SATF hosts an annual Transport Forum Conference for stakeholders to provide an update on progress during the preceding year and with the specific intention to ensure regular engagement with all the stakeholders. Key successes shared at the Forum included:
- Stansted has maintained its position as the UK’s number one airport for public transport use of over 47% of air passengers using bus, coach or train to travel to the Airport in 2024;
- We fund over £200,000 per year to provide the Airport Commuter Centre and Airport Travelcard which has helped push the number of staff using public transport to over one third of the airport staff population;
- The Airport provides a public transport levy to assist the funding of transport improvements overseen by the SATF which provides around £1.5m per annum through car park transactions.
- Over 13 million passengers now use rail, coach or bus to access the airport each year, with Stansted Airport Rail Station being the busiest in Essex.
- A significant number enhanced Bus and Coach services delivered through the Bus and Coach Working Group over the past 25 years;
- Overseen the introduction of new coach services serving main London destinations. Now over 500 bus and coach departures per day from Stansted Airport;
- The Forum has provided significant funding for a number of bus & coach developments that include:
- Development of First X30 Southend – Raleigh-Chelmsford-Stansted service that operates 24 hrs a day with high quality double decked vehicles
- Introduction of the First X10 service that connects to Basildon
- Introduction of the First X20 service that connects to Colchester
- Development of the Central Connect 333 that replaced the previous Arriva 133 service
- Worked in partnership with Arriva to introduce a new fast Harlow service – Arriva 723 that serves new areas in Harlow (Gilden Way) via M11 J7A.
- Funding provided for new vehicles planned for Autumn 2026 for Arriva 510/509/723 and Central Connect 333 services
- New Flibco coach service introduced in 2026 serving Finsbury Park, Wood Green and Enfield, operating every 45 minutes
- Worked in partnership with rail operators to grow rail mode share to 32% – with over 9 million passengers travelling by rail.
- Overseen the introduction of new electronic gates in 2025 for the Airport Rail Station as well as the extension to London Stansted of ‘Contactless’ ticketing in 2026 that enhances the passenger rail journey for passengers.
- 1km extension of the shared use cycleway along Long Border Road that provides a core connection from Duck End Bridge to Enterprise House/Terminal.