Trains from London Kings Cross to Middlesbrough from JPY 4,897

Whether you're a student at Teesside or attending a game at Riverside, this handy guide to London to Middlesbrough trains covers all you need to plan the journey. We'll explore train times, onboard services, and also special tips to save.

London to Middlesbrough direct trains

During the week, there's 1 direct train per day from King's Cross to Middlesbrough with a total journey time of around 2h 51m. Trains go along the East Coast Main Line, passing through places like Doncaster, York and the North Yorkshire countryside before heading into Teesside—it's a pleasant journey, that's for sure.

This route attracts a mix of passengers, from students at Teesside University to hybrid workers commuting between London and Middlesbrough. It's also busy during the football season with fans travelling to the Riverside Stadium for mid-week games.

While the direct train is convenient, the limited schedule means it's not the most practical service for professionals who need to be in the office during working hours, or for football fans attending weekend games. Luckily, you can take a train from King's Cross to York or Darlington and change for a train to Middlesbrough in around 3 hours and 15 minutes total.

Train operators on the London to Middlesbrough route

The operator on the King's Cross to Middlesbrough route is LNER and – thanks to their modern Azuma trains – you're in for a comfy journey. Their Standard Class seats have 7cm extra leg room and an onboard food and drink service with sandwiches, meal deals, snacks and refreshments. You can even order straight to your seat using a QR code.

This service is available throughout the journey thanks to strong Wi-Fi coverage. LNER uses mobile data connections along the route, so there's no annoying dropouts – even in rural areas. You can keep your mobile, tablet and laptop fully charged, too, thanks to plug sockets in every seat. This is especially handy if you plan to work on the way to Middlesbrough.

Travelling in first class from London to Middlesbrough

First Class is available on London King's Cross to Middlesbrough trains – and LNER provides quite the experience. Their premium carriage offers roomier seats and a quieter atmosphere – perfect for working, studying and even writing essays.

You'll also enjoy complimentary food and drink from a premium menu of ingredients sourced locally along the East Coast Main Line. Meals fit the time of day, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options available. Afternoon and evening meals even come with an alcoholic drink, too.

Then there's the LNER lounge at King's Cross – the experience starts before you even step foot on the train. First Class passengers can access this exclusive space – with comfortable seating and complimentary refreshments – up to 2 hours before departure time.

Main stops

The direct train calls at York and Thornaby on the way to Middlesbrough, where the service terminates. On non-direct routes, you'll typically stop at Peterborough and Doncaster on the way up north, and at local stations like Thornaby and Eaglescliffe on the way to Middlesbrough.

Average London to Middlesbrough train prices

London King's Cross to Middlesbrough train prices cost from around £55 for advance off-peak fares. As there are only 5 departures per week, trains can get busy, and this pushes the fare up — so be sure to book early. Last-minute fares can be as much as £90.

For students on tight budgets, you can get London to Middlesbrough tickets for as little as £35 on non-direct routes with one changeover. It often doesn't add that long to the overall journey time, either.

London to Middlesbrough train times

The direct train from London King's Cross to Middlesbrough runs from Monday to Friday only, with a mid-afternoon departure at 15:27, arriving at 18:18. For a wider choice of departure times, you'll need to look at train journeys with 1 stop. Luckily, these take around 3 hours and 15 minutes in total, so it's not too much longer than the direct train.

If you're okay with having a quick changeover, there are departures as early as 06:15 from London. This LNER train from King's Cross to Edinburgh stops at Northallerton, where you can change to a TransPennine Express service for arrival into Middlesbrough at 09:38. The total journey duration is 3 hours 23 minutes.

Football fans taking the train from London's King's Cross to Middlesbrough on Saturdays and Sundays also have lots of convenient options – even without the direct train. For a 12:30 pm kick-off, take the 08:00 LNER train from King's Cross towards Edinburgh and change at Darlington for the Northern to Saltburn. This gets you into Middlesbrough at 11:23.

Departing from King's Cross

King's Cross straddles the edge of central and north London between Camden and Islington, and is close to major office areas in the City and Canary Wharf. You can get there on the Piccadilly, Victoria, Northern, Hammersmith & City, Circle and Metropolitan Underground lines. Buses stop right outside, too.

If you're a student travelling with lots of luggage at the start of term, the station has escalators from the Underground platform to the ticket office and lifts from there to the concourse. Just make sure you avoid travelling on the tube with suitcases during rush hour.

Arriving at Middlesbrough

The great thing about Middlesbrough station is its central location – you're just a short 10-minute walk from the town centre when you arrive. Teesside University's main campus is about 15 minutes on foot, and most student accommodation and halls are within walking distance or a short bus ride from the station, too.

If you're heading to cheer on your team, the Riverside Stadium is around a 20-minute walk away. Just be sure to allow for extra time on match day, as there are often crowd control measures in place.

Compare prices and find the best deals for London to Middlesbrough trains

Trip.com's search tool is one of the best ways to get cheap London King's Cross to Middlesbrough train tickets. That's because it lets you compare schedules and fare types for all operators at the click of a button. You can also use your railcard discount if you have one, and Split Ticket discounts are applied automatically.

If you're not sure what SplitTicket discounts are, here's a quick explainer. Sometimes, it can work out cheaper to split your ticket between stations on the route, instead of one through journey. For example, you might get separate tickets for London to York and York to Middlesbrough for less money than London to Middlesbrough, even on the same train.

Normally, you'd have to waste hours of your precious time finding these quirky deals. But luckily, Trip.com does the heavy lifting for you and finds them automatically. Just look out for the blue savings label in the search results.