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The west front and central tower of Selby Abbey framed by trees

Yorkshire Station code SBY

Selby

Selby by train: a market town on the Ouse built around a magnificent 900-year-old abbey church, with the Trans Pennine Trail passing through.

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Selby Abbey, founded in 1069, is a five-minute walk from the station.Photo: JohnArmagh, CC BY-SA 3.0

About Selby

Selby is a market town on the River Ouse, about 12 miles south of York. It grew up around Selby Abbey, a Benedictine house founded in 1069 whose great church survives as one of the finest in England, and tradition holds that King Henry I was born here.

The town was once a busy inland port, with shipbuilding, trade along the Selby Canal and, later, coal mining. Its railway history goes back to 1834, when the Leeds and Selby Railway opened; the present Grade II listed station was last rebuilt in 1891, when the swing bridge carrying the Hull line over the Ouse was replaced.

LNER calls at Selby once a day in each direction on its London–Hull service, and Hull Trains adds further direct London trains, making the abbey an easy stop to break a journey to the Humber.

Journey

SBY
Fastest from London King's Cross
Around 2 hours
LNER routes calling
1
Previous and next calling points on each LNER route serving Selby
RoutePrevious stopNext stop
London – Hull stop 7 of 9

May–December 2026 timetable · not every train calls at every station

LNER's one daily train from King's Cross takes about 2 hours 1 minute on weekdays in the May–December 2026 timetable, and a few minutes longer at weekends. The direct LNER train to London runs in the morning, Monday to Saturday.

Journey times are from LNER's May–December 2026 timetable and vary by train. Check yours with LNER timetables or the National Rail journey planner.

Key facts

Opened
22 September 1834 (first station); present buildings from the early 1870s, remodelled in 1891
Architect
Thomas Prosser's office, North Eastern Railway (1870s); remodelled by William Bell (1891)
Heritage status
Grade II listed (up-platform building, canopies, footbridge and benches)
Platforms
3
Managed by
TransPennine Express
Passengers a year
696,000 (April 2024 – March 2025) Source: orr.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Did you know?

  • The Leeds and Selby Railway's original 1834 terminus, designed by the engineer James Walker, still stands near the river. It served as a goods shed after 1840 and is Grade II listed in its own right.
  • Selby was on the East Coast Main Line until 1983, when the Selby Diversion was opened to avoid subsidence from the new Selby coalfield. The old line north to York became a cycle path in 1989.
  • When the new swing bridge over the Ouse opened in 1891, trains finally took priority over boats: rail crossings by then outnumbered river craft more than ten to one.

Photos of Selby

Arriving at Selby

The entrance on Station Road opens straight onto platform 1, with the ticket office on your left as you go in; lifts and the footbridge lead to platforms 2 and 3. Selby Abbey and the bus station are both about five minutes' walk away, and the Market Place about ten.

The station is a short walk from the centre: Selby Abbey is under 10 minutes on foot and the Market Place about 10 minutes.

Getting around

Selby is small and easily explored on foot. The Trans Pennine Trail passes through the town for walkers and cyclists, including a route north to York.

Other train services and connections

  • Hull Trains (London King's Cross and Hull)
  • TransPennine Express (Hull, and Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool)
  • Northern (York, Hull, Bridlington, Leeds and Halifax)

Station facilities

  • Step-free accessStep-free to all platforms (National Rail category A)
  • LiftsLifts to platform 1 and to platforms 2 and 3
  • StaffMon–Sat 06:00–19:30, Sun 09:15–19:00
  • Ticket officeOn the left as you enter; Mon–Sat 06:00–19:45, Sun 09:15–19:00
  • Ticket machinesOn platform 1
  • Help pointsOn both platforms, with induction loops
  • ToiletsOn platform 1
  • Accessible toiletsUnisex accessible toilets on platform 1
  • Baby changingAvailable
  • Waiting roomsHeated waiting rooms on platforms 1 and 2 while the station is staffed
  • Wi-fiAvailable
  • Left luggageNone
  • Car park130 spaces, operated by TransPennine Express
  • Cycle storage229 spaces outside the entrance and on platform 1, sheltered, with CCTV
  • TaxisTaxi rank on the station side of the road
  • BusesSelby bus station is about five minutes' walk away

Checked September 2026. Facilities and opening hours change — see the National Rail Enquiries station page (opens in a new tab) for the latest details.

History of the station

Selby was one of Yorkshire's railway pioneers. The Leeds and Selby Railway opened on 22 September 1834, ending at a large warehouse-like terminus beside the Ouse, where passengers changed to packet boats for Hull. When the Hull and Selby Railway opened in 1840 it crossed the river on an opening bridge, a new through station was built, and the old terminus, designed by the engineer James Walker, became a goods shed; it still stands today.

