Train travel to and from the North
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Regular trains to London Luton Airport from your station
For a simple and easy journey to London Luton Airport, take advantage of direct trains from the Midlands and key Northern cities. Whether you are travelling to Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield or East Midlands Parkway or somewhere else in the North, East Midlands Railway operates fast, frequent services with regular trains running at least once an hour during peak times. If you’re travelling to somewhere closer, such as Bedford, you can get frequent, round‑the‑clock services with Thameslink.
Where are you travelling from?
Jump to: Bedford | Corby | Nottingham | Sheffield | Check Times | Buy Tickets
Travelling from Bedford?
If you're travelling from Bedford, you have two rail options to reach the airport.
Option 1) Most frequent service
Thameslink operates frequent services, including throughout the night and off-peak hours, though service may reduce to one train per hour during these times.
Southbound Thameslink services typically stop at the following stations: Bedford, Flitwick, Harlington, Leagrave, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway (change here for the Luton DART shuttle to the Airport).
Option 2) Quickest train service
The Luton Airport Express (operated by East Midlands Railway) offers a more direct service with fewer stops between Bedford and Luton Airport Parkway. Southbound Luton Airport Express services from Bedford typically stop at Luton, before arriving at Luton Airport Parkway.
Bedford to Luton Airport Parkway first and last trains
This table provides the typical first and last daily service times from Bedford to Luton Airport Parkway, separated by the main operators on this route: Thameslink (TL) and the Luton Airport Express operated by East Midlands Railway (EMR). The fastest services take just 14 minutes on average, so if you are planning to fly from London Luton Airport, catching the train is the most convenient option for you.
| Day | Operator | First Train Dept. from Bedford | First Train Arr. at Luton Airport Parkway | Last Train Dept. from Bedford | Last Train Arr. at Luton Airport Parkway |
| Mon - Fri | Thameslink | Through the night | Through the night | Through the night | Through the night |
| Luton Airport Express (operated by EMR) | 05:07 | 05:32 | 23:04 | 23:25 | |
| Saturday | Thameslink | Through the night | Through the night | Through the night | Through the night |
| Luton Airport Express (operated by EMR) | 05:40 | 05:59 | 22:10 | 22:28 | |
| Sunday | Thameslink | 05:58 | 06:27 | 01:15 (following day) | 01:43 (following day) |
| Luton Airport Express (operated by EMR) | 09:13 | 09:28 | 22:27 | 22:46 |
To find the most up-to-date information and timetables about Thameslink's services, please click here.
Travelling from Corby?
The Luton Airport Express, operated by the East Midlands Railway provides a fast service from Corby through to Luton Airport Parkway. Services run regularly, with trains every 30 minutes, with direct services available throughout the day. Other destinations covered by this route can be seen below.
- Corby
- Kettering
- Wellingborough
- Bedford
- Luton
- Luton Airport Parkway
Operator: Luton Airport Express (East Midlands Railway)
Ticket prices: Start from £13 one-way
Corby to Luton Airport Parkway first and last trains
The table below outlines the first and last direct train services running daily from Corby to Luton Airport Parkway.
| Day | First Train Dept. from Corby | First Train Arr. at Luton Airport Parkway | Last Train Dept. from Corby | Last Train Arr. at Luton Airport Parkway |
| Monday - Friday | 04:32 | 05:31 | 22:33 | 23:24 |
| Saturday | 05:10 | 05:58 | 21:40 | 22:28 |
| Sunday | 10:00 | 10:59 | 21:10 | 21:58 |
Travelling from Nottingham?
Travel to the airport in approximately 1 hour 42 minutes and enjoy a fast, comfortable journey by rail. Trains from Nottingham to Luton Airport Parkway operate approximately every 30 minutes throughout the day. Most services require a simple change at Kettering, which will set you up for the rest of your journey to Luton Airport Parkway.
Operator: East Midlands Railway
Ticket prices: Start from £33.90.
