Editing Stansted Express

{{short description|Direct train service linking London Liverpool Street to London Stansted Airport}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox Rail companies
 | name = Stansted Express
 | bgcolor =
 | image_filename = File:745 108 Wilsons lane 050621.jpg
 | caption = A [[Greater Anglia]] Stansted Express [[British Rail Class 745|Class 745/1]] at Wilsons Lane near [[Marks Tey railway station|Marks Tey]]
 | franchise=Part of [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Greater Anglia]]<br />15 October 2016 – 2025<br />Part of [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Abellio Greater Anglia]]<br />5 February 2012 – 15 October 2016<br />Part of [[National Express East Anglia]]<br />1 April 2004 – 4 February 2012<br />Part of [[West Anglia Great Northern]] <br />5 January 1997 – 31 March 2004
 | logo_filename = Stansted express logo.svg
 | nameforarea = Route
 | regions = [[Liverpool Street railway station|Liverpool Street]] – [[Stansted Airport]]<br />([[West Anglia Main Line]])
 | secregions = 
 | fleet = 10 [[British Rail Class 745|Class 745/1 ''FLIRT'']]
 | stations = 5 
 | abbr =SX<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_maps/tocs/SX.aspx|title=National Rail Enquiries - Stansted Express|website=nationalrail.co.uk}}</ref>
 | parent_company = [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Greater Anglia]]
 | website = {{Official URL}}
 | routemap= {{Stansted Express}}
}}
The '''Stansted Express''' is a [[airport rail link|direct train service]] linking [[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]] to [[London Stansted Airport]]. It is a sub-brand of [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Greater Anglia]], the current franchise operator of the [[East Anglia franchise]].

==History==
[[File:Liverpool Street station MMB 14 379021.jpg|thumb|right|Interior of the Stansted Express Class 379]]
In 1986, [[British Rail]] (BR) extended the electrification of the [[West Anglia Main Line]] from [[Bishop's Stortford railway station|Bishop's Stortford]] to [[Cambridge station|Cambridge]]. Included in this plan was the construction of a new branch line—diverging from a triangular junction at [[Stansted Mountfitchet]]—to serve {{stnlnk|Stansted Airport}}, at which a new terminal was to open in 1991 providing for a large expansion in scheduled aviation passenger services. Therefore, BR decided to build a dedicated fleet of units to work the new Stansted Express service, designated as [[British Rail Class 322|Class 322]], with the service operated by the [[Network SouthEast]] sector.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

Upon the [[privatisation of British Rail]] in 1996, the Stansted Express was part of [[West Anglia Great Northern]] franchise until the tender was reorganised in 2004, at which time it became part of the [[East Anglia franchise|Greater Anglia franchise]] operated by one Railway (later renamed [[National Express East Anglia]]) until February 2012, when the franchise was taken over by the current operator [[Abellio Greater Anglia]].{{cn|date=July 2024}}

==Operations==
===Services===
Unlike the [[Heathrow Express]] and the [[Gatwick Express]] (but like other services between London and [[Heathrow Airport|Heathrow]] or [[Gatwick Airport|Gatwick]]) the trains also stop at an intermediate station between London and the airport. The Stansted Express stops at [[Tottenham Hale station|Tottenham Hale]] (which provides interchange with the London Underground [[Victoria line|Victoria Line]]). The service takes between 46 and 56 minutes to London Liverpool Street, with trains departing every 15 minutes.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Caswell |first1=Mark |title=Stansted Express to return to four trains per hour throughout the day |url=https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2023/09/19/stansted-express-to-return-to-four-trains-per-hour-throughout-the-day/ |access-date=25 September 2023 |work=Business Traveller |date=19 September 2023}}</ref>

Stansted Express offers several ticket types. In addition to the Single and Return tickets, percentage discounts are available for advance bookings, those travelling in pairs with WebDuo and groups with GroupSave. Every Stansted Express ticket comes with money-saving "2FOR1" (two-for-one) offers on some of London's favourite restaurants, shows and attractions like The [[London Eye]], [[Madame Tussauds]], the [[Sea Life London Aquarium|Sea Life Centre]] and [[Thorpe Park]] resort. [[Oyster card|Oyster]] or Contactless payment cards are not valid on Stansted Express services to/from Stansted Airport, but can be used between Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale.

