Travelling to Derby

Air - Flights to Derby

East Midlands Airport is located just 20 minutes drive from the city, serving over 5 million passengers a year (2008). The airport provides scheduled, chartered and low-cost flights to a number of the UK and world's top destinations, including America, Canada, India, Europe and Africa.

A pool of cargo-related companies with skilled labour have established themselves at the Airport, which has led to East Midlands Airport becoming the largest pure cargo airport in the UK, handling over 34% of the UK's total pure freight (Jan-Dec 2008). East Midlands Airport is also now the 13th largest cargo airport in Europe and 60th in the World (ACI 2008). Cargo-related companies operating from the airport include Lufthansa Cargo, Aviation Solutions, DHL, TNT international, and United Parcel Service.

For more information please visit East Midlands Airport.

Birmingham and Manchester International airports are both located within 1-1½ hours drive from the city, also offering a range of scheduled, charter and low-cost services to the UK and worldwide. 

Road - Travel to Derby by Road

Derby's central position and close proximity to the motorway network ensures that cities such as Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham are less than an hour away and other UK regions, including Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool are all within a 90 minute drive. The centre of Derby is just 10 minutes from the motorway network - M1 (junction 24 and 25), main trunk routes A6, A38 (A50) and A52 connect to other main motorways M42 and M6 (junction 15). 

Rail - Travel to Derby by Train

Derby is a key location in the rail network offering 35 direct high speed train services to London St. Pancras International every day with a typical journey taking just 90 minutes. The network connects to all major cities in the UK, and to the channel tunnel EuroStar shuttle service through a simple change of platform. EuroStar offer exclusive services running from St. Pancras International to Europe, which in turn connects to the wider European rail service. A journey from Derby to Paris now takes 3 hours 45 minutes, whilst travelling to Brussels takes just 3 and a half hours.

Derby Station recently underwent £18.5million worth of major improvements by Network Rail. These improvements include self service ticket machines, automated ticket barriers, the installation of new lifts and the re-build of the canopies and platforms. This has transformed the station into a bright modern space and improved the passenger experience.

Further plans for the first phase of a multi-million regeneration programme have also been approved by Derby City Council.  The first stage of work will create a transport interchange at the Railway Terrace/Midland Road entrance to the station.  It will improve access to the station for those using public transport with bus stops at the entrance, a new 32 space taxi rank, double the amount of cycle parking, dedicated spaces for dropping off passengers, and specific areas for Blue Bage holders.

For more information please visit East Midlands Trains.  

Sea - Travel to Derby by Boat

Derby's central location offers excellent motorway links to one of the UK's busiest network of ports located around the Humber Estuary. The ports of Goole, Grimsby, Immingham and Hull, to the North of the region, are all within a 1 hour 45 minute drive. The ports offer short-sea services to Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic Seas and worldwide deep-sea connections.