Originally Posted by Epsilon minus
Isn't it a pity that the airport with argueably the best rail served infrastuctue in the UK has the worst train operator running on it.
I am afraid the world has moved on. The days when people could/would spend half a day each way between the airport and their house on public transport have gone. We expect to drive to the airport, have convenient parking, and fly. That is what airports are in business to deliver, not to lecture us on the need to use inappropriate public transport so they can appear green and friendly to the government and to the lentil eating brigade. There is a reason why we use cars, it is because they provide overwhelmingly the best journey option.
I live close to London City. It's just over 30 minutes up the M11 to Stansted where I always use the short term (like most others) and can be inside the terminal in 45 minutes from leaving my front door. I often take one of the early departures. For an 0800 departure I leave home long after 0600 and use Easy's on-line check in. I've never missed the flight.
If I go by public transport I have to get up in the middle of the night, spend literally hours on the journey, a fortune on a taxi to Liverpool Street (as the Underground has not started) and a second fortune on the train to the airport, certainly more than parking and car costs. Actually my taxi company charges little different from home to Liverpool Street or to Stansted, and the road journey alone is probably quicker than to Liverpool Street. This is for someone who lives in inner London and is therefore "convenient" to public transport.
On return, by public transport, wait for Stansted Express, to Liverpool Street, Central Line to Bank, DLR to West Ferry, DLR to my home station, long walk home. With suitcases. In today's heat. Ha Ha !
There is a nice new direct train from Stratford to Stansted. It stops at every station along the way, takes 70 minutes, only goes once an hour, and the first train of the day arrives at Stansted at the airport at 1038 in the morning. You couldn't make this up if you tried.
Stansted Airport station is approached by a long single track tunnel under the runway (limiting capacity) to an austere dead-end station, which prevents it being served by any through trains like Gatwick is. To call this the "best airport rail infrastructure in the UK" is I feel inappropriate.