Paddington Station: A Guide

Published 28 September 2026 · By the Guide to London editorial team · Editor: Terje Moy

Paddington is Brunel's 1854 train shed with three railways bolted onto it: main-line trains to the west of England and Wales on platforms 1 to 14, the Heathrow Express on platforms 6 and 7, and the Elizabeth line in a deep concrete box under Eastbourne Terrace. It also has two separate Underground entrances that do not lead to the same platforms, which is the single most common way to lose ten minutes here.

Of the big London terminals this is the easiest one to like and the hardest one to describe, because the parts were built a century apart and are on four levels. It is also the only one of the seven main terminals that Network Rail does not rate as fully step-free: it is category B1, meaning step-free access to every platform but by way of long or steep ramps or a walk along the street. Which trains leave from where in London generally is in our guide to London's railway terminals.

The two Underground entrances, and why it matters which one you use

This is the thing to get straight before anything else. Paddington's Underground service is split in two, and the signs name the lines rather than the destinations.

• Bakerloo, District and Circle via Victoria. Down from the Praed Street end of the concourse. This is the entrance for the Bakerloo line to Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus and Waterloo, and for Circle and District trains running clockwise through High Street Kensington and Victoria.
• Hammersmith & City and Circle via King's Cross. Platforms 15 and 16, at the far north side of the station by the Bishop's Bridge Road exit. This is the entrance for Baker Street, Euston Square, King's Cross St Pancras, Farringdon and Liverpool Street.

Both sets of platforms are signed "Paddington" and a single Circle line train calls at both of them, 58 minutes apart, on one lap of its route. If your phone says Circle line and the platform is at the wrong end of the station, that is why. The two lines are explained in our guide to the District and Circle, and the Bakerloo in our Bakerloo line guide.

The exits, and where each one leaves you

Paddington sits in a cutting, so its exits are on different levels and none of them is obvious from the concourse.

• Praed Street (exit 1). The traditional front door, out onto a busy street with buses, hotels and St Mary's Hospital opposite. Come out here for the hotels of Sussex Gardens and Norfolk Square, and for the walk south towards Hyde Park, which takes about ten minutes.
• Eastbourne Terrace. Along the west side of the station, with its own entrances down to the Elizabeth line. This is the flattest way in and out with luggage.
• Departures Road, first floor. Up the ramp from the concourse to the taxi rank, the mobility assistance drop-off point and the pre-booked taxi bay. The taxi rank at Paddington is not at street level, which surprises people every day.
• Sheldon Square and Bishop's Bridge Road (exit 3). Out of the north side through the Lawn, past platforms 15 and 16, towards Paddington Basin, Kingdom Street and the canal. The National Express airport coaches leave from Bishop's Bridge Road, not from the concourse.

For the canal, the basin and the streets either side, our guide to Paddington and Bayswater covers what is worth the walk.

Three ways to Heathrow from one station, and which fare is which

Paddington is the only station in London where you can choose between three trains to the same airport, and the choice is worth about £20.

Children aged 15 and under travel free on the Heathrow Express with a paying adult, which can turn the arithmetic round for a family; check the current terms before you count on it. The full comparison, including bags and time of day, is in Heathrow Express or the Elizabeth line? and every route from the airport is weighed up in Heathrow to central London compared. Paddington is not a sensible starting point for Luton, despite the coaches: that route is covered in getting from Luton into London.

Where the platform appears

Great Western Railway trains are usually platformed several minutes before departure and the board hangs over the middle of the concourse, so this is a less anxious station than Euston. The complication is geography rather than timing: platforms 1 to 8 are under Brunel's original roof and straight ahead of you, platforms 9 to 14 are off to the right down a long walkway past the Lawn, and the gap between them is a good three minutes with a case.

Two platforms have no ticket gates at all, and a third is in the same position, so at quiet times you may walk straight onto a train. That is not an invitation: the train operator's staff check tickets on board, and what happens if yours is not valid is set out in penalty fares and ticket inspectors.

