How to get to the UK’s major 2024 sporting events by train
This is the year of the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, and tickets are still available for a wide range of events. But even if you’re not travelling to Paris, you won’t be short of exciting 2024 sporting events right here in the UK. What’s more, if travelling more sustainably is your thing, or you want to join your mates for an after-match drink, you’ll be pleased to hear that car-free travel to sporting events is easy, especially when you do it by train.
Below we look at some of our favourite UK sports, help you find their nearest stations and let you know how long it will take you to walk to the event from the station. If you’re a sports fan, get your calendar out, you’re going to be busy!
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Football matches by train
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Whether you’re a fan or a player, football is the most popular sport in the UK. And with the women’s game gaining so much following in recent years, there are even more important matches for us all to look forward to in 2024. Because of this popularity, parking and traffic queues can be an issue if you travel to a match by car; it’s often far easier to get to football matches by train.
When it comes to football events, 2024 has plenty to offer anyone who wants to watch first class football here in the UK. We’ve listed some key matches below.
March 23rd – England v Brazil – Wembley Stadium
May 12th – Women’s FA Cup final - Wembley Stadium
May 25th – FA Cup final – Wembley, Scottish Cup final - Hampden Park
May 26th - Women’s Scottish Cup Final – Hampden Park
June 1st – Men’s Champions League final – Wembley Stadium
October 2024 – Super League Grand Final – Old Trafford
UK football stadiums and their nearest train stations
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Car-free travel to football matches makes a lot of sense. Not only will you be doing your bit for the environment by taking public transport, you’ll also be saving yourself the hassle of traffic queues and parking fees. We’ve listed the UK’s main football stadiums below, as well as their closest train stations, and the walking distances between the two.
How to get to Wembley Stadium by train
Travelling to Wembley by train is simple. There are three railway stations to choose from, and main line, London Underground and London Overground options. The nearest station to Wembley Stadium itself is Wembley Stadium station but all three of the stations listed below are nearby.
The nearest train stations to Wembley stadium
- Wembley Park station on the Metropolitan Line (London Underground) - 16 minutes walking
- Wembley Stadium station (Chiltern Main Line) - 10 minutes walking
- Wembley Central station (Overground) and the Bakerloo Line (Underground) - 22 minutes walking
How to get to Hampden Park stadium by train
You’ll need to change at Glasgow Central for trains to Hampden Park but there are two stations within walking distance.
The nearest train stations to Hampden Park
- Mount Florida station – 8 minutes walking
- Kings Park station – 19 minutes walking
How to get to Old Trafford by train
The roads around Old Trafford are extremely busy on match days, so taking advantage of Manchester’s trains and Metro Link tram system makes far more sense than driving. You’ll need to combine the train and the tram if you don’t want a longish walk.
The nearest train stations to Old Trafford
- Manchester Piccadilly station – 1 hour walking (or change for the Metro)
- Old Trafford stop (Blue Metro Line) - 11 minutes walking
UK cricket matches by train
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The next Ashes Series might not be until November 2025 and January 2026 but there’s plenty of world class cricket to look forward to in 2024. Even better than that, some key cricket events are due to be played on UK soil.
The England men’s team will also be at home, with matches against Pakistan, the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Australia over the summer and early autumn months.
With so many top matches taking place on UK soil, it would be a shame not to join in the fun. Below we have a list of the UK’s major cricket grounds and stadiums with their nearest train stations and walking times from these.
UK cricket grounds and their nearest train stations
- Warwickshire - Edgbaston, Birmingham – Five Ways (30 minutes)
- Northamptonshire - The County Ground, Northampton – Northampton station (45 minutes)
- Yorkshire - Headingley, Leeds – Burley Park station (5 minutes)
- Derbyshire - The Incora County Ground, Derby – Derby station (20 minutes)
- Somerset - The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton – Taunton station (20 minutes)
- Essex - The Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford – Chelmsford Station (10 minutes)
- Durham - Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street – Chester-le-Street station (21 minutes)
- Worcestershire - New Road, Worcester – Worcester Forgate Street (13 minutes)
- Gloucestershire - Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol – Bristol Temple Meads (56 minutes)
- Hampshire - The Ageas Bowl, Southampton – Hedge End station (35 minutes)
- Sussex - The 1stCentral County Ground, Hove – Hove station (10 minutes)
- Kent - The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence – Canterbury East station (20 minutes)
- Surrey - The Kia Oval, London – Vauxhall station (10 minutes)
- Middlesex - Lord’s, London – Marylebone station (10 minutes)
- Nottinghamshire - Trent Bridge, Nottingham – Nottingham station (20 minutes)
- Lancashire - Old Trafford, Manchester – Manchester Piccadilly station (30 minutes)
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UK Rugby by train
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The UK rugby season is well underway, and some rather close men’s Six Nations results already have us on our toes. The women’s Six Nations 2024 is set to follow in March, and we’ve got England matches against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa to look forward to in the men’s Autumn Nations Series, as well as WXV 2024 for the women.
