Gatwick Express
Encyclopedia
Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London
and Gatwick Airport
in South East England
, operated by the Southern
franchise. Originally operating between Victoria and Gatwick only as a separate franchise, its services were incorporated into the Southern franchise in 2008, with some trains subsequently extended beyond Gatwick to Haywards Heath
and Brighton
. Gatwick Express units are also used for a fast service from London Bridge to Eastbourne
, which ironically is scheduled to pass non-stop through Gatwick Airport. Due to the extension of several of these services, train liveries and signage have increasingly changed to simply 'express'.
The service was initially introduced as a separate entity under the nationalised British Rail (which brought together several previous schemes to run dedicated services to the airport). The service was operated by the Southern Region
of British Rail
, albeit using branding and a livery similar to that used on the Intercity
running north, east and west of London. The service was run on a "push-pull" basis using Class 73
electro-diesels and dedicated stock consisting of converted BR Mark 2 coaches
and EMU driving cars of Class 489
.
As a small, self-contained operation, the service became one of the first private train operating company
franchises
from 1994 as part of the privatisation process of British Rail. The new company ordered new units of Class 460
. Despite this, the franchise was due to be scrapped to free up capacity on the busy Brighton main line
, especially during peak periods.
However, following objections by several interested parties, including the owners of Gatwick Airport itself, in June 2008 the franchise became part of Southern
. Further new stock was bought in using redundant "Wessex Electric"
units recently taken off-lease by South West Trains
, which also enabled Southern to increase the service by incorporating services south of Gatwick, and to use the units on services to Eastbourne. The Class 460 units have now left the Southern franchise to be used to increase capacity elsewhere.
trains on dedicated services to the airport, with one Class 73
Thunderbird locomotive to rescue failed units. Gatwick Express, unlike Heathrow Express
, is part of the National Rail
network, but doesn't accept Network Railcard
s or Gold Cards for discounts, which Heathrow Express does.
An Express Class (standard class) single ticket costs £
16.90 as of March 2009. This price is higher than those of the Southern
and First Capital Connect
stopping services, which are £10.90 and £8.90 respectively and are just as frequent. This is supposed to reflect the non-stop service that the Gatwick Express offers, despite Southern (local) services taking only 1 to 8 minutes longer from Victoria to Gatwick.
Historical fares:
stopping services, but more trains began to call with the introduction of the summer timetable in June 1958. One of the key elements of this was the extension of Three Bridges
to Bognor Regis
stopping services to start and terminate at London Victoria. These trains would run through a reversible platform at Gatwick station where a portion would detach and wait in the platform for passengers until the next up train from Bognor Regis was attached and the train would depart for Victoria. For this service, British Railways utilised a small batch of seven 2HAL
units in order to work with the trains used on the Bognor services, these being used owing to their larger luggage space.
This situation lasted until the early 1970s, when the increase in use of the airport and luggage was rendering the old system obsolete. British Rail
therefore decided to adapt a number of 4VEP
units with increased luggage capacity (at the expense of fewer second class seats) and were redesignated as 4VEG. The service, however, remained much the same, with the units attaching and detaching from Bognor-bound services running via Redhill
. This led to somewhat extended journey times which meant the service lacked any real purpose, as the faster services began calling at Gatwick Airport from the early 1970s, and made the option of travelling to Gatwick from London on the service lack appeal to those who knew better.
In 1975, the British Airports Authority airport director, John Mulkern, the chairman of British Caledonian Airways
, Adam Thomson, and the regional manager of British Rail's
Southern Region
, Bob Reid (latterly Sir Bob Reid), formed the Gatwick Liaison Group to discuss matters of mutual interest.
As a subsidiary of this, the Gatwick Promotion Group, under the chairmanship of the airport public relations manager David Hurst, was formed to market the airport. One of the first successes of the group was to persuade the board of British Rail to redevelop Gatwick station by building a raft over the platforms and this was opened by the BR chairman, Sir Peter Parker
, in 1980. It was a long term aim of the group to have a non-stop service between the airport and central London in order to counter the perceived distance from the capital both to the UK market and more especially to the potential passengers at the overseas destinations.
The first success was to brand the service from Bognor (which by this stage only stopped at East Croydon
) as the "Rapid City Link". This name was used as Adam Thomson strongly maintained that US passengers equated ‘express’ with buses.
