Gatwick train station set for a multi-million upgrade
PASSENGERS using the train station at Gatwick Airport are being promised a raft of improvements.
The UK Department for Transport has said the station is to be given a £150m. upgrade – which will be music to the ears of travellers from the Channel Islands who use Gatwick as a key transport hub.
The number of people using the station each year has grown by 6m. since 2010.
The station is not designed for the high volume of passengers, often carrying bulky luggage.
The renovation is designed to reduce delays caused by platform overcrowding and congestion, while also improving passenger experience by providing easier connections to other destinations.
Planned upgrades will include doubling the size of the station concourse, adding five new lifts and eight escalators to improve passenger flow, and widening two platforms to reduce overcrowding.
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.
Chris Grayling, the UK Transport Secretary, said: ‘With 46m. people now using Gatwick Airport every year, and 20m. 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.’
He added: ‘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 £150m. investment, we will deliver vital upgrades to boost the station’s capacity and provide better, seamless journeys for all.’
Gatwick Airport chief executive Stewart Wingate 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.’
