Home / London /Heathrow / RailAir RA1 vs Elizabeth line and Stansted Express to Stansted

LHR → London · head to head

RailAir RA1orElizabeth line and Stansted Express to Stansted?

The short answer

For one traveler the Elizabeth line and Stansted Express to Stansted is cheaper by £1.20. That does not change up to 8 travelers.

The RailAir RA1 is quicker: 40 min against 1 h 28. The Elizabeth line and Stansted Express to Stansted varies between 84 and 95 minutes.

RailAir RA1: 04:10–00:15. Elizabeth line and Stansted Express to Stansted: 05:21–22:25.

Priced against each other

Whole-party totals · adult fares
What each costs for the whole party, in GBP. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
TravelersRailAir RA1Elizabeth line and Stansted Express to StanstedDifference
1£24£22.80£1.20
2£48£45.60£2.40
3£72£68.40£3.60
4£96£91.20£4.80
5£120£114£6
6£144£136.80£7.20
7£168£159.60£8.40
8£192£182.40£9.60

Side by side

Where each one leaves you
RA1 · RailAirRailAir RA1
From
Terminal 3 (Stands 7/8), Terminal 2 (Stands 11/12) and Terminal 5
To
Reading railway station, calling at Winnersh Triangle
Luggage
2 bags up to 30 kg each plus hand luggage per person, included; extra bags £5.00 each.
Runs
04:10–00:15
Journey
24–45 min

Reading to Heathrow is billed "in 40 minutes" on RailAir's own site and "under 45 minutes" to Terminal 5 specifically — book the extra few minutes for T5.

It does not run around the clock: the last coach from Terminal 3 is 00:15 and the first is 04:10, a gap of almost four hours.

RailAir RA1: price for every party size

Check times and fares with RailAir
ElizabethStansted Express · Transport for London and Greater AngliaElizabeth line and Stansted Express to Stansted
From
Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 or Terminal 4 rail station; changing at Liverpool Street
To
Stansted Airport station, under the terminal
Luggage
Racks at the ends of the Elizabeth line carriages; racks at the ends of the Stansted trains.
Runs
05:21–22:25
Journey
84–95 min

Change at Liverpool Street: TfL's planner allows 18 to 21 minutes between the trains, and the Stansted trains leave every 15 to 30 minutes.

Only a contactless card or phone pays the TfL fare; a paper ticket from Heathrow to Stansted is not priced here. The coach is cheaper (from £21.30) and about as quick, but runs about a dozen times a day.

Elizabeth line and Stansted Express to Stansted: price for every party size

Check the fare with TfL

This compares two of 19 options. See all of them ranked for your party size

The other comparisons at Heathrow