York is about 110 miles from Rugby in a straight line, and the train takes close to three hours whichever way you go. The journey planner offered five different routes, and one stood out: change once, at Tamworth, and you beat the alternatives by anything from a few minutes to over half an hour.
York to Apart Hotel Rugby at a glance
- Quickest route
- Change at Tamworth: 2 hours 43 to 2 hours 45 minutes.
- Via Derby and Tamworth
- 2 hours 50 to 2 hours 52 minutes.
- Via Birmingham or Manchester
- 3 hours 9 minutes to 3 hours 17 minutes.
- Last trains
- 19:42 via Tamworth, arriving 22:26; or 20:21 via Manchester, arriving 23:38.
- By road
- 131 to 138 miles, depending on the route to the M1.
Tamworth is the change that pays
On the timetable for Tuesday 15 September 2026, the 08:41 from York ran through to Tamworth, arriving at 10:48, and the Rugby train left at 10:56. The 10:42 and 18:43 had the same eight-minute connection, and the 19:42 made it with five minutes to spare. Routes through Birmingham New Street, or west via Manchester Piccadilly, took between about 25 and 35 minutes longer.
| Leaves York | Change at | Arrives Rugby | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08:41 | Tamworth | 11:26 | 2 h 45 min |
| 09:21 | Manchester Piccadilly | 12:33 | 3 h 12 min |
| 09:36 | Derby, Tamworth | 12:26 | 2 h 50 min |
| 09:42 | Birmingham New Street | 12:55 | 3 h 13 min |
| 18:43 | Tamworth | 21:26 | 2 h 43 min |
| 19:42 | Tamworth | 22:26 | 2 h 44 min |
| 20:21 | Manchester Piccadilly | 23:38 | 3 h 17 min |
The 09:36 appears twice on the planner. Change at Derby and Tamworth and you’re in Rugby at 12:26; stay on to Birmingham New Street and change there, and you arrive at 12:45. The 09:42 via Birmingham gets in later still, at 12:55.
After the 20:21 we found nothing that reached Rugby the same evening. For a trip this long, check each change on National Rail Enquiries.
Driving from York
The route planners found two ways south to the M1. OSRM took the A64 and A1(M) to the M18; Valhalla went via the A19, A63 and M62 before picking up the M18. Both then follow the M1 south, OSRM leaving at Junction 20 for the A426 and Valhalla at Junction 18 for the A428, with totals of 131 and 138 miles.
Our car park at the hotel has six spaces for guests, free and first come, first served, with CCTV, and Railway Terrace outside is free overnight.
A journey worth breaking with a night’s rest
With the best part of three hours each way, few people from York come to Rugby for the day. Our pages on Rugby School visits and longer stays cover the usual reasons for the trip.
Room, kitchen and laundry
14 of the 16 rooms have a kitchenette of their own. A free laundry for guests is on the first floor, and a weekly clean is included once you stay seven nights or more. Compare rooms on the rooms page; arrival times and house rules are in the guest guide and hotel policies.
York to Rugby: common questions
What is the quickest train from York to Rugby?
Journeys that change at Tamworth, which took 2 hours 43 to 2 hours 45 minutes on the timetable we checked.
What is the last train from York to Rugby?
The 20:21 via Manchester Piccadilly was the last we found, arriving at 23:38. The 19:42 via Tamworth arrives earlier, at 22:26.
How far is York from Rugby by car?
Between 131 and 138 miles by road, or about 110 miles in a straight line.
Coming to Rugby from York for more than a day?
Sort the room at the same time as the tickets. Our booking page accepts the code DIRECT.
Data trail: on 10 September 2026 we ran York-to-Rugby searches on traintimes.org.uk for Tuesday 15 September 2026, across the morning and the evening. The A64 route measured 131 miles in OSRM and the M62 route 138 miles in Valhalla; the straight-line 110 miles was calculated from coordinates.
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