Getting around Yorkshire by train
Yorkshire is well-connected by train services, easing visits across many parts of the region as well as making Yorkshire a great centre for exploring other parts of Britain.Eight different passenger train operators run on the rail network in Yorkshire (see below), although a common ticketing system operates through National Rail, run by the Association of Train Operating Companies.
National Rail also runs a rail enquiry service and journey planning website covering all its companies' services. A link to this is provided at the foot of the page.
Some operators are now requiring travellers to have a seat reservation and a ticket specific to their service, reducing opportunity for travel flexibility.
Where do trains run in Yorkshire? See our interactive Which are Yorkshire's busiest railway stations? See our Which places in Yorkshire might have saved time with HS2? Archived from 2020: 
The Yorkshire region also has a splendid selection of preserved and steam railways. These are not only great for those delighted by a bit of nostalgia, but can be quite useful transport for days out to some of the most scenic parts of Yorkshire which might otherwise lack regular public transport. For more details see our New timetables on Sunday take rail travel towards new look in spring
The striking new red, white and blue train livery together with logos continuing the double arrow theme of the former British Rail is planned to be rolled out next spring on trains, stations and websites, the Government has announced this week. The renationalisation will eventually bring together 17 of Britain's railway companies.
Yorkshire could be among the first parts of the country to see trains in the new livery as three of its rail companies are already back in public ownership — LNER, Northern and TransPennine Express. Other private companies in Yorkshire will be nationalised after contracts expire. For East Midlands Railway the full contract runs to October 2030, although the Government has the option of earlier expiry from October 2026. For Cross Country the full contract runs to October 2031, although the Government has the option of earlier expiry from October 2027.
Open access operators are not part of the nationalisation plan and they include Grand Central and Hull Trains in Yorkshire and also Lumo, which operates across the region without a stop.
The Government also recently announced its annual estimates of station usage which show Yorkshire has a growing number of passengers using its railway stations. Those figures, published on Thursday December 4 by the Government's Office of Rail and Road, cover the year up to the end of March 2025 and nationally show a 7% rise in passengers.
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Rail
Rail operators in Yorkshire
Cross Country
Britain's longest rail journeys cross Yorkshire with trains from Aberdeen or Glasgow and Edinburgh to Plymouth with one journey from Edinburgh also continuing beyond Plymouth to Penzance. Cross Country also runs services from Newcastle to Reading.Routes across Yorkshire towards the South West head from York via Leeds and Wakefield Westgate to Sheffield while trains towards Reading generally take a route from York via Doncaster to Sheffield .
The services do not call at North Yorkshire stations between Darlington and York. Trains head south from Sheffield through Derby, Birmingham and Bristol towards Plymouth.
Cross Country is part of Arriva - a subsidiary of German state-owned Deutsche Bahn.
East Midlands Railway
Regular services operate between Sheffield and London St Pancras via Chesterfield, Derby and Leicester. An early morning service and late evening return is extended to Leeds via Wakefield Westgate.East Midlands Railway is part of Abellio - part of the Dutch state-owned railway company.
Grand Central
Two routes connect Yorkshire with London King's Cross. One route from West Yorkshire is Bradford Interchange - Low Moor - Halifax - Brighouse - Mirfield - Wakefield Kirkgate - Pontefract Monkhill - Doncaster to London. The other route is from Sunderland, Hartlepool and Eaglescliffe in the North East calling at Yorkshire stations Northallerton - Thirsk - York on the way to London.
Grand Central was Britain's highest-rated rail company for overall satisfaction with journey in the Spring 2020 Transport Focus National Rail Passenger Survey with a score of 95%.
Grand Central is part of Arriva - a subsidiary of German state-owned Deutsche Bahn.
Hull Trains
Several trains a day operate to London King's Cross on the Hull - Brough - Howden - Selby - Doncaster route in Yorkshire, continuing via Retford and Grantham on the East Coast Main Line. Two weekday journeys a day each way, one at weekends and some bank holidays, are extended from Hull to Cottingham and Beverley in East Yorkshire.Hull Trains is part of First Group, a public limited company based in Scotland.
London North Eastern Railway
Heading south there are trains stopping at Retford, Newark North Gate, Grantham, Peterborough and Stevenage.
Heading north from Yorkshire there are regular services from Doncaster , York and Northallerton . Northern destinations include Darlington, Durham and Newcastle, and stations to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness.
London North Eastern Railway Ltd is a publicly-owned company set up by the UK Government's Department for Transport.
Lumo
Lumo, launched in 2021, operates on the East Coast Main Line through Yorkshire on journeys between Edinburgh and London. While passengers get the chance to enjoy the Yorkshire scenery as they pass through they unfortunately don't get the chance to get off a Lumo train anywhere in our region.Lumo is operated by First Group, a public limited company based in Scotland.
Northern
Northern is operated by Northern Trains Ltd, a company run by the UK Government's Department for Transport
Transpennine Express
Yorkshire stations served include Brough , Castleford , Dewsbury , Doncaster , Dore & Totley , Garforth , Greenfield , Huddersfield , Hull , Leeds , Malton , Marsden , Meadowhall , Middlesbrough , Mirfield , Normanton , Northallerton , Scarborough , Slaithwaite , Seamer , Selby , Sheffield ,
Transpennine Express is operated by TransPennine Trains Ltd, a company run by the UK Government's Department for Transport
(Before May 28, 2023 it was operated by First Group)
Heritage railways
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More information
Further details of trains on the National Rail network can be found at its enquiry website:
National Rail 
Also in Yorkshire.guide