A bigger and better Gatwick Airport station is set to open to passengers on Tuesday 21 November, transforming the journey from train to plane and giving passengers travelling between Brighton and London easier, faster, more reliable journeys.
The brighter station, with a new second concourse and airport entrance, will double the space for the millions of passengers who use the station each year.
Eight new escalators and five new lifts will provide a step change for accessibility. The new lifts and escalators, along with four new stairways and widened platforms, will help passengers move between the train station and the airport more quickly and easily.
Easier journeys from train to plane will benefit passengers across the wider network, helping keep trains running on time by removing the congestion and queuing on platforms that delay trains.
Passengers travelling on the Brighton Main Line are already seeing the benefits of the project thanks to track upgrades that have helped reduce journey times between Brighton and London to one hour on some services.
The existing station concourse is also bigger and better than ever before with new customer information systems, more ticket gates, a dedicated passenger assistance point enhancing the passenger experience and helping people move through the station more quickly.
The new concourse will act as the new entrance for people accessing the airport terminal, while the existing concourse will be for people exiting. 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.
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.”
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.”
Image credit: Network Rail
