Greater Anglia (who operate the Stansted Express services) will increase services to four an hour during the morning and evening weekday peaks, as passenger numbers return to the airport.
The new timetable will see weekday trains run every 15 minutes from Liverpool Street between 05.10 and 08.10 and between 16.10 and 19.40.
Trains from the airport to Liverpool Street will run every 15 minutes from 06:00 to 09.15 and 16.45 to 20.15.
Outside those times, the service will remain at the current two services per hour, during the day and to the end of service.
Services on this route are primarily operated by Class 745/1 trains by Stadler, although Class 720s can show up on the route.
It’s not all roses…
Whilst passenger demand at Stansted is increasing towards pre-pandemic levels, Greater Anglia is only providing two services an hour outside the peak hours (with the airport having a four-trains-an-hour service in the past).
Stansted Airport appears to be pressing for a full 15-minute connection to be reinstated, to provide a constant timing point between Stansted Airport, Tottenham Hale and London Liverpool Street, as a method of taking people off the roads and converting them to train operations.
The airport is also served by services to Norwich via Cambridge by Greater Anglia, and to Birmingham with CrossCountry Trains.
In Quotes
London Stansted’s Managing Director, Gareth Powell, said:
“The reintroduction of four trains per hour between London and the airport during the morning and evening peaks is a really positive development.
“London Stansted has been the fastest recovering UK airport, so it’s great Greater Anglia are able to provide a fast, turn-up-and-go service for our passengers, staff, as well as local commuters.
“This will not only encourage more passengers back onto trains and out of private cars to enable the most sustainable growth possible at the airport, but it will also make us more attractive to airlines looking to access the UK and invest in the London aviation market.
“We are very proud to be the number one airport in the UK for public transport use by passengers and we look forward to continuing this impressive record and developing further timetable enhancements with Greater Anglia in the future.”
Rebuilding slowly
It is welcoming to see connectivity rebuild – slowly as it is. Although we all know passengers want to travel outside the peak hours – as well as all odd hours of the day (and considering that Stansted has operations early in the morning and late in the evening, it merits the thought of a 24-hour service to support the airport.
Greater Anglia will have the challenge of making sure there are enough trains to operate both Stansted Express, its mainline London to Norwich service and everything else it operates out of London Liverpool Street.
Therein, is the real challenge.
Even as train companies want to emulate airlines, nothing can beat the “turn up and go” offerings that a constant clockface timetable can offer, with minimal waits.
After all, no one wants to wait for a train, especially when its pulling out of the platform as you’re rushing down the steps…
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