Stansted Express
Encyclopedia
Stansted Express is a sub-brand of National Express East Anglia. It is the direct train service
linking central London
(Liverpool Street station
) to Stansted Airport, one of London's major air hubs. Prior to 2004 Stansted Express was part of the WAGN franchise
.
The service runs every 15 minutes with a journey time of between 46 minutes to over 1 hour during peak times.
Unlike the Heathrow Express
and the Gatwick Express
, the service also calls at stations between the airport and the central London
Terminus. These are Tottenham Hale
(which provides interchange with the London Underground
and easier access to the West End and North London), Bishop's Stortford, Harlow Town
and Stansted Mountfitchet
(peak times and some weekend services only).
. Included in this plan was the construction of new branch line, diverging from the mainline at Stansted Mountfitchet
, to serve the newly built , which opened in 1991. Therefore, BR decided to build a dedicated fleet of units to work the new Stansted Express
service.
EMUs
until it was decided to change to a dedicated fleet of nine Class 317/7
EMUs
and 12 Class 317/8s
. The displaced Class 322s were redeployed on several other routes/franchises around the country before settling in their current role in Scotland
working services between Glasgow
/Edinburgh
and North Berwick
.
As part of the 1300 new carriages to expand the UK's passenger rail fleet, Stansted Express were designated to receive 120 new vehicles. In February 2009, it was announced that Bombardier Transportation
would produce the new trains. Bombardier announced on 2 April that a contract had been signed for the delivery of the 120 coaches between December 2010 and March 2011. The trains have now been identified as Class 379
units. The first of the new Class 379
units entered passenger service on the eve of Thursday 3 March 2011 when it ran the 20:10 from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport and the 21:15 return service. All of the Class 379s have now been built and are in service on Stansted Express services. This has allowed the Class 317/7 and 317/8 units to be moved onto other services to increase capacity.
In September 2010, advertisements for Stansted Express at Stansted Airport were banned because they were deemed misleading, advertising a 35-minute journey time to Tottenham Hale and claiming this as "London". The Advertising Standards Authority believed the advertisements might confuse travellers into thinking that the train would reach central London in 35 minutes. National Express defended the adverts, stating that Tottenham Hale allows access to the Victoria Line and also stating that the adverts made no reference to the trains going into central London in 35 minutes.
Airport rail link
An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city; by mainline- or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover or light rail...
linking central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
) to Stansted Airport, one of London's major air hubs. Prior to 2004 Stansted Express was part of the WAGN franchise
Rail franchising in Great Britain
Rail franchising in Great Britain was created by the Railways Act 1993. Passenger services are franchised, for a limited period, to train operating companies...
.
The service runs every 15 minutes with a journey time of between 46 minutes to over 1 hour during peak times.
Unlike the Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express is an airport rail link from London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station in London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. It was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998...
and the Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...
, the service also calls at stations between the airport and the central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
Terminus. These are Tottenham Hale
Tottenham Hale station
Tottenham Hale, is a National Rail and London Underground Victoria Line station in Tottenham, north London. It is on Hale Road near the Tottenham Hale one-way gyratory system...
(which provides interchange with the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
and easier access to the West End and North London), Bishop's Stortford, Harlow Town
Harlow Town railway station
Harlow Town railway station serves the town of Harlow in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia.-History:...
and Stansted Mountfitchet
Stansted Mountfitchet railway station
Stansted Mountfitchet railway station serves the village of Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia....
(peak times and some weekend services only).
History
In the late 1980s, British Rail (BR) was extending the electrification north from London Liverpool Street towards CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. Included in this plan was the construction of new branch line, diverging from the mainline at Stansted Mountfitchet
Stansted Mountfitchet
Stansted Mountfitchet is a village and civil parish in the county of Essex, England, near the Hertfordshire border, north of London. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 5,533. The village is served by Stansted Mountfitchet railway station....
, to serve the newly built , which opened in 1991. Therefore, BR decided to build a dedicated fleet of units to work the new Stansted Express
Stansted Express
Stansted Express is a sub-brand of National Express East Anglia. It is the direct train service linking central London to Stansted Airport, one of London's major air hubs...
service.
Rolling stock
Stansted Express originally used a fleet of five Class 322British Rail Class 322
The British Rail Class 322 electric multiple units were built by BREL in 1990. Five 4-car units were built for the dedicated Stansted Express service from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport. The units were then used by First ScotRail, operating on the North Berwick Branch Line, between /...
EMUs
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
until it was decided to change to a dedicated fleet of nine Class 317/7
British Rail Class 317
The British Rail Class 317 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in two batches, from 1981-82 and 1985-87. They were the first of several classes of British Rail EMU to be based on the all-steel Mark 3 bodyshell, departing from the "PEP"-aluminium design which had...
EMUs
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
and 12 Class 317/8s
British Rail Class 317
The British Rail Class 317 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in two batches, from 1981-82 and 1985-87. They were the first of several classes of British Rail EMU to be based on the all-steel Mark 3 bodyshell, departing from the "PEP"-aluminium design which had...
. The displaced Class 322s were redeployed on several other routes/franchises around the country before settling in their current role in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
working services between Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
/Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and North Berwick
North Berwick
The Royal Burgh of North Berwick is a seaside town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately 25 miles east of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holiday resort in the 19th century because of its two sandy bays, the East Bay and the...
.
As part of the 1300 new carriages to expand the UK's passenger rail fleet, Stansted Express were designated to receive 120 new vehicles. In February 2009, it was announced that Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
would produce the new trains. Bombardier announced on 2 April that a contract had been signed for the delivery of the 120 coaches between December 2010 and March 2011. The trains have now been identified as Class 379
British Rail Class 379
The Class 379 Electrostar is a British electric multiple-unit train type ordered in April 2009 for Stansted Express services operated by National Express East Anglia . The trains will also be used on services between , and...
units. The first of the new Class 379
British Rail Class 379
The Class 379 Electrostar is a British electric multiple-unit train type ordered in April 2009 for Stansted Express services operated by National Express East Anglia . The trains will also be used on services between , and...
units entered passenger service on the eve of Thursday 3 March 2011 when it ran the 20:10 from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport and the 21:15 return service. All of the Class 379s have now been built and are in service on Stansted Express services. This has allowed the Class 317/7 and 317/8 units to be moved onto other services to increase capacity.
Criticism
In May 2009 National Express abolished off-peak fares on services from Stansted Airport. Therefore all fares are considered peak (regardless of day or time travelled) and hence this is reflected in the price. Those living locally have to produce ID in order to obtain a discounted ticket, though the discount is less than the previous off-peak fare. It should however be noted that combinations of tickets may be used, as long as the train stops at the station where one ticket's validity ends and the other's starts - for example, by buying single tickets from Liverpool Street to Harlow Town at a cost of £10, and from Harlow Town to Stansted Airport at £6.80, and then catching a train which calls at Harlow Town, as of 2011 a saving of £4.20 can be made on the £21 single fare to the airport.In September 2010, advertisements for Stansted Express at Stansted Airport were banned because they were deemed misleading, advertising a 35-minute journey time to Tottenham Hale and claiming this as "London". The Advertising Standards Authority believed the advertisements might confuse travellers into thinking that the train would reach central London in 35 minutes. National Express defended the adverts, stating that Tottenham Hale allows access to the Victoria Line and also stating that the adverts made no reference to the trains going into central London in 35 minutes.