The fastest Andover to Waterloo train takes 68 minutes and runs twice an hour. Season tickets are £6,280 a year. Times, fares and the cheapest way to travel.
Andover is on the West of England main line, which means one operator, one London terminus and no changes. Every fast train from Andover runs to London Waterloo, and they are run by South Western Railway. This page sets out how long it actually takes, how often the trains go, what each ticket costs and where the cheap fares are, all checked against live timetable and fare data on 9 August 2026.
How long the journey takes
The fastest weekday train from Andover to London Waterloo takes 68 minutes. That is the 07:35, arriving at Waterloo at 08:43, and it is a direct service with no change.
Most fast trains sit between 68 and 78 minutes. There is no faster route and no faster time of day: the 68-minute run is a peak-hour service, and the off-peak trains take a few minutes longer because they call at more stations.
There is a second, slower way to do it. Some services run Andover to Basingstoke and connect there onto the Waterloo main line, which takes around 1 hour 40 minutes with the change. It is worth knowing about when the direct train has just gone, and worth avoiding otherwise.
How often the trains run
Roughly twice an hour through the morning peak. These are the weekday departures for Monday 10 August 2026, with arrival times at Waterloo:
| Departs Andover | Arrives Waterloo | Journey time |
|---|---|---|
| 05:30 | 06:42 | 1h 12m |
| 06:03 | 07:21 | 1h 18m |
| 06:26 | 07:36 | 1h 10m |
| 07:05 | 08:14 | 1h 09m |
| 07:35 | 08:43 | 1h 08m |
| 08:05 | 09:18 | 1h 13m |
| 08:35 | 09:50 | 1h 15m |
| 09:06 | 10:20 | 1h 14m |
The 05:30 is the first train of the day, which puts you at a desk in the City comfortably before eight. Timetables change, so check the day you travel.
What it costs
Walk-up fares for a single adult, Andover to London Waterloo:
| Ticket | Price | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Advance single | from £22.00 | Booked ahead for one named train, South Western Railway only |
| Super Off-Peak single | £32.30 | Mid-morning onwards, outside all peak restrictions |
| Super Off-Peak return | £40.60 | The everyday day-trip fare |
| Anytime Day single | £43.80 | Any train, one way |
| Off-Peak return | £52.90 | Slightly wider validity than Super Off-Peak |
| Off-Peak Day Travelcard | £60.90 | Off-peak return plus Tube and bus travel in London |
| Anytime Day return | £86.00 | Out and back on any train, including the morning peak |
| Anytime Day Travelcard | £94.50 | The same, plus unlimited London travel |
The two fares worth remembering are the £40.60 Super Off-Peak return, which is what a normal day in London costs, and the £86.00 Anytime Day return, which is what it costs if you have to be there for nine.
Season tickets
| Season ticket | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andover to London (any permitted route) | £157.00 | £602.90 | £6,280.00 |
| Andover to London Terminals | £159.00 | £610.60 | £6,360.00 |
| Andover to London St Pancras International | £186.30 | £715.40 | £7,452.00 |
The London Terminals version is valid only for travel to a London terminus and is not valid on the Underground or the Elizabeth line, so if your journey carries on across London you need a Travelcard season rather than this.
Two sums worth doing before you buy:
- Annual against monthly. Twelve monthly seasons cost £7,234.80. The annual costs £6,280.00. Buying the year saves £954.80, about seven and a half weeks of travel.
- Season against buying as you go. At £86.00 an Anytime Day return, an annual season pays for itself after 74 return journeys, which is about 15 weeks of a five-day commute. At the £40.60 Super Off-Peak return it takes 155 journeys, so if you only travel off-peak two or three days a week, walk-up fares may still win.
Getting to the station
Andover station sits north west of the town centre, off Station Approach. Getting to it on foot or by bike is about to change: in June and July 2026 the borough council agreed funding for a £2.1 million Andover Train Station Placemaking scheme, led by Hampshire County Council.
The scheme extends the cycleway from the top of Bishops Way to Station Approach, realigns the Cross Lane and Avenue junction to make room for it, adds crossing points on Station Approach and Cross Lane, and puts in a new green space with planting. Test Valley Borough Council put £158,973 of Community Infrastructure Levy money and £41,027 of Section 106 developer contributions into it, a £200,000 contribution to the total, approved by full Council on 22 July 2026. The council’s own assessment scored the bid 82% and noted the junction improvements “received overwhelming support in public consultation”.
Full details of parking near the station and the roads into town are on our Andover roadworks, parking and travel page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the train from Andover to London take?
The fastest weekday direct train takes 68 minutes to London Waterloo. Most fast services run between 68 and 78 minutes. Going via a change at Basingstoke takes around 1 hour 40 minutes.
Which London station do Andover trains go to?
London Waterloo, on South Western Railway. It is a direct service, and there is no other London terminus served directly from Andover.
How much is a train from Andover to London?
A Super Off-Peak return is £40.60 and an Anytime Day return is £86.00. Advance singles booked ahead start at £22.00. An Off-Peak Day Travelcard, which adds Tube and bus travel in London, is £60.90.
How much is an annual season ticket from Andover to London?
£6,280.00 for the any-permitted-route season, or £6,360.00 for the London Terminals version. Weekly is £157.00 and monthly £602.90, so buying the year rather than twelve months saves £954.80.
What time is the first train from Andover to London?
The 05:30, arriving at Waterloo at 06:42. The next are 06:03 and 06:26.
How often do trains run from Andover to London?
About twice an hour through the morning, with departures roughly on the hour and the half hour from 07:05 onwards.
Related
- Andover roadworks, parking and travel: getting to the station, and where to leave the car.
- Andover house prices: what you save on the house against what you spend on the season ticket.
- Things to do in Andover, if you are arriving rather than leaving.
Sources
- Andover to London Waterloo timetable and fares, traintimes.org.uk for departure and arrival times, journey durations and every walk-up fare quoted, checked for Monday 10 August 2026.
- Trainline, Andover to London season tickets for the weekly, monthly and annual season prices and the London Terminals validity note.
- Test Valley Borough Council, Council minutes, 22 July 2026 and the accompanying Andover Train Station Placemaking report for the scheme description, the £2.1 million total, the CIL and Section 106 allocations and the assessment score.
Timetables and fares change. Confirm times and prices with South Western Railway or National Rail before you travel.
Have your say
We read every message. To comment on this story, email the newsdesk and we may publish a selection of responses: hello@andovernews.co.uk.