Gatwick Airport railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Gatwick Airport


caption = View across the south side of the platforms
manager = Network Rail
locale = London Gatwick Airport
borough = Crawley, West Sussex
code = GTW
usage0405 = 7.976
usage0506 = 8.585
usage0607 = 11.889
platforms = 6
years = ?
events = Opened
years1 = 1876
events1 = Closed
years2 = 1891
events2 = Moved and reopened (Gatwick)
years3 = 1946
events3 = Renamed (Gatwick Racecourse)
years4 = 27 May 1958
events4 = Rebuilt and renamed (Gatwick Airport)
latitude = 51.1565
longitude = -0.1609

Gatwick Airport station is the railway station at Gatwick Airport that provides a direct rail connection to London 43 km (26¾ miles) away. The station platforms are located directly below the airport’s South Terminal, and the ticket office is adjacent to that terminal’s concourse. The station is currently one of 18 in the United Kingdom to be owned and managed by Network Rail.Train services are provided by Gatwick Express, Southern, Southeastern, First Great Western, First Capital Connect and CrossCountry. When viewed from air (or in satellite imagery), the present station building's British Rail logo that is etched on the top of the roof is visible. Of the 18 stations managed by Network Rail, Gatwick Airport is the smallest.

History

The present station dates from 1958, when it was rebuilt and renamed to coincide with the expansion of the Airport. However, the station has been in use since 1891, when it was opened by London, Brighton and South Coast Railway as Gatwick station at a location approximately ½mile south of its current location. An even earlier station on the site had been closed in 1876. From 1946 until 1958 it was named Gatwick Racecourse.

Services

Northbound

The Gatwick Express operates every 15 minutes between Gatwick and London Victoria plus frequent Southern service to London Victoria and a more limited service to London Bridge.

There is a First Capital Connect service every 15 minutes to Central London and beyond to Bedford, via London Bridge and St Pancras. Southern operate a service to Watford Junction via Kensington Olympia, and First Great Western operate to Reading via Guildford on the North Downs Line. Southeastern operate to Tunbridge Wells and on Sundays to Maidstone West via Redhill.

Southbound

There are frequent First Capital Connect and Southern services to Brighton. Southern also run services to Horsham, Hove and Bognor Regis and further afield to Portsmouth and Southampton.

Future

A major redevelopment of the railway station at Gatwick with Network Rail planning to spend £30 million transforming the transport hub to increase the number of services passing through, along with passenger capacity. The project would see a new platform created for the Gatwick Express service as well as bringing in the airport’s coach service to provide fully integrated public transport. The aim is to completed this in time for the 2012 Olympics

However plans have now been thrown into jeopardy by the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR), earmarking only £9 million for the Gatwick Station redevelopment. The ORR will be publishing its conclusions on October 30. [http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/business/businessnewsbusiness/3225593.__30m_airport_rail_plans_under_threat/]

External links

* [http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/843.aspx Station information] on Gatwick Airport railway station from Network Rail

Notes