Getting around Yorkshire by train

Yorkshire is well-connected by train services, easing visits across many parts of the region as well as making Yorkshire a great centre for exploring other parts of Britain.

Eight different passenger train operators run on the rail network in Yorkshire (see below), although a common ticketing system operates through National Rail, run by the Association of Train Operating Companies.

National Rail also runs a rail enquiry service and journey planning website covering all its companies' services. A link to this is provided at the foot of the page.

Some operators are now requiring travellers to have a seat reservation and a ticket specific to their service, reducing opportunity for travel flexibility.

Where do trains run in Yorkshire? See our interactive Rail map of Yorkshire.

Which are Yorkshire's busiest railway stations? See our Railway stations page.

Which places in Yorkshire might have saved time with HS2? Archived: The HS2 Effect page.

The Yorkshire region also has a splendid selection of preserved and steam railways. These are not only great for those delighted by a bit of nostalgia, but can be quite useful transport for days out to some of the most scenic parts of Yorkshire which might otherwise lack regular public transport. For more details see our Heritage railways page.

Rail plan for Yorkshire revealed

The last trains to be built in York in the 1980s were built to last but could eventually be replaced within five years under the spending planA long-term plan to renew and develop the railway network in Yorkshire is revealed by Lord Blunkett and the mayors of West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and North Yorkshire this Friday (May 16).

The plans, costed at £14bn over 15 years, follow a review by Labour peer Lord Blunkett and are said to include a credible and affordable package of investment in new and accessible stations.

The plans include electrification of all the route from Sheffield to Leeds and reopening a mainline station for Rotherham.

Meanwhile Bradford continues to pursue a plan of having an out-of-centre through station halt on the line into Leeds rather than the present two-minute turnaround at the Bradford Interchange terminus station close to cultural venues in the heart of the city centre and Interchange bus services. The funding includes development of a business case for this.

Improvements to services between York and Scarborough plan to bring two trains per hour with station improvements and a new station at Haxby. There are also improvements planned for the Esk Valley line between Middlesbrough and Whitby, the Penistone Line between Huddersfield, Penistone, Barnsley and Sheffield and services to the Wakefield district's so-called 'Five Towns' of Castleford, Featherstone, Knottingley, Normanton and Pontefract.

Other new stations planned include one which has been proposed for decades at Elland in West Yorkshire, a station at Thorpe Park near Leeds, a Leeds-Bradford Airport Parkway station in West Yorkshire and stations at Dearne Valley Parkway and Waverley in South Yorkshire. This spending plan also includes completion of the White Rose station near Leeds which ran out of cash when almost complete and costs escalated.

There are plans to increase capacity at Leeds, Sheffield and York stations where there has been more use by city commuters and travellers as well as an increased need to change trains there in recent years.

As well as renewing some of Yorkshire's Victorian railway infrastructure, the investment is also expected to cover new rolling stock for Northern to replace trains dating from the 1980s, extension and renewal of the South Yorkshire tram network and a start on a tram network in West Yorkshire.

The improvements come on top of work which continues on the TransPennine Upgrade scheme between York, Leeds, Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Manchester, the Midland Mainline electrification for services between Sheffield and London and upgrades to the East Coast Mainline which crosses the region north to south via York and Doncaster.

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Rail operators in Yorkshire

Cross Country

Britain's longest rail journeys cross Yorkshire with trains from Aberdeen or Glasgow and Edinburgh to Plymouth with one journey from Edinburgh also continuing beyond Plymouth to Penzance. Cross Country also runs services from Newcastle to Reading.

Routes across Yorkshire towards the South West head from York via Leeds and Wakefield Westgate to Sheffield while trains towards Reading generally take a route from York via Doncaster to Sheffield.

The services do not call at North Yorkshire stations between Darlington and York. Trains head south from Sheffield through Derby, Birmingham and Bristol towards Plymouth.

