Brentwood to London Trains: 39 Minutes, £3,504 a Year

Brentwood borough has three stations on the same line into London, and they are not interchangeable. Brentwood is an Elizabeth line station, so it runs straight through the middle of London without a change. Shenfield gets the fast Greater Anglia trains and is a good ten minutes quicker into Liverpool Street. Ingatestone is quicker than Brentwood too, but sits outside the London fares area, which shows up sharply in the season ticket price.

This page sets out the real journey times, the fares, what a season ticket costs in 2026 and when the last train home leaves, with the source for every figure. All times and prices below were checked against traintimes.org.uk, which carries National Rail timetables and walk-up fares, and against Trainline’s season ticket pages, on 9 August 2026.

The quick version

The trade-off is the whole point. Shenfield is twelve minutes faster than Brentwood each way, which is about two hours a week, and it costs £504 a year more. Ingatestone is faster than Brentwood but £1,136 a year dearer, because it falls outside the London zonal fares area while Brentwood does not.

Brentwood station: the Elizabeth line

Brentwood is on the eastern branch of the Elizabeth line. Its advantage is not raw speed, it is that you do not change. One train takes you to Liverpool Street, then on under central London to Farringdon, Tottenham Court Road, Bond Street and Paddington.

Verified journey times from Brentwood:

• London Liverpool Street: 39 minutes off peak, 39 to 42 minutes in the morning peak.
• Farringdon: 42 minutes, direct.
• London Paddington: 53 minutes, direct.

Trains are frequent. In the 08:00 hour there are departures at roughly six to eight minute intervals, and off peak they run about every seven or eight minutes.

Brentwood fares

Brentwood sits inside the contactless pay as you go area, in the zone 7 to 9 band, which is why its fares undercut Shenfield’s and Ingatestone’s:

• Contactless pay as you go, off peak: £7.70
• Contactless pay as you go, anytime: £11.20
• Anytime Day Single: £13.80
• Anytime Day Return: £24.70
• Off-Peak Day Travelcard (zones 7 to 9 added): £17.80
• Anytime Day Travelcard (zones 7 to 9 added): £29.80

Season tickets to Liverpool Street from Brentwood, from Trainline: £87.60 weekly, £336.40 monthly, £3,504 annual.

What it means for you: if you commute fewer than four days a week, contactless at £11.20 a day beats the £87.60 weekly season. At five days a week the season wins comfortably.

Shenfield station: the fast trains

Shenfield is where the Elizabeth line ends and the Greater Anglia main line carries on to Chelmsford, Colchester and Norwich. That gives Shenfield something Brentwood does not have: fast trains that skip the intermediate stops.

• Fastest to Liverpool Street: 27 minutes on a Greater Anglia service, with several in each peak hour.
• The Elizabeth line also serves Shenfield, taking about 46 minutes to Liverpool Street because it calls at everything on the way. Check which train you are boarding.

Shenfield fares to Liverpool Street: contactless pay as you go £12.10 anytime and £9.10 off peak, Anytime Day Single £15.60, Anytime Day Return £26.50, Anytime Day Travelcard £40.00.

Season tickets from Trainline: £100.20 weekly, £384.80 monthly, £4,008 annual. The version that includes a zones 1 to 6 Travelcard, which is what you want if you use the Tube at the other end, costs £138.90 weekly, £533.40 monthly, £5,556 annual.

Ingatestone station

Ingatestone is a Greater Anglia station on the same main line, one stop beyond Shenfield, and it reaches Liverpool Street in 31 to 32 minutes. Trains are less frequent than at Brentwood or Shenfield, roughly two or three an hour off peak.

The catch is the fare. Ingatestone is outside the London zonal area, so the walk-up single is £15.30, the Anytime Day Return £30.60 and the Anytime Day Travelcard £44.00. Season tickets from Trainline are £116.00 weekly, £445.50 monthly, £4,640 annual, rising to £150.20 weekly, £576.80 monthly and £6,008 annual with a zones 1 to 6 Travelcard added.

What it means for you: an Ingatestone annual season with a Travelcard costs £2,504 a year more than a plain Brentwood one. If you live between the two, that gap is worth doing the sums on before you choose a station.

The last train home

Checked for a weekday night in August 2026, from London Liverpool Street:

• Brentwood: last train 00:55, arriving 01:32. The next service is 05:24, arriving 06:01.
• Shenfield: last train 00:55, arriving 01:38, with a quicker 00:50 arriving 01:20. First service back is 05:23.
• Ingatestone: last train 00:46, arriving 01:19. First service back is 05:23, arriving 05:52.

Times shift at weekends and during engineering work, so check the day you travel. National Rail and the operators publish live times, and Elizabeth line disruption also shows on the TfL status pages.

Getting to the station

Brentwood Borough Council runs pay and display car parks near both Brentwood and Shenfield stations, and the Shenfield ones sell season tickets aimed at commuters. Friars Avenue (CM15 8JA) has 62 standard spaces and Hunter Avenue (CM15 8PF) has 48, both charging £1.50 for an hour and £3.50 for three, with the first 30 minutes free once a day and free parking on Sundays. Full tariffs and the town-centre car parks are in our page on Brentwood roadworks, parking and travel.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the train from Brentwood to London?

39 minutes to Liverpool Street on the Elizabeth line, direct, with no change. The same train reaches Farringdon in 42 minutes and Paddington in 53.

Is Brentwood on the Elizabeth line?

Yes. Brentwood is on the eastern branch, between Harold Wood and Shenfield, so you can travel straight through central London without changing.

Can I use contactless at Brentwood station?

Yes. Brentwood is inside the contactless pay as you go area in the zone 7 to 9 band. Off-peak journeys to Liverpool Street cost £7.70 and anytime journeys £11.20.

Is Shenfield faster than Brentwood?

Yes, by about twelve minutes. Greater Anglia’s fast trains do Shenfield to Liverpool Street in 27 minutes, against 39 from Brentwood. A Shenfield annual season costs £504 more.

What does an annual season ticket from Brentwood cost?

£3,504 to London Liverpool Street. Weekly is £87.60 and monthly £336.40.

What time is the last train from London to Brentwood?

00:55 from Liverpool Street, arriving in Brentwood at 01:32 on a weekday night. The first train back in the morning is 05:24.

Sources

• traintimes.org.uk for National Rail timetables, journey times and walk-up fares from Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone, checked 9 August 2026.
• Trainline season ticket prices, Brentwood to London Liverpool Street.
• Trainline season ticket prices, Shenfield to London Liverpool Street.
• Trainline season ticket prices, Ingatestone to London Liverpool Street.
• Brentwood Borough Council, Shenfield car parks for station-area parking tariffs.

Fares and timetables change. Confirm against the operator before you travel or buy.