09.07.19
Gatwick Airport station to undergo £150m upgrade
The train station at Gatwick Airport will receive £150m in funding to widen the platforms and double the station’s concourse, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.
The renovation aims to reduce delays to services and stop platform overcrowding, and will also add five new lifts and eight escalators to the station.
Stewart Wingate, chief executive at Gatwick Airport, said:
“Gatwick has been transformed in recent years and the redesigned train station will take the airport’s redevelopment to the next level by providing a seamless transition between the airport and the station.
“The new station will complement the huge improvements to rail services at the airport, which includes new fleets of Gatwick Express and Thameslink trains and services that now leave the airport for London every three minutes.
“The project is a fantastic example of the public and private sector working together to deliver a world-class transport hub that will comfortably manage the expected growth in air passengers.”
The number of people using Gatwick Airport station each year has grown by six million since 2010.
Currently the station is not designed for the high volume of daily passengers, who are often carrying bulky luggage.
The renovation will be managed by Network Rail in partnership with the DfT. Gatwick Airport and Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership are co-funding the project with £37m and £10m respectively.
Paul Harwood, director of investment for Network Rail, said:
“The transformational enhancement to Gatwick Airport station will provide passengers with a much smoother and more pleasant experience and also reduce train delays.
“Along with the recent improvements on the Brighton Main Line and our record £4.3bn funding settlement for maintaining, operating and renewing the railway over the next five years, this investment is excellent news for passengers, businesses and the economy.”
The improvement works will start in spring 2020 and will take around two years to complete. The works will be sequenced to ensure minimum disruption.
(Pictures: Gareth Fuller/PA Images)