Greater Anglia Reviews 

Absolutely disgraceful experience with Greater Anglia / Stansted Express. I travelled from Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport and tapped my phone like I normally do on UK trains, not realising that contactless tapping isn’t valid for Stansted Airport. The worst part? The barriers literally opened when I tapped, so obviously I believed it was accepted — then at the exit gate they hit me with a penalty fare, even though I offered to pay the correct ticket on the spot.
The staff were rude, cold and completely unwilling to listen — it honestly felt like they were there to catch people out, not help passengers. And I wasn’t the only one: there were multiple tourists around me making the exact same mistake and also being fined. This genuinely feels like a deliberate tourist trap.
Shocking service and a terrible experience.

Which i could give 0 star review. Was away with the partner 6 month old son and 2 dogs. Travelled into London from Roydon which was fine no problem. Getting back to Roydon was a nightmare.

The digital boards suggested getting the train from London to Harlow Town then to Roydon. There was 3 minutes from our train pulling in to the connecting train leaving.

The connecting train left early the lift took forever. We only need to go down the line by 4 minutes and it took over 1 hour cause then available train was cancelled couldn't get an Uber.

Raised it with the refund, declined, appealed, declined again.

Complete joke of a train company. Dont use them at all. They have posters saying delayed by 15 minutes refund means nothing. Staff at the train station less than helpful. Would have 100% been better to drive.

Delay repay unpaid, I purchased a ticket from Southern Rail from Uckfield to Stansted Airport. The trains from Liverpool Street to Stansted were cancelled and I had to catch a coach which meant nearly missing my flight. Greater Anglia refused to refund their section of the journey because the ticket was purchased from Southern. Southern say they won't repay because it wasn't their line. Avoid if at all possible

I love this company. Waiting to find out whether trains will be running from Liverpool Street always gives me a little frisson of excitement. It's jusr like gambling! And just like gambling, I generally lose.

All my 4 trains from Norwich to Yorkshire on 22nd Dec this year were on time except one which was 6 mins late meaning that I had very little time ( with dog and big suitcase) to make my next connection. The guard was very knowledgable, checked arrival and departure platforms for me and gave me clear instructions as to how to quickly get to my next train. Also reassured me that if I missed it I would be able to catch different trains. All trains booked were clean and comfortable. I was also sent details of any changes via the app which sent me live information. The phone app is excellent.

The app on my phone is not only informative but also enabled me to apply easily for a refund of my return journey because I was unable to return on my booked train. This was so easy to do.

I also use Greater Anglia when I regularly travel with my bike to Harwich for the hook of Holland ferry. Really reliable early train. However it’s quite a long wait for a return train after disembarking the day ferry. Again staff are really friendly and helpful.

Our train from Norwich to London was cancelled due to a theft on the line. Staff onboard the train to Norwich, as well as staff at Norwich Station were useless, no information about when trains would resume, no empathy nor care that people’s travel plans were in chaos. We had a flight that afternoon from Heathrow and when we asked for alternative options we were told to go to Cambridge and then on to London… it might have worked if the Norwich to Cambridge portion of the journey wasn’t a bus replacement service due to engineering works meaning we’d arrive after our flight had departed. We were left with no option but to get a taxi at a cost of £240. Greater Anglia washed their hands of us and when I sent in a claim for the cost of the taxi said it was not their issue as we had only booked as far as Liverpool Street, not Heathrow! Of course we did, Greater Anglia trains don’t go as far as Heathrow! We’ve started hiring cars instead of going by train, it’s more punctual, more reliable and cheaper than Greater Anglia!

Terrible WiFi signal and train kept stopping before stations making me late for booked connecting trains

Got the dates wrong on a non-changeable. Greater Anglia assisted with a solution. I was helped by Sonia who was kind and helpful. Thank you.

GA have overnight skyrocketed their prices, with some peak return tickets increasing by as much as 30%. They claim this is to simplify rail fares ahead of contactless being introduced next year.

Return tickets have essentially been abolished and you are now forced to pay for two singles. You also have to now collect at station instead of buying a QR code.

Those who commute to London are being forced into paying a significant increase in commuting costs overnight.

Last week we made a short journey into Norwich. It was great. Trains right on time, warm and comfortable. It was a much more pleasant experience than driving. A good all round experience for less than the cost of parking in the city.

Horrible experience at Southend Victoria on 06/12/2025 at around 18:30.
A staff member accused me of lying, refused to listen to my explanation and repeatedly told me “go away”, raising their voice at me.

Earlier that day at 09:26, I bought a return ticket for 2 passengers from Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street and paid £36.75 by card. On our way back, my friend accidentally threw away the wrong ticket, and we asked for help because he doesn’t speak English.

Instead of assisting, the staff member insisted the payment was only for one person, which was not true, even when I showed proof of purchase from my banking app. When I tried to explain, I was told “you’re lying, go away” twice.