However in 1984 the non-stop Gatwick Express service was started with ten units of reconditioned rolling stock with extra luggage space. A 30-minute journey time was advertised although it was recognised that some journeys would take nearer 35 minutes, especially in rush hours.
The first unit was taken on a promotional tour of the UK introducing it to travel agents in various centres, thought to be the first time a Southern Region train had travelled north. A visit to Scotland was ruled out because of union objections. However, as the class 73 locomotives were thought to be under-powered on diesel power to make time on the faster lines north of London, a class 33
locomotive was used instead.
The original services were formed with Class 73
locomotives and Mk2 coaching stock
with specially modified GLV
(Goods Luggage Vans) to carry passenger luggage and provide a driving facility at the other end of the train to the locomotive.
Under the ownership of National Express, the essential nature of the service remained unchanged, but the entire train fleet was replaced with newly-built Class 460
trains.
In 2005, a pair of Class 458
units, 458001 and 458002, transferred from South West Trains
for use as a spare train if a 460 unit is out of action. They remained in South West Trains livery but with Gatwick Express branding. Their seating was modified from high density 3+2 seating configuration to 2+2 configuration, some seating was removed and replaced with luggage racks. However, these units were never called into service and have returned to operations with South West Trains.
In 2006, following the introduction of the modern fleet, the final Class 73 service ran an evening service from London Victoria and back to mark the end of the era for these trains. Two examples of the Mk2 coaching stock previously used on the Gatwick Express service can be found at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre
in Ruddington
and a full length Gatwick Express at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
. The latter train is hauled by a Class 31
diesel locomotive, painted in Gatwick Express livery.
From the end of 2004 to 2006, there was controversy surrounding the service with some rail groups believing that Gatwick Express trains, which often run half-full (compared to the severe overcrowding on other services), made poor use of the limited capacity on some of the busiest railway lines in the country. The Strategic Rail Authority
(SRA) made proposals in the Brighton Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy for the Gatwick Express service to be incorporated into existing London
to Brighton
mainline services operated by Southern
in an attempt to relieve commuter congestion. The aim was to provide a regular ten minute interval service from London Victoria to Gatwick and the south coast. This idea was hotly disputed by the train operator as well as BAA, who feared that airport users would have to fight for space on the trains with commuters. In certain situations, such as the 07/07/2005 London bombings, rail emergencies, or other severe disruption, when normal trains to Redhill are/were cancelled, the Gatwick Express has been known to stop there. This is because of Redhill's unique rail connections to Reading, Wales, Birmingham and Kent.
Rail Group (DfT), which took over the responsibilities of the SRA in summer 2005, announced that the service would be axed to free up space on the Brighton Main Line
. Gatwick Airport owner BAA campaigned to retain the dedicated airport link saying that 80% of respondents to an online poll favoured retaining the service, with backing from many airlines using the airport. Towards the end of 2006 the DfT embarked on a consultation exercise to examine the situation, offering four possible options - three of which would allow for some form of modified express service to be retained. A decision was made to keep the Gatwick Express and to expand the service to Brighton at peak times from December 2008. The Gatwick Express franchise ended on 22 June 2008, when the service was transferred to Southern
. Initially, services continued unchanged.
In December 2008, the Gatwick Express was extended to start at Brighton
during the morning peak period, and to terminate there in the evening peak. This doubled the number of London-Brighton express trains during those periods. The extra capacity is provided by leasing a number of Class 442
units that were not in use. However, only six units were reconditioned in time for the change, so three of these six services are initially being run using stock that has not been refurbished. The combined South Central/Gatwick Express franchise ended in September 2009, and allowed the new franchise holder (Southern) time to implement the major timetable changes planned for December 2009. The Gatwick Express retains its separate branding as part of the new franchise, similar to that of the Stansted Express
within the Greater Anglia franchise. In May 2011 the final Class 460 vehicles were returned off lease, meaning the franchise is exclusively operated by Class 442 units.
network for which passengers are required to choose between different operators when buying tickets — on all other flows shared by different National Rail
operators tickets for immediate travel are inter-available, although some restrictions may apply on cheaper tickets. Through tickets for which the London-Gatwick line is part of a permitted route are valid on the Gatwick Express, provided they are not endorsed "NOT GATWICK EXPRESS." Tickets from London to stations south of Gatwick generally bear this restriction. Passengers cannot travel on Gatwick Express using the Network Railcard
discount for South East England. Southern tickets to Redhill can be used in emergencies, as the train stops there during such times.
