Two trains an hour will now operate to/from the airport Monday to Saturday, extending the service which currently terminates at Redhill, making a half-hourly direct service and reflecting the airport’s welcome recovery in passenger numbers.
Services have also been slightly retimed to even out the timetable and give a regular xx24 and xx54 departure from Reading, and a xx29 and xx59 departure from Gatwick.
GWR Station Manager for the North Downs line, Andrew Gallaugher, said: “We are really pleased to be able to further improve the services we offer to and from the airport.
Supporting the local economy, investing in the railway and enabling more people to make sustainable transport choices is really important to us, and this is another step forward for customers of the North Downs Line.”
Hannah Godfrey, Senior Surface Access Manager, London Gatwick said: “The increased train service between London Gatwick and Reading is fantastic news for passengers and staff, and something we felt important to invest in. More than 600 employees at the airport live directly along this route, making sustainable travel increasingly easy and convenient for them and many others across the region.
Currently, more than 40% of passengers travel to and from London Gatwick by public transport, thanks to the fantastic connectivity to the airport.
“A train leaves Gatwick every four minutes – as frequent as the London Underground – and we continue to work closely with train operators to improve this even further, particularly with the increased capacity provided by our new station concourse, which opened in November.”