In 1871 the North Eastern Railway opened a direct line from near Doncaster to York through Selby, putting the town on the East Coast Main Line, and a new station designed in Thomas Prosser's office followed. A new swing bridge downstream in 1891 shifted the tracks, so William Bell remodelled the station, moving the up platform and re-using Prosser's roofs. East Coast expresses ran through Selby for more than a century until the Selby Diversion opened in 1983 to avoid the new coalfield. The station building, canopies, footbridge and benches were listed Grade II in 1980, and a refurbished footbridge with lifts now gives step-free access to every platform.

A half-day in Selby

An easy break in a journey to or from Hull: a great abbey church, lunch and a riverside or railway-path stroll.

  1. Morning

    Selby Abbey

    Walk five minutes to the abbey, which is free to enter from 10am. Look up in the choir for the 14th-century Washington Window, with the heraldic stars and bars of George Washington's ancestors.

    Selby Abbey in Things to do

  2. Lunch

    The abbey coffee shop

    Stay on for a light lunch in the abbey's volunteer-run coffee shop; on Mondays the town market is on the Market Place nearby.

  3. Afternoon

    Out on the trail

    Stretch your legs on the Trans Pennine Trail, whose 15-mile spur heads north from Selby to York.

    Trans Pennine Trail in Things to do

Things to do near Selby

Distances are approximate. Opening times and prices change — check the official website before you go.

Eat & drink near the station

  • Café

    Selby Abbey Coffee Shop

    A volunteer-run coffee shop inside the abbey serving light, locally sourced refreshments, open daily (Mon–Sat 10:30–15:30, Sun 13:30–15:30 when checked).

    In Selby Abbey, five minutes' walk Website for Selby Abbey Coffee Shop (opens in a new tab)

  • Market

    Selby Monday Market

    Around 80 pitches of fruit and veg, eggs, cakes and more fill the Market Place every Monday from 9am to 3pm; a farmers' market with hot food follows on the third Saturday of each month.

    Market Place, about ten minutes' walk Website for Selby Monday Market (opens in a new tab)

Day trips from Selby

  • York

    The Minster, the medieval walls and the National Railway Museum.

    Direct trains take about 33 minutes, roughly hourly.

  • Hull

    Museums, the old town and the Humber waterfront.

    TransPennine Express and Northern trains take 33–39 minutes, with around three an hour.

Where to stay in Selby

Selby has a small choice of hotels and guesthouses; York is a short train ride away if you want more options. Compare with the search link.

Tips for your visit

  • LNER calls here only once a day each way, so Hull Trains or a change at Doncaster or York may fit better.
  • Selby Abbey welcomes visitors daily from 10am to 4pm, though access may be restricted during services.

Questions about Selby station

How far is Selby Abbey from the station?

About five minutes' walk. The abbey is free to enter and open to visitors from 10am to 4pm daily.

Is Selby station step-free?

Yes. National Rail rates Selby step-free category A, with lifts to platform 1 and to platforms 2 and 3.

Can I get a direct train to London from Selby?

Yes. LNER calls once a day in each direction on its London–Hull service, and Hull Trains runs further direct London services.

Is there parking at Selby station?

Yes, a 130-space car park run by TransPennine Express. The daily rate was £5.40 when checked in September 2026.

Can I walk or cycle from Selby to York?

Yes. The trackbed of the old main line to York became a cycle path in 1989 (now part of National Cycle Network route 65), and the Trans Pennine Trail has a 15-mile spur from Selby to York.

Is there left luggage at Selby station?

No, National Rail lists no luggage storage at Selby.

Sources we checked (September 2026)

We researched this page using the sources below. They are listed for transparency and are not links; always check official websites for the latest details.

  • assets.ctfassets.net/mxack5k9p2sw/7jQOjS38muWdVQbPCRGxyV/809f4c4fe0a29fcd38233147ab0f48…
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selby_railway_station
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selby
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selby_Abbey
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selby_Canal
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_Pennine_Trail
  • selbyabbey.org.uk/
  • transpenninetrail.org.uk/
  • routing.openstreetmap.de/
  • nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sby/
  • historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1365807
  • dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage/
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listed_buildings_in_Selby
  • selbyabbey.org.uk/visit-selby-abbey/
  • selbyabbey.org.uk/coffee-gift-shop/
  • selbyabbey.org.uk/washington-window/
  • selbytowncouncil.gov.uk/resident/monday-markets/
  • selbytowncouncil.gov.uk/resident/farmers-monthly-market/
  • nationalrail.co.uk/journey-planner/

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