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Edinburgh to Leeds by train
How to travel by train from Edinburgh to Leeds
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Routes
From Edinburgh Waverley to Leeds
Journey Summary
2hr 54 min - 2hr57min
Daily
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'.
1 or 2 x trains per hour
Tickets
Book Early and Save: Yes
Online Bookings Usually Open: from up to 24 weeks ahead of the travel date (usually) as TransPennnine Express (TPE) places its ticket on sale sooner than other UK train operating companies.
So if you book more than 12 weeks ahead you may only see the tickets for the the services provided by TPE, but other operators are available on this route.
Though these TPE services are currently suspended
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 are:
(1) Your ticket(s) will only be valid on the departure you selected when making a booking
(2) A fee will be payable if you want to transfer your ticket(s) to a different departure ahead of your travel date - and you will only be able to choose alternative departures operated by the same company that's providing the service you were originally booked on to.
(3) This type of ticket can't be refunded if you subsequently change your travel plans, or miss the train in circumstances not to do with a connecting train.
(4) If the train you are booked on is delayed, you cannot then just hop on an alternative train operated by a different company.
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
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
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| CrossCountry | * | |
| NationalRail | * | |
| RailEurope | * |
On this journey
Journey Features
Good to Know
TransPennine Express had also introduced an hourly service to the Edinburgh to Leeds route (which also continue beyond Leeds to call at Huddersfield)
Meaning that the typical train service from Edinburgh to Leeds had never been more frequent with two or three trains per hour during the day.
However, due to the reduction in timetables, as a consequence of the pandemic, TransPennine Express has withdrawn this service.
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 (though they are tricky to photograph).
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.
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.
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