The revamped and enlarged Gatwick Airport station will open to passengers on Tuesday, 21 November, providing a better experience when travelling from train to plane.
The station now has a bigger, better, and brighter second concourse and airport entrance, that provides twice the amount of space for the millions of passengers who pass through the station each year.
Accessibility has been greatly improved with eight new escalators and five new lifts, which along with four new stairways and wider platforms, will make the transit between the station and the airport quicker and easier.
The likelihood of experiencing congestion and queuing on platforms is now greatly reduced, removing one of the major causes of delays to trains. Making the journeys from train to plane easier will benefit passengers across the wider network by helping to keep trains running on time.
Whilst the new concourse provides a new entrance for people accessing the airport terminal, the existing concourse will be used for people exiting the terminal and has also been enlarged, with new customer information systems, more ticket gates, and a dedicated passenger assistance point.
Along with the station footbridges and the South Terminal linkspan the existing course has also been refurbished and reconfigured to provide a seamless one-way system from the station to the airport.
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.”
It’s been a long time coming that Gatwick Airport railway station needed a massive upgrade. It does look impressive a lot better than it was before.
This work will affect flights next weekend ?
What alternatives we’ll have in case we have to go to Gatwick airport by the train
But from personal experience, watching the US planes arrivals travellers arriving en-masse at the platforms in a state of near panic, they quickly overload the coach nearest to their stairs with standing room only with their suitcases. Perhaps an arrangement of splitting arriving passengers onto a number of spaced ways at arriving on the platform, rather than a single area.