Windsor's fastest London train is 44 minutes via Slough to Paddington, not the 58-minute direct to Waterloo. Times, fares and season tickets compared.
Windsor has two railway stations about ten minutes’ walk apart, and the one with the direct train to London is the slower of the two. The Windsor and Eton Central shuttle to Slough, then a fast train to Paddington, takes 44 to 48 minutes. The direct Windsor and Eton Riverside service to Waterloo takes 58 minutes to an hour. The connection wins, and it is cheaper.
All times and fares below were checked against live timetable and ticketing data on Monday 10 August 2026.
The three ways into London
| From | To | Typical time | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maidenhead | Paddington (GWR fast) | 18 to 20 min | None |
| Maidenhead | Paddington (Elizabeth line) | 37 to 42 min | None |
| Windsor and Eton Central | Paddington via Slough | 44 to 48 min | One, at Slough |
| Windsor and Eton Riverside | Waterloo | 58 min to 1 hr | None |
Windsor and Eton Central to Paddington
The Great Western branch from Central to Slough is a six-minute shuttle, running roughly every twenty minutes. At Slough you cross to platform 5 for a fast train that reaches Paddington in 29 to 35 minutes.
On a normal Monday morning the pattern looks like this: 08:00 from Central, 08:44 at Paddington, 44 minutes door to door with an eight-minute connection. Trains at 07:20, 07:40, 08:20 and 08:40 all land inside 48 minutes.
Slough is also an Elizabeth line station, so the same shuttle gets you onto a train that runs straight through central London without changing again. Slough to Tottenham Court Road is about 41 minutes, which is a better option than Paddington if your office is in the West End, the City or Canary Wharf.
Windsor and Eton Riverside to Waterloo
South Western Railway runs the direct service to London Waterloo roughly twice an hour, calling at Datchet, Sunnymeads, Wraysbury, Staines and Richmond among others. The 07:26 reaches Waterloo at 08:24, which is 58 minutes. Later morning trains run at 59 minutes to an hour.
It is a pleasant, uncomplicated journey and it puts you on the south bank rather than in Paddington. It is also stopping most of the way, which is where the time goes.
Maidenhead, the fastest station in the borough
If speed is the only thing you care about, the answer is not Windsor at all. Maidenhead has fast Great Western services that reach Paddington in 18 to 20 minutes, and Elizabeth line services that take 37 to 42 minutes to Paddington but carry on through Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf.
That eleven-mile difference between Maidenhead and Windsor is worth about half an hour a day, each way, and it is the single biggest reason the two towns behave differently as commuter places despite selling houses at almost identical prices.
What it costs
Walk-up fares
| Route | Contactless pay as you go | Anytime day single | Anytime day return | Day Travelcard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor and Eton Central to Paddington | £12.40 | £13.40 | £24.80 | £34.50 |
| Windsor and Eton Riverside to Waterloo | £13.00 | £13.00 | £26.00 | £37.80 |
| Maidenhead to Paddington | £14.80 | £16.40 | £29.60 | £39.50 |
Contactless pay as you go works from all three stations, so for a single day trip you can tap in and out without buying anything. On the Windsor to Paddington route contactless is £12.40, a pound less than the paper Anytime single.
If you are going to move around London on the Tube or a bus, compare the Day Travelcard against contactless plus the London daily cap before you buy. From Maidenhead the Travelcard costs £24.70 more than the rail-only contactless fare, so it only pays if you are doing a lot of central London travel.
Season tickets
| Route | Weekly | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor and Eton Central to Paddington | £93.90 | £360.60 | £3,756 |
| Windsor and Eton Riverside to Waterloo | £98.10 | £376.80 | £3,924 |
| Maidenhead to Paddington | £101.10 | £388.30 | £4,044 |
| Windsor and Eton, any permitted route | £121.40 | £466.20 | £4,856 |
The cheapest Windsor commute is the Slough and Paddington route at £3,756 a year, which is £168 less than the direct Waterloo season and £288 less than commuting from Maidenhead. The bottom row is the flexible Windsor and Eton ticket that lets you use either station and either London terminal; it costs £1,100 a year more than the route-specific version, so only buy it if you genuinely switch.
An annual season pays for itself against a monthly at about 10.4 months, and most employers will run a season ticket loan against it.
Getting to the station
Windsor and Eton Central is in the middle of town, inside the Windsor Royal Shopping arcade, a two-minute walk from the castle entrance. Riverside is a few minutes further, by the bridge to Eton. If you are driving in for either, the council car parks charge from 9am to 9pm every day including bank holidays, and River Street is £30 for over five hours, so a long day in London is an expensive park.
Maidenhead station lost its main commuter car park when Stafferton Way closed to all users on 19 January 2026. Season ticket holders were moved to Vicus Way multi-storey, Braywick Park or Hines Meadow. Vicus Way is a five-minute walk from the platforms, costs £7 for over three hours, is free on Sundays and bank holidays, and runs a £10 whole-weekend rate if you arrive after 4pm on a Friday and leave by 11am on Monday. It is pay by RingGo only, location code 37592.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the train from Windsor to London?
44 to 48 minutes to Paddington, changing at Slough, or 58 minutes to an hour direct from Windsor and Eton Riverside to Waterloo.
Is there a direct train from Windsor to London?
Yes, from Windsor and Eton Riverside to London Waterloo, run by South Western Railway. There is no direct train from Windsor to Paddington; the Central station branch only goes to Slough.
Which Windsor station should I use?
Central if you are heading for Paddington, the West End, the City or Canary Wharf, because the Slough connection is faster and cheaper. Riverside if you want Waterloo, the South Bank or the south west of London, or if you simply do not want to change.
How much is a season ticket from Windsor to London?
£3,756 a year from Windsor and Eton Central to Paddington, £3,924 from Riverside to Waterloo, or £4,856 for the flexible any-route version.
Can I use contactless from Windsor?
Yes. Contactless pay as you go is priced at £13.00 from Riverside to Waterloo and £12.40 from Central to Paddington.
Is Maidenhead faster than Windsor for commuting?
Considerably. Maidenhead reaches Paddington in 18 to 20 minutes on a fast Great Western service, less than half the Windsor journey, though the season ticket costs £288 more a year.
Sources
- Live National Rail timetable and fare data for Windsor and Eton Riverside, Windsor and Eton Central and Maidenhead via traintimes.org.uk, checked 10 August 2026.
- Trainline season ticket prices, Windsor and Eton Central to London Paddington, Windsor and Eton Riverside to London Waterloo and Maidenhead to London Paddington, checked 10 August 2026.
- Royal Borough car park listings for Vicus Way, Stafferton Way and the Windsor car parks.
Timetables change in May and December, and fares usually change in March. Check the operator before you travel, and check Trainline or your operator for the season ticket price on the day you buy.
Wondering what that commute buys you at the other end? Windsor house prices has the median sale in every postcode sector of the borough.
Have your say
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