Rugby is a 21 to 25 minute direct train ride from Northampton, so a room here works as a base if you are in Northampton for a few days and want a kitchenette, on-site parking and self check-in. Direct trains ran in both directions at least twice an hour at the times we checked, and the drive is a straightforward run along the M1. This page covers the timetable each way and the details that catch people out, like what happens if you miss the last direct train back.
Rugby as a base for Northampton
- Rugby to Northampton
- Direct, 21 to 25 minutes, mostly at 16 and 46 minutes past in the morning.
- Northampton to Rugby
- Direct, usually 22 minutes; morning trains at 10 and 40 minutes past.
- Last direct train
- 23:10 on a weekday, arriving in Rugby at 23:33.
- By road
- About 21 miles from Northampton station, via the M1 and Junction 18.
- On foot at this end
- About 750 metres from Rugby station, a 10-minute walk.
Morning trains from Rugby to Northampton
Staying with us and working in Northampton? On Tuesday 15 September 2026, direct trains left Rugby at 16 and 46 minutes past most morning hours, with extra ones at 06:56 and 08:02, and took 21 to 25 minutes.
| Leaves Rugby | Arrives Northampton | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| 06:56 | 07:19 | 23 min |
| 07:16 | 07:39 | 23 min |
| 07:46 | 08:07 | 21 min |
| 08:02 | 08:27 | 25 min |
| 08:16 | 08:39 | 23 min |
| 08:46 | 09:07 | 21 min |
| 09:16 | 09:38 | 22 min |
Northampton to Rugby: a timetable you can remember
On the timetable for Tuesday 15 September 2026, the morning trains from Northampton to Rugby run like clockwork: 08:10, 08:40, 09:10, 09:40, and so on, each taking 22 minutes. In the evening the minutes shift a little, but you still get two direct trains an hour.
| Leaves Northampton | Arrives Rugby | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| 08:10 | 08:32 | 22 min |
| 08:40 | 09:02 | 22 min |
| 17:40 | 18:02 | 22 min |
| 18:06 | 18:32 | 26 min |
| 18:40 | 19:02 | 22 min |
| 23:10 | 23:33 | 23 min |
Missing the 23:10 costs you an hour. The next option on that timetable, the 23:28, doesn’t run direct. It goes via Milton Keynes Central and reaches Rugby at 00:32. If you are cutting it fine, a taxi or the car may be the better call.
Weekend and bank holiday timetables differ from the weekday pattern shown here. Look up the exact train on National Rail Enquiries on the day.
Driving from Northampton
From Northampton station, both route planners we used put our door about 21 miles away. The route leaves town on the A4500 (Weedon Road), joins the M1, comes off at Junction 18 and follows the A428 west into Rugby. From the town centre, the two planners chose different ways out of Northampton and disagreed on the mileage, so we quote the station figure only.
Parking at our end is simple. Six spaces behind the building are free for guests on a first-come, first-served basis and watched by CCTV, and from 18:00 to 08:00 you can also park on Railway Terrace at no charge.
Who books a room when home is 22 minutes away
Hardly anyone from Northampton needs a bed in Rugby for an ordinary visit. The stays we see make sense for other reasons.
- Relatives coming to visit you who want a quiet room with a kitchen, a short train ride from your door rather than a spare bed in your house.
- Moving to Rugby, when the dates between two homes don’t line up. Our house move guide has the details.
- Work on a site near Rugby that means long days for a few weeks. Our page on engineering placements near Rugby and Daventry explains how longer stays work.
Staying a few nights or a few weeks
Longer stays are where our rooms earn their keep. Each one has a kitchenette for proper meals, the laundry room on the first floor is free for guests, and anyone booked for seven nights or more gets a housekeeping visit every week. Browse the room types to see which suits you.
Travelling with a dog or a cat means booking one of the Deluxe Studios on the ground floor, since those are the rooms set aside for pets, and the charge is £30 for each animal however long you stay. Arriving before 15:00? Lockers downstairs will hold your bags for a £1 coin that you get back. Full terms are in our guest guide and hotel policies.
Northampton to Rugby: common questions
How long does the train from Rugby to Northampton take?
Between 21 and 25 minutes on a direct train. In the morning, trains left Rugby at 16 and 46 minutes past most hours on the timetable we checked.
How often do trains run from Northampton to Rugby?
On a weekday there are two direct trains an hour from Northampton to Rugby. In the morning they leave at 10 and 40 minutes past the hour and take about 22 minutes.
What is the last direct train from Northampton to Rugby?
On the weekday timetable for 15 September 2026, the last direct train leaves Northampton at 23:10 and arrives in Rugby at 23:33. The 23:28 after it goes via Milton Keynes Central and arrives at 00:32.
Which M1 junction should I use from Northampton?
Junction 18. From there the A428 takes you west into Rugby, and the whole drive from Northampton station to Apart Hotel Rugby comes to about 21 miles.
Is the 23:28 from Northampton worth catching?
Only if nothing else works. On the weekday timetable for 15 September 2026, the 23:28 runs via Milton Keynes Central and takes 1 hour 4 minutes, against 23 minutes on the direct 23:10.
Need a base near Northampton?
Look up free rooms for your dates, then enter DIRECT when the booking page asks for a code.
Checked on 10 September 2026. Train times in both directions are from traintimes.org.uk for Tuesday 15 September 2026, including the 23:28 via Milton Keynes Central; Trainline’s route page also gives 23:10 as the last train of the day. The 21-mile road figure is from Northampton station to 123 Railway Terrace and was returned by both OSRM and Valhalla. The two planners disagreed on routes from the town centre, so we left that figure out.
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