For those of you who use London Gatwick – either as a gateway to London or the South of England, there’s good news as the refurbishment work to update hesitation will soon be completed, with the “new” station opening on the 21st of November.
The station will feature a new second concourse and airport entrance which will double the space that passengers use.
The new concourse will act as the new entrance for people accessing the airport terminal, while the existing concourse will be for people exiting. In addition, the existing concourse will feature new customer information systems, more ticket gates, and a dedicated passenger assistance point enhancing the passenger experience and helping people move through the station more quickly.
The existing station concourse, station footbridges and the South Terminal linkspan have been refurbished and reconfigured to provide a seamless one-way system to the airport from the train station.
Between the concourse and platforms, eight new escalators and five new lifts have been installed to assist in accessibility at the station. These are supported by four new stairways and widened platforms, which will help passengers move between the train station and the airport more quickly and easily.
This in turn will help to reduce congestion on the platforms, allowing delays to be minimised with the trains.
The works are part of the Brighton Main Line upgrade, which has seen some journies between London and Brighton reduced to one hour on some services.
Gatwick station is served by the Gatwick Express (operating express services between London Victoria, Gatwick Airport and Brighton), Great Western Railway (Operating to Reading via Guildford), Southern Railway (services from London Victoia and London Bridge) and Thameslink Operating services from Brigton, through the City core to Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.
In Quotes
Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail Sussex route director, said:
“We are proud to have worked with our partners to deliver a station upgrade that makes journeys to the airport much easier for all passengers and encourages people to ditch the car and travel by rail, the cleanest and greenest way to travel.
“This project is not just for those making their way to the airport, the work benefits passengers across the region by giving them quicker journeys and a more reliable timetable.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper, said:
“With the millions of passengers travelling into Gatwick Airport by train each year, this station is a major public transport hub that is being upgraded with Government funding – improving the train-to-plane journey and delivering more reliable services for passengers.
“This project demonstrates that this Government is committed to funding improvements to our rail network, transforming a vital station into an impressive gateway to the UK and encouraging more British and international passengers to travel by train.”
Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director for Govia Thameslink Railway, said:
“Our trains sustainably speed people to the airport in just half an hour from London – and that’s much better for the environment than driving.
“However, right now, the station struggles with the numbers using it and that holds up our trains, delaying everyone.
“This stunning redevelopment will fix all that. Our customers are going to love the extra space and improved accessibility that will make the journey between train and plane quicker, easier and more attractive.”
Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, London Gatwick, said:
“This bigger, better and brighter new station concourse will dramatically improve the experience for our passengers. The number of passengers getting to the airport by rail is growing steadily and now over 40% use the train. This fantastic new, fully accessible station concourse will encourage even more passengers to come to the airport using sustainable public transport.”
A big upgrade for passengers going through a major node
This is a big upgrade for those going in and out of Gatwick Airport – the extra escalators and lifts alone will make things a lot easier – especially if you have luggage or buggies to take with you as you transit to and from the airport.
The station was opened on its current site in 1958 and has had upgrades since then – the most recent before this was the addition of a new platform as well as resignalling and track modifications to improve flow and reduce movement conflicts.
For passengers going through to and from Gatwick Airport and using rail, it’s going to help them – as well as convince more passengers to make the switch to rail if possible if it becomes a lot easier to navigate the transport options.
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