Standard Gatwick Express services do not charge penalty fare
s and permit tickets to be purchased on board with no extra charge. However, journeys to or from stations south of Gatwick are subject to penalty fares. This rule applies, as of December 2008, to the six weekday services each way that start or end at Brighton
.
units entered service on the 14 December 2008, and by May 2011 had displaced the entire 8 unit fleet of Class 460
EMUs from the franchise. These units operate as either single 5 car units or are coupled together to form 10 car trains. In peak hours, these trains run services to Brighton
. The trains were recently refurbished for use on the route. The refurbishment included new seats, more seats, new large luggage racks and a new first class area in what used to be the buffet. The refurbishment also included a repaint into a modified version of the Gatwick Express livery.
Under the "Sussex Route Utilisation Strategy" document published on 28 January 2010, Network Rail
stated that the class 460 fleet would be removed from Gatwick Express operations by Dec 2010 to strengthen operations elsewhere, possibly augmenting the similar Class 458
units working for South West Trains
on routes out of London Waterloo.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
in South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
, operated by the Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
franchise. Originally operating between Victoria and Gatwick only as a separate franchise, its services were incorporated into the Southern franchise in 2008, with some trains subsequently extended beyond Gatwick to Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath railway station
Haywards Heath railway station serves Haywards Heath in West Sussex, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink north of Brighton, and train services are primarily provided by Southern and First Capital Connect...
and Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
. Gatwick Express units are also used for a fast service from London Bridge to Eastbourne
Eastbourne railway station
Eastbourne railway station serves Eastbourne in East Sussex, England. It is on the East Coastway Line, and train services are provided by Southern. It is one of two railway stations in the town, the other being Hampden Park Station...
, which ironically is scheduled to pass non-stop through Gatwick Airport. Due to the extension of several of these services, train liveries and signage have increasingly changed to simply 'express'.
The service was initially introduced as a separate entity under the nationalised British Rail (which brought together several previous schemes to run dedicated services to the airport). The service was operated by the Southern Region
Southern Region
Southern Region may be:* Southern Region, Malawi* Southern Region of British Railways* Southern Region, Eritrea* Southern Region, Brazil, an official grouping of states for economic and statistical purposes* Southern Region, Serbia...
of British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, albeit using branding and a livery similar to that used on the Intercity
Intercity
Intercity or Inter-city means "between cities". It can refer to inter-city transportation by rail, bus, truck or airline. There are many transport companies with Intercity or Inter-city as their brand.* Inter-city rail services...
running north, east and west of London. The service was run on a "push-pull" basis using Class 73
British Rail Class 73
The British Rail Class 73 is a United Kingdom model of electro-diesel locomotive. The type is unusual in that it can operate from a 750 V DC third-rail or an on-board diesel engine to allow it to operate on non-electrified routes...
electro-diesels and dedicated stock consisting of converted BR Mark 2 coaches
British Rail Class 488
The British Rail Class 488 are unpowered trailer sets, converted from Mark 2F coaches for the Gatwick Express service from London Victoria railway station to Gatwick Airport....
and EMU driving cars of Class 489
British Rail Class 489
The British Rail Class 489 is a type of electrical multiple unit, specially converted for use on Gatwick Express trains, from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport....
.
As a small, self-contained operation, the service became one of the first private train operating company
Train operating company
The term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
franchises
Rail franchising in Great Britain
Rail franchising in Great Britain was created by the Railways Act 1993. Passenger services are franchised, for a limited period, to train operating companies...
from 1994 as part of the privatisation process of British Rail. The new company ordered new units of Class 460
British Rail Class 460
The British Rail Class 460 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath from 2000-01. These units are part of Alstom's "Juniper" family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 458...
. Despite this, the franchise was due to be scrapped to free up capacity on the busy Brighton main line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
, especially during peak periods.
However, following objections by several interested parties, including the owners of Gatwick Airport itself, in June 2008 the franchise became part of Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
. Further new stock was bought in using redundant "Wessex Electric"
British Rail Class 442
The British Rail Class 442 Wessex Electric electrical multiple units were introduced in 1988 on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Twenty-four of these 5-car units were built in 1988/89 by BREL at its Derby works...
units recently taken off-lease by South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
, which also enabled Southern to increase the service by incorporating services south of Gatwick, and to use the units on services to Eastbourne. The Class 460 units have now left the Southern franchise to be used to increase capacity elsewhere.
