Holidaymakers bound for Stansted Airport from London face weeks of severe travel disruption during upcoming maintenance works.
Stansted Express train services will not operate direct services between the aviation hub north-east of London and London Liverpool Street over the next five weekends.
Scheduled engineering works on a section of track between Stansted and Broxbourne mean rail passengers will need to board rail replacement buses to reach the airport.
The direct 48-minute journey usually departs Liverpool Street for Stansted Airport every 15 minutes, with around 96 trains running per day.
Replacement coach services will instead operate between Stansted Airport and Waltham Cross or Broxbourne on maintenance days.
Dates include the weekend of 22 and 23 February, as well as 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, and 23 of March.
According to Stansted Express: “From Waltham Cross/Broxbourne a train service will be in operation to Liverpool Street.”
National Express is adding 25,000 seats to its service to help people get to the airport during rail disruption weekends from 22 February.
Coaches to Stansted from London depart over 100 times a day and take around 45 minutes on the A8 service.
John Boughton, commercial director for National Express, said: "We recognise the significant impact and inconvenience the upcoming rail disruption will have on travellers.
“By adding thousands of extra seats on our Stansted services, we’re proud to once again be stepping up to provide customers with dependable and affordable airport connections.
“With hundreds of services running day and night to Stansted Airport, customers are repeatedly choosing us... with our brilliant coach drivers taking them right to the airport terminal door.”
National Express announced it had retained its contract with London Stansted Airport in January with a five-year deal to operate “high-frequency coach services on behalf of the airport”.
The Stansted Express line will not be affected by upcoming strikes on Transport for London’s Elizabeth line services.
Industrial action by the Aslef union is currently planned for 27 February and the 1, 8 and 10 March.
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