Two Gatwick Express Class 387s at Gatwick Airport in 2018
Overview
Franchise(s)
Gatwick Trains 28 April 1996 – 22 June 2008 Part of the South Central franchise 22 June 2008 - 25 July 2015 Part of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise 26 July 2015 – 31 March 2025[1]
Main route(s)
London Victoria – Gatwick Airport
Other route(s)
Brighton
Fleet size
18 Class 387
Stations called at
7
Stations operated
0
Parent company
Govia Thameslink Railway
Reporting mark
GX
Technical
Length
43.3 kilometres (26.9 mi)
Other
Website
www.gatwickexpress.com
v
t
e
Gatwick Express route
Legend
London Victoria
Gatwick Airport
Haywards Heath
Burgess Hill
Hassocks
Preston Park
Brighton
Gatwick Express is an express rail passenger service between London Victoria, Gatwick Airport, and Brighton in South East England. It is the brand name used by the Govia Thameslink Railway train operating company on the Gatwick Express route of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise.
Trains have regularly served Gatwick Airport since the opening of its rebuilt railway station in May 1958. Prior to the 1980s, these services were relatively slow and without any particular priority; this led to the Gatwick Liaison Group advocating for a non-stop service to London during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Accordingly, during May 1984, the Gatwick Express service was launched using air-conditioned InterCity carriages. British Rail operated Gatwick Express through to its privatisation in April 1996, after which National Express took over operations under a franchising arrangement. One of the franchise commitments made by National Express was the replacement of the inherited rolling stock with new-build trains for Gatwick Express; this led to the introduction of the Class 460 Junipers during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In June 2008, Gatwick Express ceased to exist as a separate franchise; it was merged into the Southern train operating company, although it continues to be maintained as a separate identity. Additional rolling stock in the form of the 442 (5WES) Wessex Electrics were introduced. However, figures such as the Chairman of Gatwick Airport, Roy McNulty, publicly criticised Gatwick Express, claiming its services to be overcrowded and the rolling stock outdated. In July 2015, Southern including the Gatwick Express service was merged into Govia Thameslink Railway. Since January 2016, both Oyster cards and contactless payment cards have been accepted for travel between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport. The introduction of Class 387/2s during the 2010s was objected to by the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) trade union, but the dispute was later resolved.
All Gatwick Express services were suspended on 30 March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited services resumed briefly during December 2021, but were suspended again only weeks later due to redevelopment works at Gatwick Airport station as well as COVID-related factors. A reduced service of two trains per hour resumed on 3 April 2022; full service cannot resume until work at the airport station is complete.
^"National Rail Contract awarded to Govia Thameslink Railway" (Press release). Go Ahead. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
GatwickExpress is an express rail passenger service between London Victoria, Gatwick Airport, and Brighton in South East England. It is the brand name...
Gatwick Airport railway station is on the Brighton Main Line in West Sussex, England. It serves Gatwick Airport, 26 miles 47 chains (42.8 km) down the...
trains under the sub-brands Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and GatwickExpress. GTR is a subsidiary of Govia, which is itself a joint venture between...
moquette. In 2018, 387105 was transferred to GatwickExpress services, but was not re-liveried into GatwickExpress red. It was transferred back to Great Northern...
London Gatwick (/ˈɡætwɪk/), also known as Gatwick Airport (IATA: LGW, ICAO: EGKK), is the secondary international airport serving London, the capital of...
alongside limited services operated by Thameslink. GatwickExpress trains run direct to Gatwick. The Underground station is on the Circle and District...
trailer sets, converted from Mark 2F coaches for the GatwickExpress service from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport. The sets were converted from conventional...
multiple unit, specially converted for use on GatwickExpress trains, from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport. The units were converted from Class 414...
Southern for use on GatwickExpress services from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport and Brighton. The units were withdrawn from GatwickExpress services in 2016...
life they operated GatwickExpress services between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport. Following their withdrawal by GatwickExpress in 2012, the fleet...
Anglia. Unlike the Heathrow Express and the GatwickExpress (but like other services between London and Heathrow or Gatwick) the trains also stop at an...
withdrawn. GatwickExpress - a similar express service between London Victoria station and Gatwick Airport Stansted Express - a similar express service between...
locomotives were altered to work "GatwickExpress" services using modified Mark 2 coaching stock and 500 hp Gatwick Luggage Vans (GLVs), as 750V power...
Trains Ltd, trading as TransPennine Express, is a British train operating company that has operated the TransPennine Express franchise area services since 28...
including East Midlands, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted. The Airport brand was created in 2003 when the National Express image brand was updated...
Express service and the Southern-operated GatwickExpress service in 2006, but BAA decided not to go ahead. However, Oyster has been valid to Gatwick...
Heathrow Gatwick Stansted Luton City Southend The metropolitan area of London, England, United Kingdom, is served by six international airports and several...
companies that serve the station, alongside Thameslink and GatwickExpress. GatwickExpress provides a limited number of services at peak times only. There...
stations in total. Gatwick Airport station is managed by GatwickExpress, but the other stations are managed by Southern. Gatwick Airport has seven operational...
groups had been successful. National Express was the winner of the most franchises, with five (GatwickExpress, Midland Mainline, North London, Central...
calling at Haywards Heath are operated by Southern, Thameslink and GatwickExpress. Until 2008 a small number of CrossCountry services also stopped here...
Pathfinder Tours Scottish Railway Preservation Society Venice-Simplon Orient Express (British Pullman and Northern Belle services) Vintage Trains West Coast...
area. In January 2016, the Oyster and contactless system was extended to Gatwick Airport in Crawley, West Sussex, and the stations down that line (Horley...
Gatwick Airport was in Surrey until 1974, when it became part of West Sussex as a result of a county boundary change. The original, pre-World War II airport...
TransPennine Express franchises in 2015. Govia currently operate one franchise: Govia Thameslink Railway operating the Thameslink, Southern, GatwickExpress & Great...
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