Baker Street in 40 minutes direct on the Metropolitan line, £4.00 off-peak to Zone 1, last train back 00:35, and when West Drayton's Elizabeth line wins.

Uxbridge has no National Rail station, and for getting into London that turns out to matter less than you would think. The town is the end of the line for both the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines, sharing one Zone 6 terminus in the middle of the High Street, and the Metropolitan is quick: a direct, no-change run to Baker Street in about 40 minutes. This page sets out the real times, the 2026 fares, the last trains home, and the one trick every commuter here learns, which is knowing when to drive down to West Drayton and take the Elizabeth line instead. Every figure is linked to TfL’s own data.

The quick version

  • Baker Street: about 40 minutes, direct on the Metropolitan line, all day, no change at Harrow-on-the-Hill (TfL timetable).
  • The West End: about 55 minutes, Metropolitan to Baker Street then Bakerloo to Piccadilly Circus (TfL journey planner).
  • King’s Cross: 67 to 71 minutes direct on the Piccadilly line, or faster on the Metropolitan with a change.
  • The City: change the plan. From West Drayton, the Elizabeth line reaches Liverpool Street in 33 to 37 minutes.
  • Fares: £5.90 peak, £4.00 off-peak to Zone 1 with contactless; the Zones 1-6 daily cap is £16.30.
Journey times from Uxbridge and West Drayton into central London Horizontal bar chart of typical journey minutes. Elizabeth line West Drayton to Paddington 24 minutes. Elizabeth line West Drayton to Liverpool Street 35 minutes. Metropolitan line Uxbridge to Baker Street 40 minutes. Metropolitan then Bakerloo Uxbridge to Piccadilly Circus 55 minutes. Piccadilly line direct Uxbridge to King's Cross 69 minutes. Source: TfL timetables and journey planner, August 2026. Typical journey times into central London TfL timetable and journey planner data, August 2026. Station-to-station scheduled times. West Drayton → Paddington ~24 min (Elizabeth) West Drayton → Liverpool St ~35 min (Elizabeth) Uxbridge → Baker Street ~40 min (Metropolitan, direct) Uxbridge → Piccadilly Circus ~55 min (Met + Bakerloo) Uxbridge → King's Cross 67-71 min (Piccadilly, direct) Dark bars start from Uxbridge station; light bars from West Drayton (Elizabeth line), a 10-15 minute bus or drive from Uxbridge. King's Cross is usually quicker via the Metropolitan line with one change than on the direct Piccadilly train.
The Metropolitan line is Uxbridge's fast way in; the Elizabeth line from West Drayton beats it to Paddington and the City.

The Metropolitan line: the one to learn

The Metropolitan is the backbone of an Uxbridge commute. TfL’s weekday schedule lists 160 direct trains a day to Baker Street, running direct all day rather than only in the peaks: roughly ten an hour through the morning peak, eight an hour at midday (TfL timetable data). The scheduled run to Baker Street is 39 to 40 minutes, calling at Hillingdon, Ickenham, Ruislip and then the Harrow-on-the-Hill fast stretch.

From Baker Street the interchanges do the rest: Bakerloo for Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus and Waterloo (about 55 minutes door to door), or Jubilee for Bond Street and London Bridge. Even King’s Cross is usually quicker this way, on the Metropolitan with one change, than sitting on the direct Piccadilly train (TfL journey planner).

What it means for you: treat Baker Street as your gateway, not your destination. Almost anywhere in central London is the 40-minute Metropolitan run plus one short hop.

The Piccadilly line: direct but slow

The Piccadilly line also starts at Uxbridge, sharing the same platforms, and runs direct through Acton Town and the West End to King’s Cross in 67 to 71 minutes (TfL timetable data). It is the all-stations scenic route: useful if you want a seat the whole way, are heading somewhere on the line itself like South Kensington or Covent Garden without a change, or are travelling when the Metropolitan branch is quiet, but it is not the fast option. Even for King’s Cross, the Metropolitan with a change is usually quicker.

How early and how late can you travel?

First and last scheduled departures from Uxbridge, from TfL’s timetable data (August 2026):

Line and direction Weekdays Sunday
Metropolitan (toward Baker Street), first 05:12 06:36
Metropolitan, last 00:35 00:14
Piccadilly (toward King’s Cross), first 05:20 06:46
Piccadilly, last 00:18 00:01

What it means for you: the last Metropolitan train out of town leaves Uxbridge at 00:35 on weekdays and Saturdays, and coming home the network runs correspondingly late, so a normal night out in London does not need a taxi plan. Check TfL’s journey planner on the day, especially at weekends, when planned closures reshape the map.

