Travel to the Lake District by train
Travel to the Lake District is surprisingly easy by train. While the charms of Lake Windermere can seem a million miles from the city life many lead, reaching this most beautiful spot isn’t the challenge you might expect.
Oxenholme Lake District Train Station
Situated on the West Coast Main Line, Oxenholme Lake District is the main connecting station for travel to Kendal and Windermere. Located in Oxenholme in Cumbria, the station is served by Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express and Northern so is a regular stop on services en route to London, Birmingham New Street, Manchester Airport, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The station itself has a fair-sized waiting room with arrivals and departures boards, but electrical sockets are few and far between so charging your phone might need to wait. There’s a staffed ticket desk, toilets, a small cafe with a limited selection of magazines and snacks, a coffee kiosk and some vending machines.
The platforms are linked by an underpass with ramps so getting between platforms is easy with luggage or children in buggies. The ramps are a bit steep for wheelchairs, so assistance from staff is recommended.
Trains to Windermere often start from Oxenholme and often wait on the platform for some time prior to departing so boarding ahead of time and finding a seat and luggage spot fairly stress free.
Windermere Train Station
Windermere is a quaint, local train station served by just one platform and is the final point on The Lakes Line which stretches to Oxenholme Lake District via Kendal (and occasionally Burneside and Staveley). Services run roughly hourly to Oxenholme where connections to the West Coast Mainline ensure easy travel throughout the UK. The trains are typically clean and well maintained with sockets between seats. A few direct services also run beyond Oxenholme to Manchester Airport.
The station itself has a small waiting area and a manned ticket desk and is right next to a Booth’s supermarket with a very pleasant café, where you can while away the time waiting on your connection. Booth’s also has a cash machine which can prove handy as not all taxis take cards. Lakeland’s flagship store is just metres away and a must visit for any fans of baking.
There’s a taxi rank immediately outside and a Stagecoach bus stop, which has connections to Coniston, Grasmere, Keswick, Kendal and through Windermere itself to the lake at Bowness-on-Windermere. Open-topped tourist buses are also available here.
Windermere Manor Hotel is about a 15 minute walk from the railway station (mainly downhill), or it is just a few minutes in a taxi. The number 555 bus to Keswick leaves from Bus Rail Interchange Stop 1 outside the train station and stops just one minute’s walk from the rear entrance to the hotel - you’ll only be on the bus for two stops and just a couple of minutes so don’t get too comfy!
While believed to be correct at the time of writing, information and facilities may be subject to change. We recommend checking with your travel company in advance.