Trains

All rail services operating in this area are provided commercially by train operating companies.

There are three rail stations in the city, these are Longport, Longton and Stoke-on-Trent.

The main intercity services operate from Stoke-on-Trent station. They are operated by Cross Country Trains crosscountrytrains.co.uk, London Midland londonmidland.co.uk, Northern northernrail.org and Virgin Trains virgintrains.co.uk.

Key destinations include:

• Stoke – Birmingham New Street: two trains per hour (approximately 50 minutes journey time).
• Stoke – Manchester Piccadilly: five trains per hour (approximately 45 minutes journey time).
• Stoke – London Euston: three trains per hour (approximately 90 minutes journey time).
• Stoke – Oxford: hourly service (approximately 2 hours journey time).

The hourly Northern service to Manchester calls at local stations including Kidsgrove, Congleton and Macclesfield.

The hourly London Midland service from Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent to London is a semi-fast stopping service which also calls at Alsager, Kidsgrove, Stone and Stafford.

These services provide two trains per hour between Crewe, Alsager, Kidsgrove and Stoke and three per hour between Kidsgrove and Stoke. All these stations also provide a direct service to Stone and Stafford, with two trains per hour between Stoke and Stafford.

The local stations service to Barlaston and Wedgwood is currently a bus replacement service. The X1 service runs hourly and calls at Wedgwood, Barlaston and Stone, as well as Trentham Gardens and the city centre. Through rail tickets are valid on this service.

An hourly service from Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent to Derby is operated by East Midlands Trains eastmidlandstrains.co.uk. This service calls at all stations on the route including Kidsgrove, Longport, Stoke-on-Trent, Longton, Blythe Bridge and Uttoxeter. You can use this service to connect to Manchester Airport from Crewe station. It also connects you to Nottingham city centre (change at Derby; three connecting services per hour to Nottingham) and East Midlands Airport via a shuttle bus service from Derby station.

For a copy of the visitor guide and timetable for the Crewe – Stoke-on-Trent – Derby service please contact the North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership on 01782 232272.

We continue to work with all the train operating companies to make sure they:

• provide the best possible service;
• meet the needs of local residents; and
• promote rail travel locally.

More information

You can get information on all UK rail services from:

The National Rail Enquiry Line - 08457 48 49 50 or visit nationalrail.co.uk.

Copies of timetables for services from local stations can be downloaded from the website of the relevant train operator (see above).

For detailed journey planning, including train, bus and coach services click on the Journey Planning link at the side of the page.

PlusBus

If you are travelling to Stoke-on-Trent by train and wish to continue your journey by bus, try PlusBus. PlusBus is an integrated train and bus ticket that allows free travel on most bus services in North Staffordshire for a small supplement to your normal rail fare. For a day ticket, this is £2.00; a range of tickets up to an annual ticket are available.

You can buy PlusBus tickets from stations taking part. For more information visit plusbus.info.