{{As of|2024|12}}, Stansted Express' off-peak services Monday to Friday are:<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/timetables |title = Timetables |publisher = Abellio Greater Anglia |access-date = 27 December 2024}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" | Stansted Express
|-
! style="width:300px;"| Route !! {{abbr|tph|trains per hour}} !! Calling at 
|-
| {{rws|London Liverpool Street}} - {{rws|Stansted Airport}} || 4 || {{cslist|{{rws|Tottenham Hale}}, {{rws|Harlow Town}} (2tph), {{rws|Bishop's Stortford}} (2tph), {{rws|Stansted Mountfitchet}} (1tph)}}
*Services alternate between Harlow Town and Bishop's Stortford; with Stansted Mountfitchet being served by one Harlow Town service.
|}
{{notelist}}

===Criticism===
[[Transport for London]] operates a pay-as-you-go system for public transport services. Passengers indicate the journey they are making by presenting a [[Contactless payment|contactless payment card]] or [[Oyster card]] to readers at the start and end of the journey; the system then uses this information to automatically charge the appropriate fare. At stations fitted with [[Turnstile|ticket barriers]], the readers are attached to the barriers and the barriers open when a valid card is presented. Stansted Airport, being located some distance from London, is outside the area covered by this system, so PAYG cannot be used to travel there - instead, a ticket must be purchased. With 'London' in the name of the airport, rail passengers and visitors to the airport might assume that they would be able to tap out using a contactless card when arriving at the airport from London stations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Corfield |first=Gareth |date=2024-02-04 |title=Kemi Badenoch intervenes over 'unfair' London Stansted train fare penalties |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/04/kemi-badenoch-unfair-london-stansted-train-fines/ |access-date=2024-12-18 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> 

London stations served by the Stansted Express nonetheless have ticket barriers with readers for contactless and Oyster cards because they are also served by other trains on which PAYG can be used. This means it is possible for a passenger to board a Stansted Express train having entered the station using their card, and then travel to Stansted Airport, where they are charged a penalty for travelling without a valid ticket. This has led to accusations that Stansted Express is operating a scam by penalising passengers who are unaware that they have done anything wrong;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.stanstedexpress.com | title=Stansted Express is rated "Bad" with 1.2 / 5 on Trustpilot | date=18 October 2023 }}</ref> in 2019 it was reported that the number of penalty charges issued at Stansted Airport was 16,000 per year.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21443547.16-000-rail-travellers-stansted-fined-believing-use-oyster-card/ | title=16,000 rail travellers to Stansted fined after believing they could use Oyster card | date=22 January 2019 }}</ref> The plan of rolling out contactless (and even Oyster) to Stansted is subject to 'necessary funding and approvals [sic] from the Department for Transport'.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/stansted-express-train-fines-contactless-london-b2491264.html Stansted Express passengers slapped with 'unfair' £100 fines for using contactless payment] 6 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024</ref> The [[Mayor of London]], [[Sadiq Khan|Sir Sadiq Khan]] has expressed his interest in the rollout of contactless payment on the line to remove the current confusion with the system in 2024.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/05/sadiq-khan-contactless-payments-stansted-airport/ Sadiq Khan wants contactless payments extended to Stansted Airport] 5 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024</ref>

In September 2024, it was reported that Stansted Express services to Stansted Airport, along with 47 unnamed stations across London and South-East England, will be included in contactless and oyster card payments from the second half of 2025 with £27{{nbsp}}million of government funding.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/stansted-airport-train-contactless-tickets-dft-tap-on-london-b1179829.html | title=At last! Stansted airport to join Contactless train ticket network | date=4 September 2024 }}</ref>

==Rolling stock==
===Current fleet===
[[File:At London 2025 018.jpg|thumb|right|Inside of the Stansted Express Class 745]]
As part of the 1,300 new carriages to expand the UK's passenger rail fleet, Stansted Express was designated to receive 120 new vehicles. In February 2009, it was announced that [[Bombardier Transportation]] would produce the new trains.<ref>[http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/business/2009/02/12-bombardier-hitatchi.html "Hitachi to power new 'British' intercity trains and Bombardier to build 120 coaches"]. ''Rail News'' (Stevenage). 12 February 2009.</ref> Bombardier announced on 2 April that a contract had been signed for the delivery of the 120 coaches between December 2010 and March 2011.<ref>https://finance.yahoo.com/news/Bombardier-Wins-a-188-Million-iw-14825741.html {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> The first of the new [[British Rail Class 379|Class 379]] units entered passenger service on 3 March 2011. The Class 379s were replaced by [[British Rail Class 745|Class 745/1s]], the first of which entered service on 28 July 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Holden|first=Michael|date=2020-07-28|title=Brand new Stansted Express trains enter service in London|url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/07/brand-new-stansted-express-trains-enter-service-in-london.html|access-date=2020-07-28|website=RailAdvent}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=|date=2020-07-28|title=Stansted Express Class 745/1 trainsets enter passenger service|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/stansted-express-class-745/1-trainsets-enter-passenger-service/57063.article|access-date=2020-07-28|website=Railway Gazette International}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
! rowspan="2" |Class
! rowspan="2" |Image
! rowspan="2" |Type
! colspan="2" |Top speed
! rowspan="2" |Number
! rowspan="2" |Routes operated
! rowspan="2" |Built
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
!mph
!km/h
|-
|[[British Rail Class 745|745/1 ''FLIRT'']]
|[[File:754109 Stortford South 091020.jpg|175px]]
| [[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|100
|161
|10
|[[Liverpool Street station|Liverpool Street]] – [[Stansted Airport railway station|Stansted Airport]]
|2018–2020
|}

