Stansted Express passengers slapped with ‘unfair’ £100 fines for using contactless payment

Customers who travel to the airport by train cannot ‘tap out’ – leaving them liable for penalties

An issue that has seen passengers who use contactless payments on journeys to London Stansted being hit with fines has been condemed by an independent watchdog covering travel in London.

People arriving to the airport by train cannot tap out with contactless to end their journey, despite being able to tap in at origin stations, including London Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale.

Upon arrival at the Essex aviation hub, those without a ticket can be forced to pay a £100 fine, as well as the price for a one-way anytime fare from their origin station. For instance, customers coming from Liverpool Street may liable for a £121.40 fee.

Stansted is reached by train from London Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale (Getty Images)

London TravelWatch said that passengers were being “unfairly penalised” by the loophole, calling it “plainly wrong”.

Data from 2019 showed that the number of people being fined had increased by 16,000 in two years.

Michael Roberts, CEO of LondonTravelWatch, said: “It’s plainly wrong that passengers continue to be unfairly penalised for not knowing that contactless payment isn’t accepted at London Stansted Airport. 

“With London in its name, people quite reasonably assume that they’ll be able to tap out using a contactless card, especially when they were allowed to tap in using one at the start of their journey. The added fact that both London Gatwick and London Heathrow accept contactless payment cards only adds to the confusion.

“We urge Greater Anglia, TfL, Network Rail and all other interested parties to come together finally to extend contactless to Stansted as soon as possible and bring this nonsensical situation to an end.”

Greater Anglia operate the routes to Stansted.

In a comment to the Evening Standard, a spokesperson for the firm said that they are “keen to see the extension of contactless ticketing to Stansted Airport, as that would simplify the position and be more convenient for customers, but such a step is dependent on receipt of the necessary funding and approvals from the Department for Transport”.