Travel by Train

The Stansted Express is the fastest way to travel by train from central London to Stansted Airport, with direct services from three major stations.

Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport: Just 48 minutes, making it the quickest route from central London to the airport.

Tottenham Hale to Stansted Airport: Approximately 37 minutes, ideal for north London travellers.

Stratford to Stansted Airport: Around 1 hour, convenient for east London and connections to the DLR and Elizabeth Line.

Journey times make the Stansted Express significantly faster than driving or coach services, with no traffic delays to worry about when you travel by train to Stansted Airport.

From Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport, the first train departs between 03:40am and 04:40am depending on the day, with the last train at 23:25.

From Stansted Airport to Liverpool Street, services start at 05:30am (06:00am Tuesday-Thursday) with the final departure at 00:30.

These early and late services are great for both early morning flights and late arrivals. Always check the official Stansted Express timetable before you travel, as times may vary on public holidays.

Oyster and contactless payment only works to Tottenham Hale. If you travel from Liverpool Street or Stratford, you must buy a ticket from Tottenham Hale to London Stansted Airport. If you don't, Greater Anglia may issue a Penalty Charge Notice.

Each train operator has different rules for bikes. E-scooters are not allowed on trains in the UK.

Contact your train operator for more information.

Yes. You can buy tickets online, or at the ticket machines or rail information desk located at the station.

The terminal is just a two-minute walk away, accessible by lifts, escalators, and ramps. Follow the overhead signs to navigate the airport.

When you travel by train, we recommend building extra time into your journey to account for potential delays and unexpected circumstances. Many train operators offer flexible tickets that allow passengers to take alternative train services if they miss their original departure. Before you travel by train, contact your specific operator to confirm their missed connection policy and find out if your ticket type permits travel on later services.

Stansted Airport railway station is staffed daily throughout the year, except Christmas Day. The station offers full accessible train travel with step-free access throughout and fitted induction loops for hearing assistance.

If you need assistance or information at Stansted Airport train station, contact the passenger assistance team at assistedtravel@greateranglia.co.uk at least 24 hours before your journey. The team can arrange support to help you travel by train safely and comfortably.

Travel by train from Stansted Airport to central London with Stansted Express services running to London Liverpool Street, Tottenham Hale, and Stratford stations.

To reach the London Underground network when you travel by train from Stansted, you'll need to change trains at one of these key interchange stations:

Victoria Line: Change at Tottenham Hale for direct access to King's Cross, Oxford Circus, and Victoria stations.

Central, Elizabeth, Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City Lines: Change at London Liverpool Street for connections across east and central London.

Jubilee, Central & DLR Lines: Change at Stratford for access to Canary Wharf, London Bridge, and Olympic Park.

For detailed journey planning, timetables, and helpful video guides on how to travel by train from Stansted Airport, visit our Stansted Express Travel Information page.