We later spoke to Transport Police, who listened, understood the situation, and said the staff member’s behaviour was inappropriate and that they would speak to them.

This was extremely disrespectful, humiliating, and completely unacceptable, especially in front of a guest visiting the UK.
Never expected this level of rude and aggressive behaviour from Greater Anglia staff.

The worse line in the world
It’s always every day delay

My train was cancelled so I ended up leaving more than half an hour late. I should have been reimbursed 25% of my (expensive) return ticket, but they only reimbursed half the amount. My claim clearly states it was for a delay above 30 minutes. They got the calculation wrong, and rejected my appeal. It strikes me as being dishonest, incompetent, or both.

I was redirected to Greater Anglia by the official Stansted Express website, as it was a purchase for a large group. I purchased tickets for the entire group I was traveling with, but I didn't receive them. I wrote to them to request a refund, and they said it would be within two days. I wrote back a week later because I still didn't have one, and they said, "We'll give you a code. Go to the machines and print it out." Had I known this beforehand, I wouldn't have purchased them from them.

Greater Anglia are quite strict on rail fares and they constantly remind you of this through their adverts and service announcements. It's a shame their service doesn't match the prices they charge for going from A to B.

I take the Norwich train that sometimes goes to Cambridge or Stansted Airport and the overcrowding that happens on their services on a weekend is unacceptable.

Knowing full well there is service work going on or bus replacements elsewhere, I dont see why they can't put on extra carriages. It's the most uncomfortable journey you can experience sometimes. This has been happening on this service for years.

Your face is sometimes squashed up against a window the over crowding is so bad. Then they have the front to question you because you've taken a train 1 hour earlier than you should have.

Imagine how this would feel for an elderly person attempting to board one of these trains.

Absolutely rubbish train service / company.
Trains are a mess at the weekend , overcharge you for the privilege of using rail replacement , having to take trains via god knows where to get to ones destination. What would normally take 1hr 40mins to London takes nearly 3 hrs. It’s nonsense. Been taking this route for over 10 years and despite the money / time they put into the tracks / repairs why are they still putting passengers on replacement buses for hours. Why? Where is all the money going to that you overcharge for fares ??
Just look at your reviews GA. ? Pretty much one star. … you should be embarrassed.
If there was a zero star option that’s what I would give. !!

Station: London Liverpool Street
Staff member: Jill (Help Desk)

I would like to formally recognise and praise a member of your staff named Jill who works at the Help Desk at London Liverpool Street Station.

I arrived at the help desk extremely distressed after realising I had left my bag on a Greater Anglia train. From the very first moment, Jill was calm, patient, and incredibly reassuring. Instead of directing me to fill out an online lost property form and sending me away, she immediately took ownership of the situation and went above and beyond anything I could have expected.

Jill personally tracked down the exact train I had been travelling on, contacted staff to check if the bag had been seen, then traced where the train was heading next. When she discovered it was travelling to Ipswich, she contacted staff there directly and arranged for them to check the train on arrival. She then asked me to come back to her at the relevant time so she could update me.

When the bag was found, Jill immediately informed me and even helped me organise a ticket so I could take the very next possible train to retrieve it. Every step of the way she was kind, patient, deeply reassuring, and genuinely determined to help me — at a point where I was extremely overwhelmed and upset.

Jill did far more than her job required. She could easily have told me to submit a claim online, but instead she chose to act with real compassion, initiative, and dedication. Thanks entirely to her efforts, I was reunited with my bag the very same evening.

I rarely leave feedback, but I felt compelled to do so because this level of care and professionalism deserves recognition. Jill is a true asset to Greater Anglia and the National Rail network, and I will never forget the kindness she showed me during a moment of genuine distress.

I’m extremely disappointed with the customer service I received from Greater Anglia, especially during a situation where I genuinely needed assistance. This happened at London Liverpool Street station where Owais, apparently the manager, instead of support,he talked to meunprofessionally, and treated me with a complete lack of respect.

He showed no willingness to help, no empathy, and absolutely no professionalism. It’s shocking to see someone in a management role display such poor customer service skills, and it left me feeling frustrated and completely let down by the company.

Greater Anglia seriously needs to review how its management interacts with customers — no one should walk away from a conversation with a manager feeling worse than when they approached them. If this is the standard of leadership, it explains why customer experience continues to decline.

3 times I had first class bookings at least, some I couldn't be bothered with looking to claim as you get NOTHING but excuses and red tape. This time I decided to put in 3 and lo and behold I'm told that I can't claim after 28 days, at least 2 were in that time frame but they've gone quiet. If it's not the constant rail replacement services it's this. JOKE OF A RAILWAY..Privatise NOW

This is a dishonest company, which without shame keeps stealing money to the people. Go to hell.