Service
The main service runs the 27 mile distance from London Victoria to Gatwick every 15 minutes. The average non-stop journey time is 30 minutes. The firm operates twenty four "Wessex Electric"British Rail Class 442
The British Rail Class 442 Wessex Electric electrical multiple units were introduced in 1988 on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Twenty-four of these 5-car units were built in 1988/89 by BREL at its Derby works...
trains on dedicated services to the airport, with one Class 73
British Rail Class 73
The British Rail Class 73 is a United Kingdom model of electro-diesel locomotive. The type is unusual in that it can operate from a 750 V DC third-rail or an on-board diesel engine to allow it to operate on non-electrified routes...
Thunderbird locomotive to rescue failed units. Gatwick Express, unlike Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express is an airport rail link from London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station in London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. It was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998...
, is part of the National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
network, but doesn't accept Network Railcard
Network Railcard
thumb|The earliest version of the NetworkCard, issued manually rather than through an [[APTIS]] machine.The Network Railcard is a discount card introduced in 1986 by British Rail, upon the creation of their Network SouthEast area around London, England....
s or Gold Cards for discounts, which Heathrow Express does.
An Express Class (standard class) single ticket costs £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
16.90 as of March 2009. This price is higher than those of the Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
and First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
stopping services, which are £10.90 and £8.90 respectively and are just as frequent. This is supposed to reflect the non-stop service that the Gatwick Express offers, despite Southern (local) services taking only 1 to 8 minutes longer from Victoria to Gatwick.
Historical fares:
- January 2007 - £14.90
- July 2007 - £15.90
- January 2008 - £16.90
- July 2008 - £17.90
- March 2009 - £16.90
History
The origins of the Gatwick Express service come from the initial opening of Gatwick Airport station in June 1958. Initially the service was provided entirely by London to BrightonBrighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
stopping services, but more trains began to call with the introduction of the summer timetable in June 1958. One of the key elements of this was the extension of Three Bridges
Three Bridges railway station
Three Bridges railway station is located in and named after the village of Three Bridges, which is now a district of Crawley, West Sussex, England...
to Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis railway station
Bognor Regis railway station is in the town of Bognor Regis, in the English county of West Sussex, England. It is approximately 65 miles south of London Victoria. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern railway company...
stopping services to start and terminate at London Victoria. These trains would run through a reversible platform at Gatwick station where a portion would detach and wait in the platform for passengers until the next up train from Bognor Regis was attached and the train would depart for Victoria. For this service, British Railways utilised a small batch of seven 2HAL
British Rail Class 402
The Southern Railway gave the designation 2-HAL to the electric multiple units built during the late 1930s to work long-distance semi-fast services on the newly electrified lines from London to Maidstone and Gillingham...
units in order to work with the trains used on the Bognor services, these being used owing to their larger luggage space.
This situation lasted until the early 1970s, when the increase in use of the airport and luggage was rendering the old system obsolete. British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
therefore decided to adapt a number of 4VEP
British Rail Class 423
The British Rail Class 423 electrical multiple units were built by BR at York Works from 1967 to 1974, although the MBSOs and TSOs of the first 20, 7701-7720, were constructed at Derby Works. They feature manually-opening doors next to every seating row and were the last coaching stock built in...
units with increased luggage capacity (at the expense of fewer second class seats) and were redesignated as 4VEG. The service, however, remained much the same, with the units attaching and detaching from Bognor-bound services running via Redhill
Redhill railway station
Redhill railway station serves the town of Redhill, Surrey, England. The station is a major interchange point on the Brighton Main Line 21 miles south of London Victoria...
. This led to somewhat extended journey times which meant the service lacked any real purpose, as the faster services began calling at Gatwick Airport from the early 1970s, and made the option of travelling to Gatwick from London on the service lack appeal to those who knew better.
In 1975, the British Airports Authority airport director, John Mulkern, the chairman of British Caledonian Airways
British Caledonian
British Caledonian was a private, British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline, operating out of Gatwick Airport in the 1970s and 1980s...
, Adam Thomson, and the regional manager of British Rail's
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Southern Region
Southern Region
Southern Region may be:* Southern Region, Malawi* Southern Region of British Railways* Southern Region, Eritrea* Southern Region, Brazil, an official grouping of states for economic and statistical purposes* Southern Region, Serbia...
, Bob Reid (latterly Sir Bob Reid), formed the Gatwick Liaison Group to discuss matters of mutual interest.
