Stansted Express has said there will be no airport trains for two weekends in August and the August Bank holiday Monday.
The reason is that Greater Anglia is extending platforms at Broxbourne station to accommodate longer trains.
As a result, the Stansted Express rail service will be unable to operate from London to Stansted Airport on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 August, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 August and on Monday 29 August.
There will be no rail replacement bus service for airport travellers on these dates due to high demand for buses.
Travellers are advised to make alternative arrangements to get to the airport.
A limited alternative rail service will be available between London and Stansted Airport, using Great Northern trains between Kings Cross and Cambridge and Greater Anglia and CrossCountry trains between Cambridge and Stansted Airport with a journey time of about two hours.
Engineering work is also due to take place on other weekends in the summer, but Stansted Express will run a rail replacement bus service on these dates so Stansted Express customers are able to complete their journeys.
Additional weekends when buses will replace trains for part of the Stansted Express route are:
- Until 0900 Sunday 26 June, buses between Waltham Cross and Bishop’s Stortford due to Network Rail rail track maintenance works
- Sunday 24 July, buses between Waltham Cross and Bishop’s Stortford.
- Sunday 7 August, buses between Waltham Cross and Bishop’s Stortford.
David Metherell, Greater Anglia’s Head of Commercial Development, also responsible for Stansted Express, said: “We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused to customers by this engineering works, especially on the two weekends and the Bank Holiday when we’re unable to provide a rail replacement bus service.
“We are trying to give as much notice as possible so that people can make alternative travel arrangements to get to the airport while planning their holidays.
“Rail is a great way to travel to the airport as it’s usually fast, convenient and sustainable. However, just as when roads needs to be maintained and improved, so does the railway.
“The work extending Broxbourne station will enable us to run longer brand-new modern trains on all our network and Network Rail’s track works will ensure high safety and reliability standards continue.
“No time is convenient for customers for work like this, but August is not our busiest time of year.” Timetables for each of the periods of work will be published on the Stansted Express website and updates posted on the Stansted Express Facebook page.
