Stansted to Improve Access From London?

From London, it's easy to get to Heathrow by Underground or by Heathrow Express. Getting to Gatwick Airport is similarly simple. But Stansted, the city's third-biggest airport by passenger numbers, is a bit more tricky to reach, and airport reps are pressuring the government to improve the train link between central London and the airport as a way to boost the economy, the Financial Times is reporting .

While Heathrow is full and Gatwick more than three-quarters full, Stansted reportedly sees only 18 million a year of the 35 million it could handle. Nick Barton, managing director of the airport, told the paper that the journey time to London has put off some customers. Half of those who use Stansted arrive by public transport—the highest portion of any big UK airport. Barton believes that reducing the travel time to the airport to 30 minutes would attract more airlines and passengers alike, and would ease the pressure on the other airports.

Network Rail, the owner of Britain's rail infrastructure, is working on its five-year plan, and Barton hopes that services to Stansted will be included. The plan will be adopted in July.