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The sweeping curved iron and glass roof over the platforms at York station

Yorkshire Station code YRK

York

York by train: minster, medieval walls, Vikings and the National Railway Museum, all walkable from a station that is under two hours from King's Cross.

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York's curved train shed, carried on cast-iron columns, has sheltered the platforms since the station opened in 1877.Photo: Bob Harvey, CC BY-SA 2.0

About York

Few British cities pack as much history into so small an area as York. Founded by the Romans as Eboracum, it later became a Viking capital and a great medieval church city, and its minster, castle and walls are all Grade I listed.

For rail travellers York has an extra draw: the National Railway Museum sits right beside the station and holds the national collection of historic locomotives, including the record-breaking Mallard. Combine it with a walk along the walls, the narrow streets around the Shambles and a visit to the minster and you have a very full day.

York is one of the busiest stops on the East Coast Main Line, so it works equally well as a day trip from London or as a base for exploring North Yorkshire.

Journey

YRK
Fastest from London King's Cross
Around 1 hour 45 minutes
LNER routes calling
4
Previous and next calling points on each LNER route serving York
RoutePrevious stopNext stop
London – Edinburgh stop 8 of 18
London – Middlesbrough stop 5 of 7
London – Aberdeen stop 8 of 26
London – Inverness stop 5 of 24

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

The fastest trains in LNER's May–December 2026 timetable take 1 hour 45 minutes; LNER runs roughly 50 or more trains a day each way between King's Cross and York.

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
25 June 1877 (current station)
Architect
Thomas Prosser, Benjamin Burley and William Peachey of the North Eastern Railway
Heritage status
Grade II* listed
Platforms
11
Managed by
LNER
Passengers a year
10.5 million (April 2024 – March 2025) Source: orr.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Did you know?

  • When it opened in 1877 York was hailed as the largest railway station in the world, with 13 platforms.
  • A ceramic tiled map of the North Eastern Railway's network survives on the wall of the original concourse.
  • During an air raid on 29 April 1942 station foreman William Milner died after going back into his burning office for a first-aid kit; a plaque at the station remembers him.

Photos of York

Arriving at York

Most trains pull in under the curved train shed. The main exit is on the east side, through the old concourse and out under the Victorian portico on Station Road, where you'll find the bus stops, the covered taxi rank and the drop-off area. For the centre, turn left and follow the road with the city walls on your right: within five to eight minutes you cross the River Ouse on Lendal Bridge, and York Minster is about ten minutes' walk in all. The National Railway Museum is on the other side of the tracks, reached by the long footbridge; that route has no level access, so step-free visitors should leave by the main entrance and go round by road, as National Rail advises.

York station was built as a through station just outside the city walls. The minster and the historic core are around half a mile away as the crow flies, and the National Railway Museum is next door, linked to the platforms by a long footbridge.

Getting around

Walking is the easiest way to see the compact centre, and the walls make a scenic route between sights. Buses stop directly outside the main entrance, where there is also a covered taxi rank; the area in front of the station is being remodelled by the York Station Gateway project, so expect some works.

Other train services and connections

  • CrossCountry
  • TransPennine Express (including Manchester, Liverpool, Scarborough and Middlesbrough)
  • Grand Central
  • Northern

