London Paddington → Cardiff Central
Live train times from London Paddington to Cardiff Central, with around 27 direct services per day and a fastest typical journey of 1h 46m. Operated by Great Western Railway. Currently 87.5% of services are running on time today.
Based on the last 31 days of timetable data
Today's performance
30-day performance
Typical calling pattern
Trains from London Paddington to Cardiff Central are non-stop on the fastest services, taking 01:46. Most services call at one or two of Reading, Whitechapel, Tottenham Court Road. Some services extend to Farringdon, London Liverpool Street, Bond Street. Slow services (02:24 typical) stop at up to 20 intermediate stations.
Which operator is most reliable on this route?
Great Western Railway runs all direct services from London Paddington to Cardiff Central. Over the last 30 days, 16.4% of Great Western Railway's services on this route ran on time, with an average delay of 11.1 minutes and a cancellation rate of 9%.
Why take the train?
The straight-line distance from London Paddington to Cardiff Central is around 129 miles. By train the journey takes 01:46; the equivalent drive is typically 4h 50m to 6h 34m 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 7.3 kg CO₂ per passenger. The same trip in a petrol car with one occupant emits around 35.3 kg. Two passengers by train equals the per-person footprint of one passenger by car.
Delay Repay
Delay Repay for this route
All operators on this route participate in the National Rail Delay Repay scheme. Great Western Railway operates the DR15 scheme (15–29 min: 25%, 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
Great Western Railway services from London Paddington to Cardiff Central can be busy around 07:00, 15:00. Avoid the 07:00, 15:00 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 05:22 and the last at 22:49. If your train is delayed by 15 minutes or more, you can claim Delay Repay compensation directly from the operator.