Six Nations Championship and Autumn Internationals - UK venues
The nearest train station to Ashton Gate stadium, Bristol
- Parson Street station – 22 minutes walking
The nearest train stations to Twickenham
- Twickenham station – 10 minutes walking
- Whitton station – 20 minutes walking
- St Margaret’s station – 20 minutes walking
The nearest train station to Murrayfield stadium, Edinburgh
- Haymarket station – 30 minutes walking
The nearest train station to the Hive stadium, Edinburgh
- Haymarket station – (then a tram from nearby Haymarket Tram Stop to St Andrew’s Square)
- Cardiff Central station – 5 minutes walking
The nearest train station to Cardiff Arms Park
- Cardiff Central station – 10 minutes walking
- Lanyon Place station – 40 minutes walking
Wimbledon by train
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With over 500,000 annual visitors over the match fortnight, the Wimbledon tennis Championships is one of the UK’s most iconic sporting events. This year it will be held from July 1st to July 14th and the public ballot for tickets has already closed. If you were lucky enough to get a ticket, you’ll be pleased to hear that the All England Lawn and Tennis Club is easily accessible from several London Underground stations, all on the District Line. In other words, it’s far easier to enjoy your Wimbledon tennis by train than it is by car.
- Southfields station – 15 minutes walking
- Wimbledon station – 20 minutes walking
- Wimbledon Park Station – 25 minutes walking
The World Athletics Indoor Championships by train
During March, Glasgow will be hosting the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships at the city’s renowned Emirates Arena. This is the first time the Championships have been held in Scotland, and preparations at the 5,500-seater arena have been thorough, with a fresh look created for the event.
How to get to the World Indoor Athletics in Glasgow by train
It’s a 1 hour walk to the Emirates Arena from Glasgow Central station but you can change to the Argyle Line at Glasgow Central Low Level for Dalmarnock station (14-minute walk to the Arena) or Bridgeton station (16-minute walk to the Arena).
The 2024 Snooker World Championships by train
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Tickets are selling out fast for the 2024 World Snooker Championships in April and May, so fans need to get in quick. If you do have a ticket, it’s much easier to get to the Crucible Theatre by train than by car; just hop off the train at Sheffield station and take a leisurely nine-minute stroll.
UK Golf tournaments by train
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Getting to the Open by train
The 152nd Open Championship will take place at Scotland’s Royal Troon Golf Club in July 2024. This will be the first time the club has staged the Championship since 2016. Getting to Royal Troon by train is surprisingly easy, and on the way, you’ll be able to enjoy stunning Ayrshire scenery. The nearest train station to Royal Troon is Troon station, on the Ayrshire Coast Line from Glasgow, just a 20-minute walk from the Club.
Getting to the Masters by train
Following closely on the golfing calendar in August and September, the Betfred British Masters 2024 will be held at The Belfrey Golf Course in Sutton Coldfield. The nearest train station to The Belfry is Water Orten, which has good connections to Birmingham stations but is around 4 miles away from the course itself. The bus from Water Orten to the Belfry doesn’t use a direct route and takes about an hour.
UK motorsport events by train
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Enjoying Formula 1 by train
The 2024 British Grand Prix will be held at Silverstone between the 5th and 7th of July. With Friday’s practice, Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race, it’s set to be another Formula 1 weekend to remember. If you want to get to Silverstone without a car, there will be bus transfers available from Silverstone’s nearest train stations. The closest stations to Silverstone are Milton Keynes, Northampton and Bambury.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed by train
Those who have experienced it will tell you what a great day out the Goodwood Festival of Speed is. With the best of motor racing history, enough noise and action for any adrenaline fan, and a close-to-the-action approach, it’s an event the whole family can enjoy. The nearest train station for the Goodwood Festival of Speed is Chichester. During this year’s event, shuttle buses will run between 07:00 and 20:00.
UK horse racing by train
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Whether you prefer jump or flat racing, the UK horse racing calendar is always packed full and very popular with visitors. From the Cheltenham Festival in March to New Market in July, punters can look forward to unmissable sport and entertainment. However, race days are often synonymous with crowded roads and traffic queues. Why not take the train this year instead. We’ve listed the top horse racing venues and their nearest train stations below.
Cheltenham Festival - nearest station
- Cheltenham Racecourse – Cheltenham Spa station – 25 minutes walking
The Grand National - nearest station
- Aintree Racecourse – Aintree station – 7 minutes walking
- Newmarket racecourse (Rowley Mile course) - Newmarket station - 36 minutes walking (shuttle bus)
- Newmarket racecourse (July Course) - Newmarket station - 1 hour walking (shuttle bus)
- Shuttle buses to Newmarket are also available from Cambridge and Royston train stations.
The Derby Festival – nearest stations
- Epsom Downs Racecourse has good rail connections with three nearby stations:
- Epsom station – 42 minutes walking (shuttle bus)
- Tattenham Corner station – 15 minutes walking
- Epsom Downs station – 30 minutes walking
- Ascot Racecourse – Ascot Station – 7 minutes walking
Are you a Sports Fan? Trainsplit has partnered with Pledgeball, a grassroots charity that rallies fellow fans to take action to protect where we play, making changes that improve our air and our green spaces. It can be as simple as swapping to reusable water bottles or taking the train to a match instead of driving. Fans, players, clubs, grassroots teams – the impact we can have together is game-changing.
Planning your train journey
We recommend buying your tickets early, especially if you want to reserve seats (a good idea). You might also like to consider arriving early on match day and avoiding travel directly after the event finish. And one final tip for happy sport day travel, pack a few snacks and a drink just in case you end up waiting at the station.
Enjoy the 2024 sports season. It’s set to be a great one!
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