London King's Cross → Edinburgh
Live train times from London King's Cross to Edinburgh, with around 30 direct services per day and a fastest typical journey of 4h 2m. Operated by LNER and Lumo. Currently 45.5% of services are running on time today.
Based on the last 29 days of timetable data
Today's performance
28-day performance
Typical calling pattern
Trains from London King's Cross to Edinburgh are non-stop on the fastest services, taking 04:02. Most services call at one or two of Doncaster, Peterborough, Stevenage. Slow services (06:05 typical) stop at up to 20 intermediate stations.
Which operator is most reliable on this route?
LNER runs the majority of direct services from London King's Cross to Edinburgh. Over the last 30 days, 24.9% of LNER's services on this route ran on time, with an average delay of 20 minutes and a cancellation rate of 1.2%. Lumo sees lower on-time performance (24.9%) but runs fewer services.
Why take the train?
The straight-line distance from London King's Cross to Edinburgh is around 330 miles. By train the journey takes 04:02; the equivalent drive is typically 11h 34m to 15h 60m depending on traffic, plus 30 minutes of city-centre parking. National Rail publishes average CO₂ emissions of ~35g per passenger-km for electric intercity trains — for this route that's roughly 18.6 kg CO₂ per passenger. The same trip in a petrol car with one occupant emits around 90.3 kg. Two passengers by train equals the per-person footprint of one passenger by car.
Delay Repay
DR30 operators only pay out from 30+ minutes.
Delay Repay for this route
All operators on this route participate in the National Rail Delay Repay scheme. London North Eastern Railway (LNER) operates the DR30 scheme (30–59 min: 50%, 60+ min: 100%). Claims can be made within 28 days of travel. Use Railly's Delay Repay calculator to check eligibility and pre-fill the operator's claim form.
Travel tips for this route
LNER and Lumo services from London King's Cross to Edinburgh can be busy around 08:00, 10:00, 17:00, 20:00. Avoid the 08:00, 10:00, 17:00, 20:00 peak if you can — the 00:00–04:00 services are typically 28% less crowded. Off-peak return tickets are valid on any train after 09:30 on weekdays, all day weekends. The first train is at 05:45 and the last at 20:30. If your train is delayed by 15 minutes or more, you can claim Delay Repay compensation directly from the operator.