Station facilities

  • Step-free accessStep-free to all platforms (National Rail category A)
  • LiftsLifts serve every platform, including from the concourse by platform 3 to platforms 5–11
  • StaffStaffed 24 hours; Customer Information Point to the right of WHSmith by the main entrance
  • Ticket officeOn the main concourse; Mon–Sat 06:00–20:00, Sun 08:00–18:00
  • Ticket machinesOn the entrance concourse; collect tickets bought online here or at the ticket office
  • ToiletsOn the main concourse and on the platforms, open whenever the station is
  • Accessible toiletsRADAR-key toilets on the concourse, by platform 2 and between platforms 8 and 9; the Changing Places toilet on platform 4 was closed for refurbishment when checked
  • Baby changingAvailable
  • Waiting roomsHeated waiting rooms, including one serving platforms 1–3
  • First Class loungeLNER lounge on platform 3; Mon–Sat 06:00–20:00, Sun 08:00–19:00 (per LNER)
  • Wi-fiPublic wi-fi available
  • Food and drinkCoffee shops, food outlets and a supermarket on the concourse
  • ShopsShops on the concourse, including WHSmith
  • Cash machineOn the concourse
  • Left luggageNo luggage storage in the station
  • Car parkingShort-stay car park only; the long-stay car park is closed for the York Station Gateway works (Blue Badge parking unaffected)
  • Cycle storage626 spaces including 80 secure stands; sheltered, with CCTV
  • TaxisCovered taxi rank at the front of the station
  • BusesBus stops directly outside the main entrance

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

York's first station was a temporary wooden building on Queen Street, opened by the York and North Midland Railway in 1839 and replaced two years later by a terminus inside the city walls. Once the North Eastern Railway was formed in 1854 that terminus became a bottleneck, because through trains between London and Newcastle had to reverse out of it. Parliament authorised a new through station outside the walls in 1866, and the present building went up between 1871 and 1877 to designs by the NER's architects Thomas Prosser, Benjamin Burley and William Peachey. It opened on 25 June 1877 with 13 platforms under a great curved roof, and the company's Royal Station Hotel followed in 1878.

Platforms were lengthened and a tea room, bookshop and signal box added between 1900 and 1909, and the present footbridge dates from 1938–39. The station was badly damaged in an air raid in April 1942 and fully repaired by 1947; it was listed Grade II* in 1968. Resignalling ahead of electrification in the late 1980s cut the number of platforms from 15 to 11, while the old locomotive depot and goods station next door became the National Railway Museum. Network Rail's York Rail Operating Centre opened beside the station in 2014, and the York Station Gateway scheme is now remodelling the station front.

A day in York

A walkable day from the station: the walls, the Minster, the Vikings and the national railway collection.

  1. Morning

    Up on the walls

    Climb the steps onto the city walls just across the road from the station and follow the walkway for rooftop views towards the Minster, then drop down to cross Lendal Bridge.

    York city walls in Things to do

  2. Late morning

    York Minster

    Give the Minster a good couple of hours. Sightseeing hours are limited, especially on Sundays, so check them before you travel.

    York Minster in Things to do

  3. Lunch

    Bettys in St Helen's Square

    Queue for a table at Bettys, which has been serving York since 1936, or pick up cakes from its shop to take away.

  4. Afternoon

    Viking Jorvik

    Wander down through the narrow streets to Coppergate for the ride through Viking-age Jorvik. Book a timed slot in advance.

    JORVIK Viking Centre in Things to do

  5. Afternoon

    Mallard and friends

    Head back past the station to the National Railway Museum, which is free and open until 17.00 (last entry 16.30).

    National Railway Museum in Things to do

  6. Evening

    A pint on the platform

    Round off the day at the York Tap inside the station before your train home.

Things to do near York

Castle

Clifford's Tower

The largest surviving part of York Castle, reached by steep steps up its mound. Inside, displays cover the tower's turbulent history, and the roof deck gives views across the city; English Heritage offers a discount if you arrive by public transport.

About 0.6 miles from the station as the crow flies Official website for Clifford's Tower (opens in a new tab)

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

Eat & drink near the station

  • Pub

    York Tap

    A real-ale bar in an Edwardian building inside the station, pouring British cask ales and continental craft beers, with pies from The York Pie Company to go with them.

    Inside the station

  • Café

    Bettys York

    Bettys' York café tea rooms have been serving cakes, pastries and afternoon tea since 1936, in a room styled after the ocean liner Queen Mary.

    St Helen's Square, on the walk to the Minster Website for Bettys York (opens in a new tab)

  • Pub

    Ye Olde Starre Inne

    A timber-framed inn that was already trading as The Starre by 1644, the earliest documented licence of any York pub. Its sign has hung across Stonegate since 1733.

