A new hourly coach link between Colchester and Stansted Airport, via Braintree, is being introduced on Monday.

BAA Stansted and the First Essex Bus Company are joining forces to introduce the Stansted CoachLink service along the A120 from the University of Essex at Colchester, via the rail stations at Colchester North, Marks Tey and Braintree.

This new service will replace the Colchester-Stansted Airport section of the National Express "Jetlink" service which ceases operation on Sunday.

Stansted CoachLink will connect with trains from Norwich, Ipswich and Clacton at Colchester North; from Sudbury at Marks Tey and from Witham at Braintree - enabling people from a wide area of north-west Essex and south-east Suffolk to access the airport by public transport.

All rail stations will be offering combined Bus-Rail "Fastcard" tickets for easy travelling - which is an integral part of First's "Transforming Travel" concept.

Stansted's head of transportation John Lamb said: "BAA Stansted is delighted to have launched this new partnership with First Essex. This quarter of a million pound Stansted CoachLink service provides an excellent way to travel to the airport for both air travellers and airport workers.

More in Friday's Stansted Life

Published Wednesday, March 20, 2002