Canterbury West takes the St Pancras and Ashford trains, East the Victoria and Dover ones. Which end of the city each suits, tickets, lifts and parking.
Canterbury has two railway stations on two separate lines, one on each side of the walled city. Canterbury West (CBW) stands outside the Westgate to the north-west; Canterbury East (CBE) is to the south-west, across the ring road from Dane John Gardens. Southeastern runs both. Which one you arrive at depends on where the train started, and each puts you at a different end of the centre. The walking time from each to the Buttermarket, in front of the cathedral gate, is in the station panels on this page.
Canterbury West is on the line from Ashford to Ramsgate. Trains from London St Pancras and London Bridge come in here, and so do trains from Ashford International, which means the London, Ashford, Brighton and Gatwick Airport journeys all finish at West. It is also the station for the Thanet coast at Margate and Ramsgate, and for Chartham, Chilham and Wye on the way to Ashford.
Canterbury East is on the Dover branch of the Chatham Main Line, the route from London Victoria through Faversham to Dover. The Victoria trains on the London page arrive at East, as do the trains on the Dover page. For Faversham, or anywhere between Canterbury and Dover, East is the station to use.
The entrance faces Station Road West, with the taxi rank outside the front. Next door is the Goods Shed, a farmers’ market, food hall and restaurant. Follow Station Road West to St Dunstan’s Street, then head down it and pass under the Westgate Towers, the medieval gatehouse. On the far side St Peter’s Street becomes the High Street and leads towards the cathedral end of town.
West is the station for this corner of the city. Westgate Gardens follow the river beside the gate, and the Crab and Winkle Way, the cycle route north to Whitstable, is signed from the station itself.
The main entrance is on Station Road East. A few steps away, a lit footbridge with a tarmac surface crosses the A28, here called Pin Hill, and reaches the edge of Dane John Gardens by the city wall. The Whitefriars shopping centre lies just beyond the gardens, and its streets lead on to the cathedral.
Canterbury bus station, from which Stagecoach’s buses leave, is on St George’s Lane in the centre, and it is on this side of town: East is the nearer station to it. Canterbury is a PlusBus area, so a bus add-on can be bought with the train ticket. Taxis use a rank by the entrance, and the onward travel poster linked from each station’s National Rail page lists local firms to ring if it is empty. East has a cash machine at the front.
West is staffed from the first train to the last. Its ticket office, on the way in to the platforms, opens 06:15–19:30 Monday to Saturday and 08:30–17:00 on Sunday, and there are ticket machines on the concourse. Toilets are open while staff are on duty. When this page was checked on 27 October 2026, both National Rail and Southeastern still carried a notice that the accessible toilets on platform 1 were out of order. A coffee shop and a vending machine cover drinks, and the heated waiting rooms on both platforms open whenever staff are present.
East is staffed 06:00–22:00, from 07:00 on Sunday, and not overnight. The ticket office opens 06:10–20:20 Monday to Saturday and 07:30–19:00 on Sunday. Its ticket machines stand inside the booking hall, so they cannot be reached once the building is locked; for a late train out of East, have the ticket on your phone or buy it earlier. The accessible toilet, on platform 2, takes a RADAR key and, like the others, is open during staffing hours. There is a coffee shop, vending machines, newspapers, and a heated waiting room on each platform while staff are there.
National Rail puts both stations in step-free category A, which its station pages describe as “there is step-free access to all platforms”. At each station every platform has a lift as well as stairs, and ramps are kept for getting on and off trains. West also has wheelchairs or mobility buggies for passengers who need help through the station.
Southeastern’s assisted travel runs at West for as long as trains are running, and at East during staffing hours. It can be booked up to two hours before the journey, or arranged on the day by finding staff, ideally at least 20 minutes before the train. The meeting point is the ticket gates in the booking hall. When no one is on duty at East, Southeastern can send its Mobile Assistance Team (expect a wait unless it was booked) or arrange a taxi, at no extra cost, to the nearest station where staff can help. Southeastern’s assistance helpline includes a freephone number, 0800 783 4524.
Each station has an APCOA-run car park, open 24 hours: 112 spaces at West, 144 at East. On 27 October 2026 Southeastern listed daily charges of £10.50 at West and £7.50 at East, with £11 and £8 on Tuesdays to Thursdays; check the tariff board, because station tariffs change. Blue Badge holders park free at both, but East asks for the vehicle to be registered with APCOA in advance. For the council’s car parks and the park and ride, see the parking guide.
West has a drop-off and pick-up point. East has two: one on the station side of the road with room for three cars, and another on Gordon Road, behind the station, for up to five. Cyclists get 134 sheltered spaces at West, at the London end of the downside platform, and 10 at East, on platform 2.
Each route has its own page with the day's trains, the changes and a link to times and fares.