One of the more annoying things when travelling is the lack of good-quality public transport when you need to get to the hotel late at night and early in the morning.
Well, maybe the message is getting through to some parts of Great British Railways, with Stansted Express launching a summer trial of overnight Friday train services.
Stansted Express train at Stansted Airport – Image, Greater Anglia
The additional services will run every Friday night into Saturday morning from Friday 3 July until Friday 25 September 2026.
This new service will give passengers arriving late into London Stansted Airport, or travelling for early Saturday morning flights, a faster rail option between the airport and London.
Most trains will run between Stansted Airport and Tottenham Hale, where customers can connect with the Victoria line Night Tube for onward travel across the capital. Some early morning services will continue through to, or start from, London Liverpool Street station.
The trial will see additional trains run approximately every 30 minutes between around 23:50 and 05:00, helping passengers who may otherwise have fewer public transport options late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
The journey between Stansted Airport and Tottenham Hale takes around 36 minutes, providing a fast connection with central London.
The trial is part of a passenger-driven improvement plan now under way across the fast-growing family of publicly owned operators. With close planning between Greater Anglia, which operates Stansted Express, and Network Rail Anglia, work has enabled the railway to allow this service, while still protecting essential railway maintenance.
The trial will help Stansted Express understand customer demand for overnight airport rail services before any decisions are made about opportunities for any overnight services operating on a long-term basis.
It also follows the introduction of contactless pay as you go at Stansted Airport earlier this year, making travel between the airport and London simpler and more flexible. Standard Stansted Express pricing applies on these services.
In Quotes
Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said:
“This is exactly what public ownership of our railways makes possible. As we build Great British Railways, we’re bringing train operators and Network Rail together under one roof so we can plan smarter, work faster and deliver more for passengers.
“These overnight Stansted Express services will make a real difference to people arriving late or travelling for early flights – connecting them straight into London via the Night Tube. Alongside contactless ticketing at every London airport, we’re building a railway that works for passengers and drives growth across the country.”
Jamie Burles, Managing Director, GBR Anglia, said:
“Stansted Express already provides the fastest and easiest way to travel between London Stansted Airport and the capital. This trial is about giving more passengers that option when they need it, whether they are landing late on a Friday night or travelling to the airport for an early Saturday flight.
“This is a practical example of the benefits of closer working across the railway made possible under public ownership. By bringing Stansted Express and Network Rail Anglia closer together as part of GBR Anglia, we have been able to review engineering plans and trial these additional services while still protecting essential maintenance. We will monitor demand closely, and alongside contactless pay as you go at Stansted Airport, this is another step towards making the airport rail journey simpler, more flexible and more convenient.”
Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said:
“The overnight trial of Friday Stansted Express services is a welcome development, and one which I’m sure will prove to be popular with airport passengers and staff, providing more choice, convenience and connectivity when accessing the airport.
“We will continue to work with all parties, Network Rail, Greater Anglia and the Transport Forum to explore any additional options and opportunities to enhance rail connectivity to and from the airport and build on what we hope will be a successful trial that encourages even greater use of train by our passengers, colleagues and the local community.”
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With Stansted Airport having services arrive late into the evening (with the airport having restricted operations between 23:30-06:00), it’s still going to be important to provide the late night and early morning access so passengers can reach the airport.
Normally, this would mean being stuck in a coach, or stuck in a car or Uber/Taxi/etc, going through East London and then trudging up the M11.
And let’s be honest, sometimes it’s nice to let the train take the strain.
With onward connectivity from Tottenham Hale to Central London, as well as Night Tube accessibility, it’s going to provide useful options for those travellers who need to travel to and from deep and darkest Essex.
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