Cross Country is part of Arriva - a subsidiary of German state-owned Deutsche Bahn.

East Midlands Railway

Regular services operate between Sheffield and London St Pancras via Chesterfield, Derby and Leicester. An early morning service and late evening return is extended to Leeds via Wakefield Westgate.

East Midlands Railway is part of Abellio - part of the Dutch state-owned railway company. Abellio has been awarded the franchise until 2027.

Grand Central

Two routes connect Yorkshire with London King's Cross. One route from West Yorkshire is Bradford Interchange - Low Moor - Halifax - Brighouse - Mirfield - Wakefield Kirkgate - Pontefract Monkhill - Doncaster to London. The other route is from Sunderland, Hartlepool and Eaglescliffe in the North East calling at Yorkshire stations Northallerton - Thirsk - York on the way to London.

Grand Central was Britain's highest-rated rail company for overall satisfaction with journey in the Spring 2020 Transport Focus National Rail Passenger Survey with a score of 95%.

Grand Central is part of Arriva - a subsidiary of German state-owned Deutsche Bahn.

Hull Trains

Several trains a day operate to London King's Cross on the Hull - Brough - Howden - Selby - Doncaster route in Yorkshire, continuing via Retford and Grantham on the East Coast Main Line. Two weekday journeys a day each way, one at weekends and some bank holidays, are extended from Hull to Cottingham and Beverley in East Yorkshire.

Hull Trains is part of First Group, a public limited company based in Scotland.

The first new Azuma train in passenger service at Leeds

London North Eastern Railway

London North Eastern Railway Ltd (LNER) took over services on the East Coast Main Line from Virgin Trains East Coast from June 24, 2018.

Regular services operate from Yorkshire to London King's Cross station via the East Coast Main Line. Yorkshire stations served by regular trains are Northallerton, York, Leeds, Wakefield Westgate and Doncaster.

There are also services from Hull, Brough , Selby, Harrogate, Skipton, Keighley, Bradford Foster Square and Shipley.

Heading south there are trains stopping at Retford, Newark North Gate, Grantham, Peterborough and Stevenage.

Heading north from Yorkshire there are regular services from Doncaster, York and Northallerton and a train from Leeds. Northern destinations include Darlington, Durham and Newcastle, and stations to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness.

London North Eastern Railway Ltd is a publicly-owned company set up by the UK Government's Department for Transport.

Lumo

Lumo, launched on October 21, 2021, operates on the East Coast Main Line through Yorkshire on journeys between Edinburgh and London without stopping anywhere in Yorkshire.

Lumo is operated by First Group, a public limited company based in Scotland.

Northern

Northern operates regular local services stopping at all National Rail stations and halts across Yorkshire and the north of England.

Northern is operated by Northern Trains Ltd, a company run by the UK Government's Department for Transport
(Before March 1, 2020 the franchise was operated by Arriva Rail North - a subsidiary of German state-owned Deutsche Bahn.)

Transpennine Express

Regional express trains are operated regularly from Liverpool, Manchester Airport and Manchester stations across Yorkshire to the Yorkshire coast, North East England and North Lincolnshire.

Yorkshire stations served include Batley, Brough , Castleford, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Dore & Totley, Garforth, Greenfield, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Malton, Marsden, Meadowhall, Middlesbrough, Mirfield, Morley, Normanton, Northallerton, Scarborough, Slaithwaite, Seamer, Selby, Sheffield, South Milford, Thirsk, Thornaby-on-Tees, Wakefield Kirkgate, Yarm and York.

Transpennine Express is operated by TransPennine Trains Ltd, a company run by the UK Government's Department for Transport
(Before May 28, 2023 it was operated by First Group)

Heritage railways

See our page dedicated to Heritage railways normally operated by steam or classic diesel locomotives, which are not part of the National Rail network.

More information

Further details of trains on the National Rail network can be found at its enquiry website:

National Rail   National Rail Enquiries and journey planner (external link).

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