What it costs in 2026

Uxbridge is Zone 6, and the fares below are TfL’s current published rates (the annual rise took effect on 1 March 2026; Travelcard prices and caps are frozen until March 2027, TfL):

  • Pay as you go single, Uxbridge to Zone 1: £5.90 peak, £4.00 off-peak (TfL single fare finder). TfL defines peak for this journey as weekday mornings 06:30 to 09:30, so the evening trip home charges the off-peak £4.00.
  • Paper single: £7.00. Contactless or Oyster is always cheaper.
  • Daily cap, Zones 1-6: £16.30, same peak or off-peak, so a commute plus an evening event never costs more than that (TfL adult fares).
  • Weekly cap or 7 Day Travelcard, Zones 1-6: £81.60.
  • Monthly Travelcard: £313.40. Annual: £3,264, both Zones 1-6 (TfL adult fares PDF).

What it means for you: a five-day commuter paying two off-peak-timed singles a day spends about £49 a week, so the £81.60 weekly cap only wins if you also travel at peak times or use the network heavily at weekends. If you start work at 9:30 or later, leaving after the 09:30 peak boundary saves £1.90 every morning.

The West Drayton alternative: the Elizabeth line

The borough’s other rail asset sits three miles south of Uxbridge. West Drayton is on the Elizabeth line, and it is quick: Paddington in 22 to 26 minutes, Tottenham Court Road in 28 to 32, Liverpool Street in 33 to 37, with trains roughly every 13 to 15 minutes even off-peak (TfL journey planner). West Drayton is also Zone 6, and the fare to Zone 1 is the same £5.90 peak, £4.00 off-peak.

What it means for you: if you work in the City or at Canary Wharf, the Elizabeth line from West Drayton beats anything from Uxbridge station, even counting the U1/U3 bus or the drive down. The station has no car park of its own (TfL), so check street and private parking before committing to driving. For Heathrow, skip the rail question entirely: the A10 bus runs direct from Uxbridge to Heathrow Central bus station (TfL route A10).

At the station

Uxbridge station is Charles Holden’s 1938 terminus, with the ticket hall opening straight onto the High Street. TfL lists toilets, WiFi, a waiting room and boarding ramps, but no car park (TfL station page). If you drive to the tube, Hillingdon station, one stop up, has a car park and lift access (TfL), and both lines call there. Town-centre car parks and current roadworks around the station are covered in our Uxbridge roadworks and travel page.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the tube take from Uxbridge to central London?

About 40 minutes to Baker Street on the direct Metropolitan line, and around 55 minutes to Piccadilly Circus with one change. The direct Piccadilly line train reaches King’s Cross in 67 to 71 minutes.

Does Uxbridge have a National Rail station?

No. Uxbridge is served by the Metropolitan and Piccadilly Underground lines only. The nearest National Rail options are West Drayton (Elizabeth line, three miles south) and Denham (Chiltern Railways, over the Buckinghamshire border).

How much is the tube from Uxbridge to London in 2026?

£5.90 peak, £4.00 off-peak to Zone 1 with contactless or Oyster. The peak fare applies weekday mornings 06:30 to 09:30; the Zones 1-6 daily cap is £16.30 (TfL).

What time is the last tube from London to Uxbridge?

Trains run out of Uxbridge until 00:35 (Metropolitan, weekdays and Saturdays), and last inbound services from central London run correspondingly late. Sunday finishes earlier. Check the journey planner on the day.

Is the Elizabeth line faster than the tube from Uxbridge?

From Uxbridge station itself, no, because you have to get to West Drayton first. But for the City, Paddington or Canary Wharf, West Drayton’s 22 to 37 minute Elizabeth line runs beat the tube comfortably, so many commuters in the south of the borough use it as their main station.

Is there parking at Uxbridge station?

No, TfL lists no car park at Uxbridge station. Hillingdon station, one stop away, has one, and the town-centre multi-storeys are close; see our parking and travel rundown.

Sources

Times are scheduled station-to-station figures and fares are TfL’s current published rates; both change, especially during engineering work. Check the journey planner and fare finder before you travel. Last checked 8 August 2026.