Left luggage, toilets and the assistance lounge

The left luggage office is run by the Excess Baggage Company and open every day from 07:00 to 23:00. Prices start at £10.00 per item for up to three hours and £15.00 for up to 24 hours, with bags screened on the way in. Storage in shops and hotels booked through an app costs a fraction of that; the options are compared in left luggage at London's stations.

The toilets are free, outside the ticket barriers, and include an accessible unisex toilet and a Changing Places facility. They are next to platform 9, which is also where the Passenger Assistance Lounge and the station reception are. Network Rail gives the lounge's hours as 07:00 to 22:55 daily, with a duty manager reachable by phone outside them, and staff are on duty at the station around the clock.

Step-free travel: the one terminal rated B1

Every platform at Paddington can be reached without stairs, but not always directly. Network Rail's category B1 rating means some of those routes use long or steep ramps, or send you out onto the street and back in. The concourse-to-taxi ramp up to Departures Road is the clearest example, and it is a real climb with a heavy case.

The Elizabeth line is the exception and the reason to use Paddington at all if you are travelling with wheels. All 41 of its stations are step-free from street to platform, its own entrances on Eastbourne Terrace are at street level, and the ride to Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon or Liverpool Street needs no lift you have to find. Our page on how the Elizabeth line works explains the rest, and step-free and accessible transport in London covers booking assistance.

On the Underground side, the Bakerloo platforms at Paddington are step-free, which is remarkable because almost nothing else on that line is. The eastbound Circle and District platform is step-free; the westbound one is not, so a step-free return journey needs checking in both directions.

An hour at Paddington

The building itself is the attraction: four arched spans of wrought iron and glass, Brunel's statue sitting on a bench at the concourse end, and the Paddington Bear statue nearby for anyone travelling with children who know the books. Ten minutes of looking up is time well spent.

Beyond the station, the canal basin behind platform 14 has a floating pocket park and towpath walks, and Hyde Park is a ten-minute walk south from Praed Street. Food is a separate matter with a separate page: our guide to eating near Paddington station deals with the concourse chains and the better options a few streets away.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Elizabeth line at Paddington?

In a separate station below Eastbourne Terrace, on the west side of the main-line platforms, with its own street entrances and its own escalators down from the main concourse. It is step-free from street to platform, and trains run every few minutes to Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Heathrow.

Which Underground lines run from Paddington?

Four, from two separate entrances. The Bakerloo, District and Circle towards Victoria are reached from the Praed Street end of the station. The Hammersmith & City and the Circle towards King's Cross use platforms 15 and 16 at the Bishop's Bridge Road end. Choosing the wrong entrance means walking the length of the station.

Is there left luggage at Paddington station?

Yes, run by the Excess Baggage Company, open daily from 07:00 to 23:00. It costs from £10.00 per item for up to three hours and £15.00 for up to 24 hours, and every bag is screened before it is accepted, so leave ten minutes for it at each end.

Where is the taxi rank at Paddington?

On the first floor, on Departures Road, reached by a ramp or lift up from the concourse rather than by walking out of the front of the station. The mobility assistance drop-off point and the pre-booked taxi bay are up there too. Praed Street at street level is for buses, not for the rank.

Is Paddington station step-free?

Every platform can be reached without stairs, but Network Rail rates the station category B1, which means some routes involve long or steep ramps or a walk along the street. The Elizabeth line part of the station is fully step-free, as are the Bakerloo line platforms and the eastbound Circle and District platform.

Sources

• Network Rail - London Paddington station information and step-free category (checked September 2026)
• National Rail - London Paddington station facilities (checked September 2026)
• Heathrow Express - fares and journey times (checked September 2026)
• Transport for London - Heathrow on the Elizabeth line (checked September 2026)
• Transport for London - Stations, lifts, toilets and step-free data (checked September 2026)