| Gatwick Airport | |
|---|---|
| View across the south side of the platforms | |
| Location | |
| Place | London Gatwick Airport |
| Local authority | Crawley, West Sussex |
| Operations | |
| Station code | GTW |
| Managed by | Network Rail |
| Number of platforms | 6 |
| Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries |
|
| Annual rail passenger usage | |
| 2004/05 * | 7.976 million |
| 2005/06 * | 8.585 million |
| 2006/07 * | 11.889 million |
| 2007/08 * | 12.730 million |
| 2008/09 * | 11.888 million |
| 1891 | Opened (Gatwick) |
| 1946 | Renamed (Gatwick Racecourse) |
| 27 May 1958 | Rebuilt and renamed (Gatwick Airport) |
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| * Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Gatwick Airport from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year. | |
Gatwick Airport station is the railway station at London 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 managed by Network Rail. Train services are provided by Gatwick Express, Southern, First Capital Connect and First Great Western. 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.[1]
Contents |
There have been two Gatwick stations approximately sited 0.85 miles (1.37 km) from each other.
The station, originally named Gatwick, was built on the present site in September 1891 to serve the Gatwick Racecourse, and which originally operated only on race days. The facilities included passing loops and sidings to hold race trains without impeding the Brighton Main Line.[1] The sidings were extended during the First World War to be able to accommodate munitions trains heading for Newhaven.[2]
From 1946 until 1958 Gatwick station was renamed Gatwick Racecourse, even though racing had been abandoned in 1940 and not been re-instated after the Second World War. In fact the station had fallen out of use following the opening of the nearby Tinsley Green/Gatwick airport station (described below). However, during the early 1950s the airport was expanded and took over the land occupied by the racecourse, and the station was entirely rebuilt and integrated with the new airport terminal. The new buildings opened on 27 May 1958 with a regular train service, and the station took over the name Gatwick Airport.
This was opened on 30 September 1935 and was sited 0.85 miles (1.37 km) south of the present station. It was originally named Tinsley Green but within a year became Gatwick Airport following the completion of the Beehive airport terminal which had a direct connection to the station. The airport was requisitioned by the Royal Air Force in 1940, but in 1952 the British government decided that it would form London's second airport. The station continued in operation until 27 May 1958 when the new Gatwick Airport station (above) opened. The station has been demolished and the only visible remains of the old station are sections of the former up slow line platform. Sections of the connecting subway between the station and the original terminal building (The Beehive) also survive.
The Gatwick Express operates every 15 minutes to London Victoria plus frequent Southern service to London Victoria and a more limited service to London Bridge. Since December 2008 Gatwick Express services have been extended, during peak hours, to and from Brighton. Southern have timetabled their services to London Victoria so that they arrive after a Gatwick Express train has just left, this discourages passengers transferring from stopping services to Gatwick Express services.
There is a First Capital Connect service every 15 minutes to Bedford, via London Bridge and St Pancras. First Great Western operate to Reading via Guildford on the North Downs Line.
General off-peak train service pattern per hour:
There are frequent First Capital Connect and Southern services to Brighton. Southern also run services to Horsham, Hove and further afield to Portsmouth, Southampton, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Hastings and Ore.
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horley | Southern Brighton Main Line |
Three Bridges | ||
| East Croydon | Southern Brighton Main Line |
Three Bridges or Burgess Hill |
||
| East Croydon or Redhill |
First Capital Connect Thameslink |
Three Bridges | ||
| Redhill | First Great Western North Downs Line |
Terminus | ||
| London Victoria | Southern Gatwick Express |
Terminus or Haywards Heath |
||
On 13 October 2010 a £53 million redevelopment of the railway station was announced. With the aim of increasing the number of services passing through and passenger capacity, the project will see a new platform, refurbished concourse, upgraded track and signalling. Construction work is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.[3]
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