Fast trains reach Euston in 29 minutes and the last one home leaves at 01:39. Times from Hemel, Berkhamsted and Tring, plus 2026 fares and season tickets.
Hemel Hempstead’s railway station is not in the middle of Hemel Hempstead. It sits over a mile south-west of the town centre, and that walk is the only awkward part of a commute that is otherwise one of the best in the Home Counties. The fastest morning trains reach London Euston in 29 minutes, and the last train back from Euston leaves at 01:39. This page sets out the real times from all three Dacorum towns, what the tickets cost in 2026, what contactless changed, and where to park.
The quick version
All the stations in this district sit on the West Coast Main Line and are served by London Northwestern Railway, which runs the stopping services into London Euston. From north to south the Dacorum stops are Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Apsley and Kings Langley.
| From | Fastest to Euston | Typical morning peak |
|---|---|---|
| Hemel Hempstead | 29 min | 29 to 36 min |
| Berkhamsted | 33 min | 33 to 41 min |
| Tring | 38 min | 38 to 46 min |
Those are scheduled times taken from the National Rail timetable for a weekday morning in August 2026, checked on traintimes.org.uk, which serves the official National Rail timetable and fares.
What it means for you: the spread within each town matters as much as the headline. From Hemel, a 07:59 departure is into Euston at 08:28, while the 08:03 does not arrive until 08:39. Seven minutes apart at Hemel, eleven minutes apart in London. Pick the fast one.
How early and how late you can travel
This is where the line beats most commuter routes into London.
- First train from Hemel Hempstead to Euston: around 05:04 on weekdays, arriving 05:38.
- Last train from Euston back to Hemel Hempstead: 01:39, arriving 02:09.
- Before that, Euston departures run at 23:42, 00:09 and 00:39, all reaching Hemel in about half an hour.
- The first train back out of Euston in the morning is 05:35.
So the gap with no train home is roughly three and a half hours, between 02:09 and 05:35. A night out in town does not need a taxi from Euston, which is not something commuters on most southern lines can say. Weekend engineering work changes this, so check the day you travel.
What a ticket costs in 2026
These are the walk-up fares to London Terminals in August 2026, from the National Rail fares data:
| From | Anytime single | Anytime return | Off-peak return | Anytime Day Travelcard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hemel Hempstead | £14.00 | £28.00 | £20.00 | £37.00 |
| Berkhamsted | £14.90 | £29.80 | — | £38.80 |
| Tring | £16.10 | £32.20 | — | £41.30 |
The Travelcard prices are the versions routed via Watford Junction, which add London Underground zones 1 to 6. The Hemel off-peak day return is £20.00 and the off-peak single £10.00.
Regulated fares are currently frozen. The freeze covers standard class season tickets, Anytime and Off-Peak tickets in England, and it runs until March 2027 (National Rail). First class, Advance and Standard Premium tickets are not covered and can still move.
Contactless: what changed and the trap in it
Since Sunday 2 February 2025, pay as you go with contactless has worked at Hemel Hempstead, Apsley, Kings Langley, Berkhamsted and Tring. They were part of a group of fourteen London Northwestern stations upgraded under a £20 million government investment, and the change brought daily and Monday-to-Sunday capping to this line (Living Magazines, 30 January 2025).
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at LNR, said at the time that the launch would bring “flexible travel to customers across the Abbey Line, and between Watford Junction and Bletchley.”
What contactless charges from Hemel is £14.00 in the peak and £10.00 off-peak, the same as the equivalent paper single. The saving is not in the single fare, it is in the caps and in never queuing at a machine.
The trap: between 5 July and 31 October 2026, anyone who does not touch in and out with the same card or device on journeys between London Euston and LNR pay-as-you-go stations can be charged an incomplete journey fare of up to £30.40 (London Northwestern Railway). Tapping in with a card and out with a phone counts as two incomplete journeys and is charged twice. Use one card or one device for the whole trip.
Season tickets
If you travel three days a week or more, the season is where the money is. These are the London Terminals prices, any permitted route:
| From | Weekly | Monthly | Annual | Annual with Zones 1 to 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hemel Hempstead | £122.60 | £470.80 | £4,904 | £6,168 |
| Berkhamsted | £129.00 | £495.40 | £5,160 | £6,436 |
| Tring | £138.60 | £532.30 | £5,544 | £6,812 |
Prices from Trainline season tickets, checked August 2026. The higher figure in the last column is the version routed via Watford Junction that includes London Travelcard zones 1 to 6, and it costs between £1,264 and £1,268 a year more.
