Millions of rail passengers travelling to and from Gatwick Airport will benefit from improved accessibility and swifter journeys. This follows on from the announcement of a £150m scheme by the Department of Transport.
The renovation will reduce train delays caused by platform overcrowding and congestion, while also improving passenger experience by providing easier connections to other destinations.
Planned upgrades will include doubling the size of the station concourse, adding 5 new lifts and 8 escalators to improve passenger flow, and widening 2 platforms to reduce overcrowding.
The number of people using Gatwick Airport station each year has grown by 6 million since 2010.
The renovation will be managed by Network Rail, in partnership with DfT. Gatwick Airport Ltd and Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership are co-funding the project with £37 million and £10 million respectively.
The improvement works will start in spring 2020 and will take around 2 years to complete. The works will be sequenced to ensure minimum disruption.
What did the officials say?
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:
With 46 million people now using Gatwick Airport every year and 20 million coming by train, it is vital that we make the station more accessible and customer friendly for those travelling through it. The UK’s second largest airport has direct rail links to more than 120 destinations and is an important public transport hub.
We want to see Gatwick Airport’s success continue to flourish and ensure that it is ready for even more passengers in the future. Through this £150 million investment, we will deliver vital upgrades to boost the station’s capacity and provide better, seamless journeys for all.
Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, Gatwick Airport said:
Gatwick has been transformed in recent years and the redesigned train station will take the airport’s redevelopment to the next level by providing a seamless transition between the airport and the station, more lifts, escalators and a doubling in the size of the concourse.
The new station will complement the huge improvements to rail services at the airport, which include new fleets of Gatwick Express and Thameslink trains and services that now leave the airport for London every 3 minutes – as frequently as services on the tube.
The project is a fantastic example of the public and private sector working together to deliver a world-class transport hub that will comfortably manage the expected growth in air passengers and also encourage people to switch to rail as part of our push to get more people to travel to the airport by public transport.
Paul Harwood, Director of Investment for Network Rail, said:
The transformational enhancement to Gatwick Airport station will provide passengers with a much smoother and more pleasant experience and also reduce train delays.
Along with the recent improvements on the Brighton Main Line and our record £4.3 billion funding settlement for maintaining, operating and renewing the railway over the next five years, this investment is excellent news for passengers, businesses and the economy.
Patrick Verwer, Chief Executive Officer of Govia Thameslink Railway, said:
This much-needed scheme will deliver real benefits for passengers thanks to enhanced platforms, new lifts and a larger concourse. At such a busy station these upgraded facilities will significantly contribute to the smooth running of our services for travellers getting to and from the airport.
Jonathan Sharrock, Chief Executive at Coast to Capital said:
If our economy is to grow, we need a transport network that supports faster, more reliable, and less polluting journeys for business, leisure and freight travel. Gatwick airport is an international destination and its station is a gateway to London and the wider Coast to Capital area.
This plan will greatly improve the interchange for commuters, visitors and business which will support the sustainable growth of the area with Gatwick airport at its heart.
We are delighted to have contributed £10 million and look forward to working with partners to deliver a better experience for passengers.
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I think Gatwick Airport needs a much improved redeveloped railway station that serves the busy airport and is a vital station for passengers to change from Southern, Gatwick Express, GWR and Thameslink trains and to fly out of London Gatwick Airport to destinations across the world as international and continental flights to Asia, North America, Europe, South America, Africa and Russia.
East Croydon station might also be redeveloped with new platforms as well the notorious bottleneck junction to the north of East Croydon station that does need upgrading which is a bottleneck that Network Rail needs to sort out.