Farnham train times to London: 52 min, £5,284 a year

Farnham has one railway station, one operator and one London terminus, which makes the commute simple to describe and expensive to run. This page sets out what the journey actually takes, what it costs, where to park, and how Farnham compares with Godalming and Haslemere down the road, all checked against South Western Railway and live timetables in August 2026.

The short answer

52 minutes is the fastest scheduled Farnham to London Waterloo journey, on a direct South Western Railway service. Most direct trains run 52 to 57 minutes. There is no faster route and no second operator.

An annual season ticket to London Terminals costs £5,284. Add Travelcard zones 1 to 6 and it is £6,396.

The timetable in practice

Trains from Farnham are the Alton line services, which run through to Waterloo via Aldershot and Woking. A typical fast morning train calls at:

Five stops, 52 minutes, and the last 28 of those minutes are the fast run from Woking. That is the pattern to look for: anything that stops between Woking and Waterloo adds several minutes.

In the morning peak there are two direct trains an hour, at roughly 26 to 28 minutes and 56 to 58 minutes past. Sample direct journeys on a weekday in August 2026: 06:26 to 07:19 (53 min), 06:54 to 07:50 (56 min), 07:28 to 08:22 (54 min), 07:58 to 08:51 (53 min), 08:28 to 09:20 (52 min).

Off-peak the pattern holds but the timings loosen: the middle-of-the-day direct trains take a full hour rather than 52 minutes, because they stop more often on the inner section. There is usually a marginally quicker option involving a change at Guildford or Woking, but it is rarely worth the platform change to save two or three minutes.

What it costs

Walk-up fares

These are the standard Farnham to London Terminals fares:

The Off-Peak Day Return saves £8.80 on the Anytime version. It is not valid on the fastest morning trains, so for a day out rather than a commute, aim for the 08:58 or later.

Season tickets

An annual is worth about 40 weeks of weekly tickets, so it pays for itself if you commute more than about four days a week with normal holidays. There are also route variants valid from Fleet, Farnborough Main or Milford for £5,560 a year, which are only worth buying if you genuinely use two stations.

The Travelcard upgrade costs £1,112 a year. That is roughly £4.45 for each working day, so it is worth it only if you use the Tube or a London bus most days rather than walking from Waterloo.

Parking at Farnham station

The station car park has 558 spaces, which is large for a town this size and still fills on weekday mornings.

Blue Badge holders park free. There are 134 cycle spaces across the platforms and car parks, with sheltered racks under CCTV.

Do the arithmetic before you settle into a routine: a monthly season plus monthly parking is £634.30, which is £127 a month, or £1,524 a year, on top of the train itself. Parking is a quarter of the cost of commuting from Farnham.

Access

Farnham is a step-free category B1 station. There are short ramps to both platforms at a gradient of up to about 1 in 7, and the way between platforms is across the level crossing, roughly 50 metres. The ticket office is open 06:10 to 20:00 Monday to Friday, 06:10 to 17:40 on Saturdays and 08:10 to 18:10 on Sundays.

That level crossing is not a detail. Surrey County Council lists reducing the impact of the level crossing as one of the stated aims of its Farnham A31 Corridor project, because the barriers sit on the main route between the south of the town and everything north of the A31.

Godalming and Haslemere

Waverley’s other two rail towns are on a different line, the Portsmouth Direct, and the numbers are not the same.

• Godalming is the best deal in the borough: fastest morning trains of 43 minutes, and an Anytime Day Return of £38.80 or a single of £20.50. It is quicker and cheaper than Farnham.
• Haslemere takes 53 to 57 minutes, so much the same as Farnham, but the Anytime Day Return is £51.90 and the single £29.40. That is £9.40 more per return than Farnham for a journey of the same length.

If you are choosing where to live on commute alone, Godalming wins on both time and money, and it is worth putting that against the house price gap between the towns before you decide.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the train from Farnham to London take?

The fastest scheduled service is 52 minutes to London Waterloo. Most direct peak trains run 52 to 57 minutes. Off-peak direct trains typically take a full hour because they call at more stations on the inner section.

Is there a direct train from Farnham to London?

Yes. South Western Railway runs the Alton line service straight through to London Waterloo, calling at Aldershot, Ash Vale, Brookwood and Woking. In the morning peak there are two an hour.

How much is a season ticket from Farnham to London?

£5,284 a year to London Terminals, or £132.10 a week and £507.30 a month. Adding a zones 1 to 6 Travelcard takes the annual to £6,396.

How much is parking at Farnham station?

£4.60 off-peak and £9.10 peak for a day, £36.30 a week or £127.00 a month. There are 558 spaces, and Blue Badge holders park free.

Which London station do Farnham trains go to?

London Waterloo. There is no direct service to any other London terminus, so onward travel means the Underground, a bus or the walk over the river.

Is Godalming quicker to London than Farnham?

Yes. Godalming’s fastest trains reach Waterloo in 43 minutes against Farnham’s 52, and the Anytime Day Return is £3.70 cheaper. The two towns are on different lines.

Related

• Farnham house prices, area by area, including how much more you pay per minute saved on the commute.
• Farnham roadworks, parking and travel if you are driving instead.
• Things to do in Farnham for anyone arriving rather than leaving.

Sources

• South Western Railway station information for Farnham for car park spaces and charges, cycle spaces, ticket office hours and step-free access.
• traintimes.org.uk, which carries National Rail timetables and walk-up fares, for journey times, calling points and the Farnham, Godalming and Haslemere fares. Checked for a weekday in August 2026.
• Trainline season ticket prices, Farnham to London Waterloo for the weekly, monthly and annual season figures.
• Surrey County Council, Farnham A31 Corridor for the level crossing objective.

Fares and timetables change. Confirm both against South Western Railway before you travel or buy.