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For a train from Milton Keynes to Manchester, Advance Tickets are available starting at £4.50*, with the average fare being £18.70. Find out about different ticket types and options by checking out our Advance Tickets, Off-Peak Train Tickets, Return Train Tickets, and Anytime Train Tickets. Explore more affordable choices in our UK cheap train ticket Guide!
Travelling from Milton Keynes to Manchester, the fastest train takes 1h 38m with an average travel time of 3h 31m. 50 trains are running daily, with the first departing at 00:29 and the last at 22:46. Stay updated with live train status, times, delays, and cancellations on TrainPal.
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| Departs | Arrives | Status | Duration | Operator | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
06:38 Milton Keynes Central | 10:40 Manchester Piccadilly | On time | 4h 2m | West Midlands Trains | Find tickets | |
06:42 Milton Keynes Central | 08:25 Manchester Piccadilly | On time | 1h 43m | Avanti West Coast | Find tickets | |
07:00 Milton Keynes Central | 08:45 Manchester Piccadilly | On time | 1h 45m | Avanti West Coast | Find tickets | |
07:16 Milton Keynes Central | 10:50 Manchester Piccadilly | On time | 3h 34m | West Midlands Trains | Find tickets | |
07:21 Milton Keynes Central | 09:05 Manchester Piccadilly | On time | 1h 44m | Avanti West Coast | Find tickets |
Plan your journey from Milton Keynes to Manchester with ease. Explore the first and last train times, departure and arrival stations, distance, journey time, and price options to make the most of your trip.
| First train | 00:29 |
|---|---|
| Last train | 22:46 |
| Departure station | Milton Keynes |
| Arrival station | Manchester |
| Distance | 117 miles (188 km) |
| Journey time | From 1h 38m |
| Price | From £4.50 |
| Train operators | Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Northern |
Getting from Milton Keynes to Manchester takes around one hour and forty minutes with Avanti West Coast.
On your journey north, you’ll pass through many scenic and splendid English counties, including Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, and Cheshire, before finally arriving in Greater Manchester. You’ll notice the scenery change from the rolling English countryside to the industrial and urban landscape of northern England’s largest city, Manchester.
Avanti West Coast mainly runs services along the West Coast Mainline, offering dependable links between key cities in England, Scotland, and Wales, such as Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Liverpool.
The train from Milton Keynes to Manchester departs from Milton Keynes Central Station, which is located on Elder Gate in the city centre, just off Grafton Street.
Local buses serve this station, and taxis can drop you off at the front of the station. It’s also possible to walk to the station from the city centre if you prefer.
Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Railway, and Northwestern Railway all use Milton Keynes Central, serving destinations like Birmingham, Manchester, Northampton, and London.
There are only four stops from Milton Keynes Central to Manchester. They are: Rugby, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, and Stockport.
These stops may vary due to scheduling changes, engineering work, train faults, or poor weather. So, it’s best to check before you travel to avoid disappointment.
Arriving at Manchester Piccadilly is easy because of the station’s excellent public transport links that can whisk you anywhere you need to be in Manchester.
From Piccadilly, you can catch the Manchester Express to Manchester Airport, which takes only fifteen minutes. You can also get to other mainline train stations around Manchester, like Oxford and Victoria. Outside the station, the city’s tram network, local buses, and taxis take you across the city.
The station is only a few minutes’ walk to Piccadilly Gardens, the very heart of the city centre. From there, it’s a short walk to notable Manchester attractions like the Arndale Centre, the Northern Quarter, Manchester Art Gallery and the AO Arena. If you need to get to Salford, the Trafford Centre, or football grounds like the Etihad Stadium or Old Trafford, look for a bus or tram.
Manchester Piccadilly is the fourth busiest station in the UK outside of London, with approximately thirty million passengers passing through annually. Accordingly, many UK rail operators run services through this station, including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, TransPennine Express, Northern, and East Midlands Railway, all servicing routes to destinations like London Euston, Liverpool, York, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.
*Information is subject to change. Please check the latest train timetable before your trip.
Family & Friends Railcard£12.47
£18.70
† Railcards offer discounted train tickets, with various types based on age and number of travellers. Enjoy up to 1/3 off for a cheaper journey. The actual price will vary based on factors such as the train service, time, and ticket availability.
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