Purchasing your train ticket
At National Express we have developed a number of different mechanisms for purchasing your ticket to make it as easy as possible for you to travel with us.
At the ticket office
All our ticket office staff have been trained to the highest level to ensure that they offer you the cheapest and most convenient ticket type for your travel requirements. Please approach our helpful staff and they will be happy to assist you in any way.
Our ticket office opening times are clearly displayed at each station with our aim being to ensure that customers are served within five minutes at peak times and three minutes at other times.
Our ticket offices accept payment in cash, by cheque (supported by a valid cheque guarantee card and made payable to 'London Eastern Railway), MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diners Club International, Maestro (formerly Switch) or Delta cards and by Rail Travel Vouchers.
Ticket Machines
The vast majority of our stations have self-service ticket machines designed to offer a convenient and alternative method of payment at busier times to our most popular destinations.
They accept 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 coins as well as £5 and £10 notes. Some machines will also accept £20 notes and credit/debit cards.
Please note that our machines do not accept Solo or Electron card payments.
Online
To enable you to book from the comfort of your home or office, we also offer an online booking facility where you can check train times, fares and purchase a rail ticket for travel to anywhere on the UK rail network.
Pay by credit or debit card and choose to have your rail tickets posted direct to your home or collect them at one of our self-service ticket machines.
You can now purchase or renew your season ticket online by visiting our season ticket booking engine.
Please remember that as part of the booking process you will need to open an account or re-register* with us before you can book your ticket.
You will receive an email confirming your account details. After your first purchase every time you purchase a ticket you will be asked to enter those details.
We've also put together a handy hints page to help you book your tickets online that can be viewed here.
* If you have previously registered as a customer on the National Express Trains website, then you may need to re-register. We apologise for this inconvenience.
On-Board
Tickets are sold on-board National Express East Anglia trains except for journeys where penalty fares apply, but to minimise fare evasion, you will only be able to buy either First or Standard Open tickets, or First or Standard Day tickets for single or return journeys.
Unfortunately, no discounts are available on any ticket bought on board unless you have a Disabled Persons Railcard.
Seat Reservations
Seat reservation charges apply if booking at the ticket office at the station but will not apply online.
For a limited period only a special promotional offer will apply for our customers making online bookings. During this period the usual £2.50 seat reservation booking fee will not apply, and seat reservation bookings will be free of charge to customers who purchase tickets online and also require a seat reservation.
Reserving a seat is optional and the fee applies to the following ticket categories:
- Standard Anytime
- Standard Off-Peak
- Standard Super Off-Peak
- Rangers and Rovers (including BritRail)
- Weekender
- Superbreak (and other inclusive tour tickets)
- Season Tickets (£1.00 reservation fee only)
Seat reservation charges do not apply in First Class on National Express East Anglia services. If travelling in First Class, seat reservations can be made free-of-charge. If you are travelling on an Advance ticket, your reservation is included with your ticket and you will not be charged the seat reservation fee.
National Rail Conditions of Carriage
The National Rail Conditions of Carriage set out the legal contract that you have with us when you purchase a ticket and travel with National Express East Anglia.