===Past fleet===
Stansted Express originally used a fleet of five [[British Rail Class 322|Class 322]] [[Electric multiple unit|EMUs]] until it was decided to change to a dedicated fleet of nine [[British Rail Class 317|Class 317/7]] [[Electric multiple unit|EMUs]] in 2000, further supplemented by twelve [[British Rail Class 317|Class 317/8s]] in 2006. The displaced Class 322s were redeployed on several other routes/franchises around the country before settling into their former role in [[Scotland]], working services between [[Glasgow]]/[[Edinburgh]] and [[North Berwick]]; they stayed there for some time before transferring to [[Northern Rail]], working out of [[Leeds railway station|Leeds]]. They eventually returned into workings out of London Liverpool Street on the GEML, as Greater Anglia needed replacements for the Class 360s sent to EMR. They are planned to be put out of service by the end of 2022. Following the arrival of the new Class 379 units on Stansted Express services, the Class 317/8s were used alongside Class 317/5 and 317/6 units as a common pool. However, since Abellio took over the East Anglia franchise on 5 February 2012, all but one of the Class 317/7s have been scrapped.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

{| class="wikitable"
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
! rowspan="2" |Class
! rowspan="2" |Image
! rowspan="2" |Type
! colspan="2" |Top speed
! rowspan="2" |Number
! rowspan="2" |Routes operated
! rowspan="2" |Built
! rowspan="2" |Withdrawn
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
!mph
!km/h
|-
|[[British Rail Class 317|317/7]]
|[[File:317719 NatEx East Anglia LST.JPG|175px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|100
|160
|9
| rowspan="4" |[[Liverpool Street station|Liverpool Street]] – [[Stansted Airport railway station|Stansted Airport]]
|1981–1982
|2011
|-
|[[British Rail Class 317|317/8]]
|[[File:317881 at Stratford.jpg|175px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|100
|160
|12
|1981–1982
|2011
|-
|[[British Rail Class 322|322]]
|[[File:Stnstn.jpg|175px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|100
|160
|5
|1990
|2000
|-
|[[British Rail Class 379|379 ''Electrostar'']]
||[[File:Tottenham Hale BR station 20161116 091106 (40816506833).jpg|175px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|100
|160
|30
|2010–2011
|2020
|}

==See also==

* [[Gatwick Express]] - a similar express service between [[London Victoria station]] and [[Gatwick Airport]]
* [[Heathrow Express]] - a similar express service between [[Paddington station|London Paddington station]] and [[London Heathrow Airport]]
* [[Luton Airport Express]] - a similar express service between [[St Pancras railway station|London St Pancras station]] and [[London Luton Airport]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Network SouthEast]]'''<br />As part of [[British Rail]]'''}}
{{s-ttl|title=Sub-brand of West Anglia Great Northern franchise
|years=1997–2004}}
{{s-aft|after=[[West Anglia Great Northern]]'''<br />West Anglia Great Northern franchise'''}}
{{s-bef|before=[[West Anglia Great Northern]]'''<br />West Anglia Great Northern franchise'''}}
{{s-ttl|title=Sub-brand of Greater Anglia franchise
|years=2004–2012}}
{{s-aft|after=[[National Express East Anglia|One]]'''<br />Greater Anglia franchise'''}}
{{s-bef|before=[[National Express East Anglia]]<br />Greater Anglia franchise}} 
{{s-ttl|title=Sub-brand of Greater Anglia franchise
|years=2012–2016}} 
{{s-aft|after=Greater Anglia'''<br />[[East Anglia franchise]]'''}}
{{s-bef|before=Abellio Greater Anglia'''<br />Greater Anglia franchise'''}}
{{s-ttl|title=Sub-brand of [[East Anglia franchise]]
|years=2016–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{End}}

{{Portalbar|London|London transport}}
{{UK TOCs|current|state=collapsed}}
{{Transport in London}}

{{Airport rail links in the United Kingdom}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Post-privatisation British railway companies]]
[[Category:London Stansted Airport|Express]]
[[Category:Airport rail links in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Airport rail links in London]]
[[Category:Railway operators in London]]