    Stonegate, a short walk from the Minster Website for Ye Olde Starre Inne (opens in a new tab)

Day trips from York

  • Scarborough

    Yorkshire's classic seaside resort, with two bays either side of a castle-topped headland.

    TransPennine Express trains to Scarborough take about 50 minutes and run roughly hourly.

  • Harrogate

    The elegant spa town of the Royal Pump Room Museum and the Victorian Turkish Baths, where Bettys was founded in 1919.

    Northern trains via Knaresborough take about 35 minutes and run every half hour.

Annual events

Dates change from year to year — check the official website before you plan a trip around an event.

Where to stay in York

Hotels inside or just outside the walls keep everything walkable; the area around the station is handy for early or late trains.

Tips for your visit

  • The National Railway Museum is next to the station, so it fits neatly into the first or last hour of a day trip.
  • JORVIK asks visitors to arrive ten minutes before their booked slot for security checks and limits bag size.
  • Clifford's Tower was due to close for maintenance on Friday 2 October 2026; check English Heritage before travelling.
  • Alcohol is not permitted in York station on Saturday evenings between 18:00 and 01:00, and security staff will ask you to dispose of it.

Questions about York station

How far is York station from York Minster?

About a ten-minute walk. Turn left out of the main entrance, keep the city walls on your right and cross the River Ouse on Lendal Bridge; the Minster is straight ahead.

Is York station step-free?

Yes. National Rail rates York step-free category A, with lifts to every platform. The footbridge route to the National Railway Museum via platforms 10 and 11 has no level access, so step-free visitors should leave by the main entrance and go round by road.

Is there left luggage at York station?

No. There is no luggage storage inside the station (checked September 2026), although LNER notes that private luggage services operate nearby.

Can I park at York station?

Only in the short-stay car park at present. The long-stay car park closed in March 2025 so that Network Rail can build a multi-storey car park as part of the York Station Gateway project; Blue Badge parking is unaffected.

Where is the First Class lounge at York?

On platform 3. LNER opens it 06:00–20:00 Monday to Saturday and 08:00–19:00 on Sundays for LNER First Class ticket holders.

How far is the National Railway Museum from the station?

It is right next door, less than five minutes' walk. Entry is free and the museum is open 10.00–17.00 every day except 24–26 December.

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.

  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_railway_station
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York
  • assets.ctfassets.net/mxack5k9p2sw/7jQOjS38muWdVQbPCRGxyV/809f4c4fe0a29fcd38233147ab0f48…
  • yorkminster.org/
  • railwaymuseum.org.uk/
  • jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk/
  • english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/cliffords-tower-york/
  • yorkshiremuseum.org.uk/
  • yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/
  • york.gov.uk/CityWalls
  • fairfaxhouse.co.uk/
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Minster
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Railway_Museum
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorvik_Viking_Centre
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Castle
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_city_walls
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfax_House
  • nationalrail.co.uk/stations/yrk/
  • historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1256554
  • dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage/
  • lner.co.uk/stations/york/
  • lner.co.uk/first-class-travel/lounges/york/
  • yorkminster.org/visit/plan-your-visit/
  • goodjourney.org.uk/york/
  • showmethejourney.com/train-travel-info/countries/great-britain/cities/york/rail-station…
  • railwaymuseum.org.uk/visit
  • yorktap.com/
  • bettys.co.uk/cafe-tea-rooms/our-locations/bettys-york
  • greeneking.co.uk/pubs/north-yorkshire/ye-olde-starre-inne
  • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ye_Olde_Starre_Inne
  • jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk/
  • yorkracecourse.co.uk/news-2027-confirmed-fixtures-.html?cat=3
  • visityork.org/christmas/york-christmas-market
  • nationalrail.co.uk/journey-planner/
  • english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/scarborough-castle/

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