Trains 

The Lakes & East Cumbria region the area has excellent local train services and links to London as well as the rest of the UK. The west coast mainline trains stop at Penrith station, travelling on to Carlisle and Scotland to the north and London and the Midlands to the south.

First Great Western trains run on the north-west coast and into the Lake District. From Carlisle, the route runs along the coast, rejoining the mainline at Preston. Stations along the scenic Settle to Carlisle line include Ravenglass for steam trains along the Esk Valley, the Ribblehead Viaduct, Appleby and Dalegarth on the western edge of the Lake District.

Oxenholme is the main station for the Lakes from London and Scotland. From Oxenholme a branchline runs through Kendal, Burneside and Stavely to Windermere Railway Station.

Virgin Trains operate through Penrith providing country wide trains to London Euston, Paddington, the Midlands, the north-west of England, Wales and Scotland.

The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is the oldest narrow gauge railway in the UK and was built originally to transport iron ore to Ravenglass on the coast. The railway today offers steam trains into the Lake District from Ravenglass on the coast, through Eskdale, into Dalegarth on the edge of Lake District.

Train Journey Times

• 3 hours 44 mins direct to Penrith from London Euston
• 1 hour 36 mins direct to Penrith from Manchester Piccadilly
• 3 hours 55 mins to Kendal from London Euston, change at Oxenholme
• 1 hour 39 mins to Kendal from Manchester Oxford Road direct