The fastest trains reach Liverpool Street in 37 minutes, but not in the morning peak. Peak and off-peak times, 2026 season prices and the new contactless fares.

Bishop’s Stortford sits on Greater Anglia’s West Anglia main line, with direct trains to London Liverpool Street and, ten minutes the other way, Stansted Airport. That combination is a large part of what homes here cost.

The headline number quoted around the town is “half an hour to London”. The real one, checked against the live National Rail timetable for this week, is 37 minutes on the fast off-peak services and 44 to 50 minutes if you leave in the morning rush. The gap is the single most useful thing to know about this line, so it goes first.

The peak penalty

Trains into Liverpool Street are slowest exactly when most people need them. On a normal Monday, every departure between 07:26 and 07:56 took longer than the off-peak standard, because the fast paths are given over to a denser, more heavily stopping service.

Bishop's Stortford to London Liverpool Street journey times by departure Horizontal bar chart of scheduled journey times from Bishop's Stortford to London Liverpool Street on Monday 10 August 2026. The 05:20 first train takes 46 minutes. The morning peak departures are the slowest: 07:26 takes 50 minutes, 07:45 takes 45 minutes and 07:56 takes 49 minutes. Off-peak, the 09:37 takes 39 minutes and the 10:07, 12:07 and other :07 and :37 departures take 37 minutes. The 23:37 last train takes 43 minutes. The rush hour costs you up to 13 minutes each way Scheduled journey time to London Liverpool Street, selected departures, Monday 10 August 2026 (National Rail timetable). 05:20 first train46 min 07:26 peak50 min 07:45 peak45 min 07:56 peak49 min 09:3739 min 10:0737 min 12:0737 min 23:37 last train43 min Best available: 37 min The 37 minute runs go at :07 and :37 past the hour through the middle of the day and into the late evening. No departure between 07:26 and 07:56 beat 44 minutes. Peak trains stop more often and share the line with more services. Bars start at zero. Times are scheduled, not actual; check live times on the day.
Leaving 20 minutes later than the crowd, at 08:20 rather than 07:26, is usually worth several minutes of journey time as well as a seat.

What it means for you. If your start time has any give in it, the difference between the 07:26 and a mid-morning fast train is 13 minutes each way, close to two hours a week. If it does not, aim for the 07:50 rather than the 07:26 or the 07:56: on the day we checked it was the quickest of the peak departures at 44 minutes.

Times and frequency

  • Fastest to Liverpool Street: 37 minutes, on the :07 and :37 departures through the day and into the late evening.
  • Morning peak: 44 to 50 minutes.
  • First train on a weekday: 05:20, arriving 06:06.
  • Last train from Bishop’s Stortford: 23:37, arriving 00:20.
  • Last train back from Liverpool Street: 23:56, arriving 00:41.

All of the above is from the National Rail timetable for Monday 10 August 2026 via traintimes.org.uk. Weekend times differ, and engineering work regularly changes the Sunday picture, so check before you travel.

Going the other way, to Stansted

Bishop’s Stortford is the last stop before Stansted Airport, and the airport is 10 to 12 minutes away with two trains an hour, at :13 and :43. The walk-up fare is £4.60 anytime single, £4.40 off-peak, which makes the train comfortably cheaper than the airport’s drop-off charge.

Connecting to the Tube

There is no direct Underground connection at Bishop’s Stortford, but Tottenham Hale is 27 minutes away on the fast trains and puts you straight onto the Victoria line. For anywhere in the West End that is often quicker than riding all the way to Liverpool Street and doubling back.

What it costs in 2026

These are the walk-up fares priced by National Rail for a journey from Bishop’s Stortford to London Liverpool Street, checked on 9 August 2026.

Bishop's Stortford to London walk-up fares, August 2026
TicketOff-peakAnytime
Single£13.90£17.10
Day return£27.80£34.20
Day Travelcard (with Tube and bus)£36.10£48.10
Contactless pay as you go£13.90£17.10

Contactless now works here

This is the change most worth knowing about. Contactless pay as you go went live at Bishop’s Stortford, Sawbridgeworth and Stansted Airport on Sunday 8 March 2026, as part of Greater Anglia’s extension of the scheme to 20 more stations (RailAdvent). You tap in and out with a bank card or phone, the fare is calculated from where and when you travelled, and daily caps apply on journeys into and within London.

In practice the tap fare matches the walk-up single, so contactless does not undercut a paper ticket on a straight return. What it does do is remove the ticket queue and cap you automatically if the day turns into three or four journeys. Touch in and out, or you will be charged a maximum fare.

Season tickets

For a five-day commute, a season is the cheaper route. These are the prices listed by Trainline on 9 August 2026:

Bishop's Stortford season ticket prices, standard class, August 2026
SeasonLondon TerminalsPlus zones 1–6 Travelcard
Weekly£137.30£172.90
Monthly£527.30£664.00
Annual£5,492£6,916

What it means for you. An annual London Terminals season works out at about £105 a week over 52 weeks, against £137.30 for buying weekly, so the annual saves roughly £1,650 a year if you can find the up-front money or your employer runs a loan scheme. Adding the zones 1 to 6 Travelcard costs £1,424 more a year; that is only worth it if you would otherwise spend more than about £27 a week on Tube and bus travel. If you go in three days a week or fewer, price a Flexi Season before committing, and compare it against simply tapping in with contactless.

Getting to the station

The station sits at the bottom of the town, a few minutes’ walk from Jackson Square and the Causeway. There is an NCP multi-storey on Anchor Street (CM23 3BP) and an NCP surface car park (CM23 3BL) beside the station itself, both a short walk along John Dyde Close and the river path.

If you would rather use a council car park and walk in, Northgate End multi-storey is £4.40 for the day and has 482 bays including 54 electric charging points. Our roadworks and travel page has the full tariff and the rest of the town’s parking.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the train from Bishop’s Stortford to London?

37 minutes on the fastest off-peak services into Liverpool Street. In the morning peak, expect 44 to 50 minutes.

What time is the first train from Bishop’s Stortford to London?

05:20 on weekdays, arriving at Liverpool Street at 06:06.

What time is the last train back from London to Bishop’s Stortford?

23:56 from Liverpool Street, arriving 00:41. The last train out of Bishop’s Stortford towards London is the 23:37.

Can you use contactless at Bishop’s Stortford station?

Yes. Contactless pay as you go went live at Bishop’s Stortford on 8 March 2026. Tap in and out with a card or phone and daily caps apply on travel into and within London.

How much is a season ticket from Bishop’s Stortford to London?

£5,492 a year for a standard class London Terminals season, or £6,916 with a zones 1 to 6 Travelcard added. Weekly is £137.30 and £172.90 respectively.

How far is Stansted Airport by train?

10 to 12 minutes, two trains an hour, £4.60 for an anytime single.

Sources

Times and fares change, and weekend engineering work regularly alters the timetable. Check live times and price your exact journey before you travel. Last checked 9 August 2026.