Nottingham to Luton Airport Parkway first and last trains
The table below outlines the first and last train services from Nottingham to Luton Airport Parkway.
| Day | First Train Departure from Nottingham | First Train Arr. at Luton Airport Parkway | Last Train Departure Nottingham | First Train Arr. at Luton Airport Parkway |
| Monday - Friday | 05:14 | 07:04 | 21:40 | 23:30 |
| Saturday | 05:26 | 07:16 | 20:50 | 22:40 |
| Sunday | 08:21 | 10:11 | 21:09 | 22:59 |
Travelling from Sheffield?
Rail passengers travelling from Sheffield to Luton Airport Parkway can take the East Midlands Railway service to travel to the airport. Services run frequently, with up to three trains every hour. Most journey's typically take around 2 hours and 45 minutes, but their are speedier services which 2 hours and 14 minutes. Whether you're catching the first flight of the day (first train departs Sheffield at 04:58) or arriving for an evening check-in, the service runs until 22:11.
Operator: East Midlands RailwayTicket prices: Start from £42.50 one-way when you book in advance.
Sheffield to Luton Airport Parkway first and last trains
See below the typical first and last train departure and arrival times from Sheffield, operated by East Midlands Railway (EMR). Please note that weekend times often vary, and passengers should check thir specific date of travel.
| Day | First Train Dept. from Sheffield | First Train Arr. at Luton Airport Parkway | Last Train Dept. from Sheffield | Last Train Arr. at Luton Airport Parkway |
| Monday - Friday | 04:58 | 07:28 | 22:11 | 00:56 (following day) |
| Saturday | 04:58 | 07:28 | 22:11 | 00:56 (following day) |
| Sunday | 04:58 | 07:28 | 22:11 | 00:56 (following day) |
Connecting from Luton Airport Parkway?
Regular trains from London Luton Airport to the North
From London Luton Airport, there are plenty of direct trains that connect you to the north, whether that’s to Bedford and the Midlands or your key northern cities. Regular trains run at least once an hour during peak times. Connect straight from the terminal to Luton Airport Parkway via the DART in just under 4 minutes to make the final leg of your journey to the north simple and easy.
Jump to: Bedford | Corby | Sheffield | Nottingham | Check times | Buy tickets
Begin your journey with the Luton DART
Luton Airport Express towards Corby (by EMR)
The Luton Airport Express is operated by the East Midlands Railway and provides a fast and direct service from Luton Airport Parkway through to Corby, some services even extend as far as Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
- Luton
- Bedford
- Wellingborough
- Kettering
- Corby
First and last trains from Luton Airport Parkway
| Destination Station | Average Journey Time | Fastest Journey Time | First Train (Mon-Fri) | Last Train (Mon-Fri) |
| Corby | 48m | 46m | 06:07 | 00:35 |
| Sheffield | 2h 47m | 1h 55m | 06:07 | 21:37 |
| Nottingham | 1h 41m | 1h 29m | 06:07 | 23:46 |
Origin train times are from 'Luton Airport Parkway' and do not include the airport connection (Luton DART) travel time between 'London Luton Airport' and 'Luton Airport Parkway Railway Station.
Thameslink services towards Bedford
London Luton Airport passengers can purchase a through-ticket to include the Luton DART airport connection fare and directly connect passengers with Bedford and other northern destinations on the Thameslink network. Thameslink provides a regular northbound service between Luton Airport Parkway and Bedford, with trains conveniently running every 15 to 30 minutes and taking as little as 18 minutes.Thameslink continues to offer regular service during off-peak hours and overnight. Although trains may run hourly at these times, travellers can have reliable options around the clock.
Destinations North of Luton which are served by Thameslink include:
| Destination Station | Average Journey Time |
| Luton | 5 minutes |
| Leagrave | 9 minutes |
| Harlington | 14 minutes |
| Flitwick | 18 minutes |
| Bedford | 30 minutes |
Origin train times are from 'Luton Airport Parkway' and do not include the airport connection (Luton DART) travel time between 'London Luton Airport' and 'Luton Airport Parkway Railway Station'.