Gatwick Airport railway station

Gatwick Airport station is the railway station at London Gatwick Airport which provides a direct rail connection to London 26+3/4 mi away. The station platforms are located about 70 metres to the east of the airport’s South Terminal, and the ticket office is above the platforms. The station was one of 18 in the United Kingdom to be managed by Network Rail, but on 29 January 2012 day-to-day management was transferred to Southern. Train services are provided by Gatwick Express, Southern, First Capital Connect and First Great Western. When viewed from the air (or in satellite imagery), the present station building's British Rail logo that is etched on the top of the roof is visible.

In terms of passenger entries and exits between April 2010 and March 2011, Gatwick Airport is the tenth-busiest station outside London.

History
There have been two Gatwick stations sited approximately 0.85 mi from each other.

Present station
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. The sidings were extended during the First World War to be able to accommodate munitions trains heading for Newhaven.

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.

Tinsley Green/Gatwick Airport Station
This was opened on 30 September 1935 and was sited 0.85 mi 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.

Services


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.

Redevelopment
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.