New rail line between Stansted and Liverpool Street?

Over 100 community representatives, local councillors and public transport professionals attended this year's 14th Stansted Airport Transport Forum, which took place on February 19th. 

This annual event showcases the work that the airport and its partners undertake to improve surface access links to the airport and sets future targets to maintain Stansted’s position. Speakers this year included Stansted Airport's Managing Director, Andrew Harrison; Jim Steer – founder and director of Steer Davies Gleave; Essex County Council's John Pope; Andrew Camp from Abellio Greater Anglia; and Tomas Kreij, Head of Commercial Services at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport.

In his keynote speech to delegates, Jim Steer suggested that a new rail line between Stansted Airport and Stratford/London Liverpool Street could reduce journey times to less than 30 minutes. He also discussed how the line would benefit the East of England and its economy by enabling new direct airport services to destinations in the region such as Cambridge, Colchester, Norwich and  Ipswich with faster journey times. 

Experts point out that London - particularly east London - will see significant economic and population growth over the next twenty to thirty years, and the same is true of the corridor between London and Cambridge. As Jim Steer put it: “To support this growth, we will urgently need a strategic plan for housing and transport infrastructure. Rail infrastructure development, centred on Stansted, makes good sense and would increase the airport's competitiveness and have wider economic benefits for the East of England region”.

These comments came in the same week as The Chancellor and Mayor of London’s announcement of their six-point long term economic plan for London which, amongst other initiatives, includes establishing a West Anglia Task Force to look at opportunities to improve connections to Stansted and Cambridge from Liverpool Street.