How long do I need to change trains?

Checked against the sources below on 20 October 2026

How much time Britain’s railways allow for changing trains, where that figure comes from, what the Conditions of Travel say about it, and what to do if you want more.

The short answer#

Every station has a minimum time the railway allows for changing trains there. National Rail’s journey planner builds it in, so a connection it offers you has at least that much time. Where a station has no figure of its own, the default is 5 minutes.

If you use the journeys a planner shows you, you have allowed enough time under the Conditions of Travel. If you want more, you can ask the planner for it.

What a minimum connection time is#

The Rail Delivery Group explains that journey planners look at two things when deciding whether a station can be used to change trains: its minimum interchange time and whether it is suitable for changing at all.

  • With a few agreed exceptions, the minimum time is the “connectional allowance” in Network Rail’s Timetable Planning Rules.
  • Where the planning rules give a station no figure, a default of 5 minutes applies.
  • At most stations one figure applies to every train company, but at some the time depends on which companies you are changing between.
  • The figure can change temporarily, for example during engineering work.

What the Conditions of Travel say#

Condition 20 of the National Rail Conditions of Travel reads:

“If your journey requires a change of trains, you must allow sufficient time to make your connection when selecting the trains, you wish to use. Train times shown at www.nationalrail.co.uk or on any journey plan provided by a Train Company or Licensed Retailer will allow sufficient time for making your change of trains. You can also ask for advice on this when purchasing your Ticket at a station.”

So the responsibility is yours when you pick the trains yourself, and a journey plan from National Rail, a train company or a ticket retailer counts as enough time. If a late train then makes you miss the connection, see what happens if you miss a connection.

National Rail is also clear that connections cannot be guaranteed: holding one train for another that is late can delay other services, though it says particular attention is given to infrequent services and the last trains of the day.

If you want more time#

National Rail’s journey planner lets you allow extra time to change trains, in its journey options, if you would like more than the minimum.

At the station, platforms are shown on the departure boards, and you can ask a member of staff where one is available.

How RailPilot handles changes#

When RailPilot plans a journey, a change between trains uses the station’s published minimum connection time. A change between National Rail and the Underground uses Transport for London’s own figure for getting from one platform to the other, and the two are never added together, so you are not offered a later train than the change really needs.

While you travel, RailPilot shows how many minutes you will have at each change, worked out from the live running of both trains, and the platform you need. If an earlier connection might just be possible, a “Tight change” card names it and its platform, and if you catch it, RailPilot switches your journey to it.

Try RailPilot: it is free, with no account, and finds the train you are on from your location. How it works.

Sources#

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