Hot weather alert - travel disruption likely
The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for large parts of southern England and Wales, during Friday 26 June, with very high temperatures forecast.
Therefore, today (Friday 26 June) passengers are advised they should only travel if absolutely necessary and to check journey details before they set out. Other parts of the national rail network are also affected, so the advice covers all rail journeys.
Rail services will continue to run, but passengers should expect disruption across the network. For safety reasons, trains may operate at reduced speeds and to amended timetables, meaning some journeys may take longer and there is a heightened risk of delays, cancellations and last-minute alterations. There are also some planned cancellations affecting morning and evening peak services between Ipswich, Clacton, Colchester, Braintree, Chelmsford, Southend and London and affecting the Stansted Express.
Passengers who do need to travel are strongly advised to prepare for the conditions by bringing plenty of water, wearing sunscreen and a hat, and ensuring that they have a back-up plan in case of disruption.
This guidance is directly linked to the geographical area covered by the Met Office's red and amber weather warnings, across England and Wales, and we are monitoring this closely. If it changes, we may modify our guidance.
Information on any delays and alterations affecting the Stansted Express network will be updated on this website, on our App and via social media posts, as well as at stations and on trains.
Travel Options
If you booked an Advance, Anytime, Off-Peak, Rover or Ranger ticket for travel on Tuesday 23, Wednesday 24, Thursday 25, or Friday 26 June here are your travel options:
1. Travel - only if essential
If you have an Advance ticket, you can travel earlier that day.
If you have a flexible ticket, your ticket can already be used at other times.
Please remember to bring plenty of water, apply sunscreen and wear a hat. We recommend travelling before midday when it's cooler.
Disruption is expected. If your train is delayed by 15 minutes or more, you can claim delay repay.
2. Travel another day
If you haven’t travelled, you can use your ticket to travel up to and including Tuesday 30 June without needing to change your ticket.
Seat reservations
We don’t offer seat reservations on our trains, but if you’re travelling beyond our network and have a seat reservation included with your ticket, this will not apply if you travel on Tuesday.
You can rebook your seat reservation without needing to change your ticket by calling our web support team at 0345 600 7245 (Select Option 3, open 08:00-17:00).
3. Don't travel and request a refund
If you choose not to travel, you can get a full refund through your original retailer.
Therefore, today (Friday 26 June) passengers are advised they should only travel if absolutely necessary and to check journey details before they set out. Other parts of the national rail network are also affected, so the advice covers all rail journeys.
Rail services will continue to run, but passengers should expect disruption across the network. For safety reasons, trains may operate at reduced speeds and to amended timetables, meaning some journeys may take longer and there is a heightened risk of delays, cancellations and last-minute alterations. There are also some planned cancellations affecting morning and evening peak services between Ipswich, Clacton, Colchester, Braintree, Chelmsford, Southend and London and affecting the Stansted Express.
Passengers who do need to travel are strongly advised to prepare for the conditions by bringing plenty of water, wearing sunscreen and a hat, and ensuring that they have a back-up plan in case of disruption.
This guidance is directly linked to the geographical area covered by the Met Office's red and amber weather warnings, across England and Wales, and we are monitoring this closely. If it changes, we may modify our guidance.
Information on any delays and alterations affecting the Stansted Express network will be updated on this website, on our App and via social media posts, as well as at stations and on trains.
Travel Options
If you booked an Advance, Anytime, Off-Peak, Rover or Ranger ticket for travel on Tuesday 23, Wednesday 24, Thursday 25, or Friday 26 June here are your travel options:
1. Travel - only if essential
If you have an Advance ticket, you can travel earlier that day.
If you have a flexible ticket, your ticket can already be used at other times.
Please remember to bring plenty of water, apply sunscreen and wear a hat. We recommend travelling before midday when it's cooler.
Disruption is expected. If your train is delayed by 15 minutes or more, you can claim delay repay.
2. Travel another day
If you haven’t travelled, you can use your ticket to travel up to and including Tuesday 30 June without needing to change your ticket.
Seat reservations
We don’t offer seat reservations on our trains, but if you’re travelling beyond our network and have a seat reservation included with your ticket, this will not apply if you travel on Tuesday.
You can rebook your seat reservation without needing to change your ticket by calling our web support team at 0345 600 7245 (Select Option 3, open 08:00-17:00).
3. Don't travel and request a refund
If you choose not to travel, you can get a full refund through your original retailer.
Pay as you go contactless ticketing is now available for all Stansted Express journeys
Tap, Tap & Away. Pay as you go contactless ticketing is now available at Stansted Airport.
The Stansted Express just got even faster as you can now use pay as you go contactless ticketing for any train - including Apple Pay and Google Pay - just like the London Underground, making your journey to and from Stansted Airport even quicker and easier.
Please note, Oyster cards are not valid to or from Stansted Airport
If you travel without a valid train ticket or contactless payment, you may be issued a £100 Penalty Fare plus the full single fare for your journey.
For more information, visit our pay as you go with contactless page.
The Stansted Express just got even faster as you can now use pay as you go contactless ticketing for any train - including Apple Pay and Google Pay - just like the London Underground, making your journey to and from Stansted Airport even quicker and easier.
Please note, Oyster cards are not valid to or from Stansted Airport
If you travel without a valid train ticket or contactless payment, you may be issued a £100 Penalty Fare plus the full single fare for your journey.
For more information, visit our pay as you go with contactless page.
Railcard discounts are now available on online bookings
You can now add your Railcard when booking on the Stansted Express website.
Get discounts on selected fares and see your savings instantly. Whether you're travelling to the airport or exploring the UK, Railcards can offer great value.
When you search, we’ll show you our lowest priced fare for your journey, with other options available if you’d like to compare.
Learn more on our Railcards page.
Get discounts on selected fares and see your savings instantly. Whether you're travelling to the airport or exploring the UK, Railcards can offer great value.
When you search, we’ll show you our lowest priced fare for your journey, with other options available if you’d like to compare.
Learn more on our Railcards page.
The fastest way between central London and Stansted Airport
Trains depart every 15 mins during the day
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Less time travelling
With a journey time of just 48 minutes to Liverpool Street, there’s no quicker way to travel from Central London to Stansted Airport.
Maximum flexibility
You can take any train at any time without pre-booking – just in case things don’t go to plan. Our open returns are fully flexible, so you can travel up to 30 days from departure at no extra cost.
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Breakaway from the herd and leave the lines behind. Book ahead and download your eTicket straight to your phone. We don’t charge any additional fees and you’re covered by your price guarantee when you book through our website.
Time to suit you
Our trains depart every 15 minutes during the day, 7 days a week.
Straight from A to B
You can forget lengthy interchanges or long treks to the terminal. Our trains run straight into London and Stansted Airport.
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