main Line, briefly lives up to its name with a fleeting glimpse of Morecambe Bay, the only sea view on the journey.

Between Lancaster and Carlisle the railway takes a route between The Lake District to the west and the Pennines to the east - so there are great views to be enjoyed from both sides of the train towards distant mountains.

Approximately 10 minutes north of Oxenholme comes one of the highlights of the journey when the railway travels through the Lune Gorge - though here the best views are from the right (when facing the direction of travel).

A beautiful landmark to look out for on the right, just before the train enters the gorge, is the spectacular sight of Low Gill Viaduct, on a now abandoned railway.

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