Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway have announced that platform extensions and longer trains will allow more passengers to travel with less congestion in the South East thanks to the £150 million Gatwick Airport Station upgrade.
Three stations have received platforms extension by Network Rail, these are:
- Cooksbridge – Platform 1 in Lewes / London direction
- Lancing – Platform 2 in the Littlehampton direction
- Goring-by-Sea – Platform 1 in Hove / London direction
With these platform extensions complete, GTR will start to introduce eight carriage trains along coastal routes to Eastbourne, Hastings, Worthing and Littlehampton.
Longer trains and platforms mean more passengers can travel, on bigger platforms to reduce congestion for the many commuters and leisure travellers. The longer platforms also mean fewer trains will block level crossings, easing road congestion too.
For now, all eight carriage trains will continue to operate with the front four carriages next to platforms, and the rear four operating under Selective Door Operation with the exterior doors locked out of use.
Network Rail's Regional Investment Director Paul Harwood commented saying: “These works support the vital Gatwick Airport station upgrade and the platform extensions will ensure we continue to provide a railway, which meets the needs of the communities and economies we serve in years to come. We look forward to passengers reaping the benefits of more spacious, more frequent and longer trains which will provide more people with opportunities to travel.”
Southern and Gatwick Express' Passenger Service Director Chris Fowler said: “We've doubled the length of trains serving routes between our south coast stations and Gatwick Airport to maintain capacity for our passengers during the airport station's major upgrade. This successful platform extension programme by Network Rail will mean that the longer trains won't cause hold-ups for road users at level crossings. Later this summer, our passengers will be able to use the extra space on the platforms as well as on the trains, making social distancing that much easier for their whole journey.”
For more information, please visit Network Rail's website here or Govia Thameslink Railway's website here.
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Plus if some of most railway station platforms on the GTR Southern East Coastway and West Coastway lines on the Southern network are to be extended or expanded to allow longer trains to use. Then perhaps GTR Southern might as well ditch the Class 313s and to inherit the Class 458s from South Western Railway to be used on those services.
Which is why Class 387/2 Gatwick Express Electrostars are being used on those routes. As well to accommodate Southern Class 377 Electrostars.