Left: A design rendering of the renovated Gatwick Airport train station
Gatwick Express, a high frequency rail service running between London Gatwick Airport and London Victoria rail station, has launched four new state-of-the-art trains, complete with power sockets to charge mobile devices, dedicated luggage racks and onboard wi-fi.
Although the current service provides travelers with a train every 15 minutes in both directions, the new launch marks the first step in a wider improvement program that will double capacity and will see a train leave Gatwick Airport for London every three minutes. This will be achieved through the completion of the £6.5bn (US$9bn) Thameslink upgrade program in 2018, when more than 1100 new state-of-the-art carriages will enter service on the line. The service enhancements will be complemented by a £120m (US$170m) redesign to transform Gatwick Airport railway station by 2020.
Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gatwick Airport, said, “This fleet of Gatwick Express trains has been designed with the air passenger in mind and heralds the start of a step change in rail services at Gatwick.
“In just two years, the new Gatwick Express trains will be complemented by a state-of-the-art Thameslink fleet, which together will serve Gatwick with tube-like frequency. Shortly after, Gatwick will also complete a brand new train station so we can comfortably meet the expected increase in passenger numbers.
“The rail improvements will bring almost a quarter of the UK population to within an hour of Gatwick by train. They will also help us to get more than half of our passengers to the airport by public transport – comparable with the best globally and much better than any UK airport.”