A £150 million scheme to upgrade Gatwick’s railway station is revealed today.
The aim is to cut train delays caused by platform overcrowding and congestion, while providing easier connections to other destinations.
The size of the station concourse will be doubled, adding five new lifts and eight escalators, and widening two platforms to reduce overcrowding.
Work will start in spring 2020 and will take around two years to complete.
It will be “sequenced” to ensure minimum disruption.
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The number of people using Gatwick station each year has grown by six million since 2010. But the station is not designed for the high volume of daily passengers, often carrying bulky luggage.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling said: “With 46 million people now using Gatwick airport every year and 20 million coming by train, it is vital that we make the station more accessible and customer friendly for those travelling through it.
“The UK’s second largest airport has direct rail links to more than 120 destinations and is an important public transport hub.
“We want to see Gatwick airport’s success continue to flourish and ensure that it is ready for even more passengers in the future.
“Through this £150 million investment, we will deliver vital upgrades to boost the station’s capacity and provide better, seamless journeys for all.”
Airport CEO Stewart Wingate added: “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, more lifts, escalators and a doubling in the size of the concourse.
“The new station will complement the huge improvements to rail services at the airport, which include new fleets of Gatwick Express and Thameslink trains and services that now leave the airport for London every three minutes – as frequently as services on the tube.
“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 and also encourage people to switch to rail as part of our push to get more people to travel to the airport by public transport.”
The renovation will be managed by Network Rail, in partnership with the Department for Transport. Gatwick and Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership are co-funding the project with £37 million and £10 million respectively.
Patrick Verwer, CEO of Govia Thameslink Railway, said:“This much-needed scheme will deliver real benefits for passengers thanks to enhanced platforms, new lifts and a larger concourse.
“At such a busy station these upgraded facilities will significantly contribute to the smooth running of our services for travellers getting to and from the airport.”
Alex Vaughan, CEO of construction firm Costain, said” “The development at Gatwick will transform the existing station and provide a greatly enhanced experience for airport and passengers.
“Costain’s extensive capability to deliver complex programmes, using leading edge smart technology, will ensure travellers are kept moving at every stage of the works, minimisingdisruption during this capacity-critical redevelopment.”
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