What it means for you: the Zones 1 to 6 add-on is £1,264 a year from Hemel. That is worth it only if you use the Underground twice a day, every working day. If your office is a walk from Euston, buy the London Terminals season and pay for the occasional Tube journey with contactless.
Parking at the station
All three main station car parks are run by Saba for London Northwestern Railway, and all three charge the same for anything longer than a day.
| Station | Spaces | Weekday before 10am | After 10am and weekends | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hemel Hempstead | 515 | £11.00 | £7.00 | £864.30 |
| Tring | 506 | £11.00 | £8.00 | £864.30 |
| Berkhamsted | 475 | £11.00 | £8.00 | £864.30 |
Sources: Saba Parking for Hemel Hempstead, Tring and Berkhamsted.
Details worth knowing: Hemel Hempstead is the cheapest of the three off-peak, at £7.00 against £8.00 elsewhere. A weekend ticket running Friday 10am to Monday 4am is £15.00 at all three. Picking up or dropping off at Hemel Hempstead is free for up to 20 minutes. Blue Badge holders park free at Hemel Hempstead, but must register on the LNR portal on the day. At Tring and Berkhamsted, payment must be made by 04:00 on arrival.
A full year of station parking on top of a Hemel season ticket takes the real annual cost of driving-and-training to London to £5,768.30.
If you are driving to the station, our page on Hemel Hempstead roadworks and travel covers the current works on the M1 and the routes in. The line also works in the other direction: both Berkhamsted Castle and the Natural History Museum at Tring are a short walk from their own stations, and both are free. See things to do in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring.
Choosing your train: a practical summary
- Fastest from Hemel Hempstead: 29 minutes to Euston, but only on the right departure.
- Latest home: 01:39 from Euston, arriving Hemel at 02:09.
- Cheapest way to pay for an occasional trip: contactless, £10.00 off-peak from Hemel, with daily and weekly caps.
- Three days a week or more: a season, £4,904 a year from Hemel to London Terminals.
- Only add Zones 1 to 6 if you will use the Underground both ways every day.
- Driving in: £11.00 before 10am, or £864.30 a year.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Hemel Hempstead to London?
The fastest scheduled weekday morning services reach London Euston in 29 minutes. Most peak departures take 29 to 36 minutes, and off-peak trains take about 33 minutes. Journey times are from the National Rail timetable for August 2026.
What time is the last train from London to Hemel Hempstead?
01:39 from London Euston, arriving in Hemel Hempstead at 02:09 on weekdays. Earlier late services leave Euston at 23:42, 00:09 and 00:39. Always confirm on the day, especially at weekends when engineering work is common on this line.
How much is a Hemel Hempstead to London season ticket?
£4,904 a year to London Terminals, or £6,168 if you add London Travelcard zones 1 to 6 (Trainline). Weekly is £122.60 and monthly £470.80. Regulated season tickets are frozen until March 2027.
Can I use contactless at Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring?
Yes. Pay as you go with contactless has worked at all three, plus Apsley and Kings Langley, since 2 February 2025. A single from Hemel is charged at £14.00 in the peak and £10.00 off-peak, and daily and Monday-to-Sunday caps apply. Touch in and out with the same card or device, or you risk an incomplete journey fare of up to £30.40 during the trial running to 31 October 2026.
Which is faster, Berkhamsted or Tring?
Berkhamsted, by about five minutes. The fastest Berkhamsted train reaches Euston in 33 minutes and the fastest Tring train in 38. Tring’s season ticket costs £384 a year more than Berkhamsted’s.
How much is parking at Hemel Hempstead station?
£11.00 if you arrive before 10am on a weekday, £7.00 after 10am or at weekends, and £864.30 for a year (Saba Parking). There are 515 spaces and drop-off is free for 20 minutes.
Sources
- traintimes.org.uk, Hemel Hempstead to London Euston for journey times, first and last trains and walk-up fares, from the National Rail timetable and fares feed.
- National Rail, The Big Rail Fare Freeze for the freeze on regulated fares until March 2027.
- Living Magazines, stations to receive tap-in tap-out travel upgrade for the 2 February 2025 contactless launch, the fourteen stations and the LNR quote.
- London Northwestern Railway, pay as you go with contactless for the incomplete journey fare trial.
- Trainline season tickets, Hemel Hempstead to London, and the equivalent Berkhamsted and Tring pages.
- Saba Parking tariffs for Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring.
Times and prices change, particularly at weekends and during engineering work. Check live times and the official season ticket calculator before you travel. Checked August 2026.
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