Stansted Express
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 station. These are Tottenham Hale (which provides interchange with the London Underground and easier access to the West End and North London), Bishops Stortford and Harlow.
Future Fleet
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.
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.