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Edinburgh to Oxenholme by train
How to travel from Edinburgh to the southern part of the Lake District by train
The train service between Edinburgh and Oxenholme is split between trains operated by Avanti West Coast and trains operated by TransPennine Express.
The usual timetable during the day is arranged so that in most of the even hours a train operated by TransPennine Express departs; and in some of those hours, an Avanti West Coast service leaves around 40 mins later.
Meaning that there are no departures in odd hours ( though early Sunday mornings are an exception
The Avanti West Coast services have the faster travel time.
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Routes
From Edinburgh Waverley to Oxenholme Lake District
Journey Summary
1hr 51min - 2hr 2min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: London Euston or Birmingham New Street (Avanti West Coast); Manchester Airport (Trans Pennine Express)
All trains also call at: Carlisle
Some trains also call at: Penrith North Lakes
Mon-Fri = 10 x trains per day
Saturday = 11 x trains
Sunday = 9 x trains
Tickets
Choosing a departure
As there are two operators which provide the trains on the Edinburgh to Oxenholme 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.
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Reservations
When you book an Advance ticket for an Edinburgh to Oxenholme 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| National Rail | * | |
| Avanti West Coast | * | |
| TPE | * | |
| RailEurope | * |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Departing from Edinburgh
If the starting point of your journey is at the western end of the city centre, you can save time by heading to Haymarket station rather than Edinburgh Waverley, in order to board these trains.
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.
After the train has passed through Lockerbie station, the views as the railway climbs and then descends over Beattock summit, are particularly special.
Between Carlisle and Oxenholme the railway takes a route between The Lake District to the east and the Pennines to the west - 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 left (when facing the direction of travel).
A beautiful landmark to look out for on the left, just after the train enters the gorge, is the spectacular sight of Low Gill Viaduct, on a now abandoned railway.
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