Leicester by Rail
Leicester is just 69 minutes direct from London by train. There are also direct rail links to Birmingham, Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby, East Midlands Parkway (for East Midlands Airport), Peterborough, Luton and Stansted Airport.
Leicester is on a direct line into St Pancras International, the home of Eurostar, and with just one change of train, you could be in Paris or Brussels by lunchtime. North-South train services through Leicester are run by East Midlands Trains, who also manage Leicester Station; East-West services are run by Cross-Country Trains.
Getting to campus from the railway station
On Foot
Leicester Railway Station is within walking distance of the University (15 minutes). There are two routes, of equal length:
The simple route
From the station entrance, turn left onto London Road, walk up the hill for about 400m, then turn right onto University Road and walk another 700m. The principal entrance to the Campus is Entrance 2, Mayor's Walk, on your left just before the Students’ Union.
The more attractive route
Alternatively, turn left onto London Road, then right onto De Montfort Street. The pedestrian promenade which crosses this street is Leicester’s historic New Walk which was laid out in the late 18th century. Turn left and stroll along until you reach the intersection with University Road. Cross the pedestrian crossing, turn right and continue up to Entrance 2, Mayor's Walk, which is on your left just before the Students’ Union.
The third option
Another way to reach New Walk, which avoids London Road, is to cross the pedestrian crossings outside the station and take the path which climbs up the right-hand side of Waterloo Way as the road descends, then turn left across the bridge.
By Bus
During term-time, you can catch a No. 80 bus, which is operated by Arriva and runs every 20 minutes. This takes less than five minutes to reach Mayor's Walk. The bus stop is located directly outside the station.
If you want to travel to the student accommodation (Oadby Student Village) from the train station you should again catch the No. 80 bus. This journey will take about 25 minutes.
Useful links
- East Midlands Trains
- East Midlands Trains. Offers to and from Leicester
- Cross-Country Trains
- UK Railways on the net (rail.co.uk) – for timetables, travel information and tickets
- Arriva Number 80 bus - timetable and route map
Useful contacts
- National Rail Enquiries: 08457 48 49 50
- National Rail Enquiries from overseas: +44 (0) 20 7278 5240
(Please note: International rates apply) - National Rail Enquiries Textphone: 0845 60 50 600
(for customers with hearing imparements)