As a subsidiary of this, the Gatwick Promotion Group, under the chairmanship of the airport public relations manager David Hurst, was formed to market the airport. One of the first successes of the group was to persuade the board of British Rail to redevelop Gatwick station by building a raft over the platforms and this was opened by the BR chairman, Sir Peter Parker
Peter Parker (British businessman)
Sir Peter Parker KBE LVO was a British businessman, best known as chairman of the British Railways Board from 1976 to 1983.-Early life:...
, in 1980. It was a long term aim of the group to have a non-stop service between the airport and central London in order to counter the perceived distance from the capital both to the UK market and more especially to the potential passengers at the overseas destinations.
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
) as the "Rapid City Link". This name was used as Adam Thomson strongly maintained that US passengers equated ‘express’ with buses.
However in 1984 the non-stop Gatwick Express service was started with ten units of reconditioned rolling stock with extra luggage space. A 30-minute journey time was advertised although it was recognised that some journeys would take nearer 35 minutes, especially in rush hours.
The first unit was taken on a promotional tour of the UK introducing it to travel agents in various centres, thought to be the first time a Southern Region train had travelled north. A visit to Scotland was ruled out because of union objections. However, as the class 73 locomotives were thought to be under-powered on diesel power to make time on the faster lines north of London, a class 33
British Rail Class 33
The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
locomotive was used instead.
The original services were formed with Class 73
British Rail Class 73
The British Rail Class 73 is a United Kingdom model of electro-diesel locomotive. The type is unusual in that it can operate from a 750 V DC third-rail or an on-board diesel engine to allow it to operate on non-electrified routes...
locomotives and Mk2 coaching stock
British Rail Class 488
The British Rail Class 488 are unpowered trailer sets, converted from Mark 2F coaches for the Gatwick Express service from London Victoria railway station to Gatwick Airport....
with specially modified GLV
British Rail Class 489
The British Rail Class 489 is a type of electrical multiple unit, specially converted for use on Gatwick Express trains, from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport....
(Goods Luggage Vans) to carry passenger luggage and provide a driving facility at the other end of the train to the locomotive.
Privatisation
Gatwick Express was the first portion of British Rail's InterCity sector to be converted into a separate train operating unit, ready for franchising as a private business. The franchise was awarded to National Express Group, with private operations beginning in April 1996.Under the ownership of National Express, the essential nature of the service remained unchanged, but the entire train fleet was replaced with newly-built Class 460
British Rail Class 460
The British Rail Class 460 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath from 2000-01. These units are part of Alstom's "Juniper" family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 458...
trains.
In 2005, a pair of Class 458
British Rail Class 458
The South West Trains Class 458 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath between 1998 and 2002. These units are part of Alstom's Juniper family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 460.-Description:...
units, 458001 and 458002, transferred from South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
for use as a spare train if a 460 unit is out of action. They remained in South West Trains livery but with Gatwick Express branding. Their seating was modified from high density 3+2 seating configuration to 2+2 configuration, some seating was removed and replaced with luggage racks. However, these units were never called into service and have returned to operations with South West Trains.
Great Central Railway (preserved)
The Great Central Railway is a heritage railway split into two adjacent sections, one in Leicestershire and the other Nottinghamshire.The Leicestershire section is currently Britain's only double track mainline heritage railway, with of working double track, period signalling, locomotives and...
in Ruddington
Ruddington
Ruddington is an English village situated five miles south of Nottingham in the Borough of Rushcliffe. It had a population of 6,441 at the 2001 UK census....
and a full length Gatwick Express at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is a long heritage railway in Derbyshire, the headquarters of the railway centre around Wirksworth station and services operate between Wirksworth and Duffield and Wirksworth and Ravenstor...
. The latter train is hauled by a Class 31
British Rail Class 31
The British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotives, also known as the Brush Type 2 and originally as Class 30, were built by Brush Traction from 1957-62.- Description :...
diesel locomotive, painted in Gatwick Express livery.
From the end of 2004 to 2006, there was controversy surrounding the service with some rail groups believing that Gatwick Express trains, which often run half-full (compared to the severe overcrowding on other services), made poor use of the limited capacity on some of the busiest railway lines in the country. The Strategic Rail Authority
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
(SRA) made proposals in the Brighton Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy for the Gatwick Express service to be incorporated into existing London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
mainline services operated by Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
in an attempt to relieve commuter congestion. The aim was to provide a regular ten minute interval service from London Victoria to Gatwick and the south coast. This idea was hotly disputed by the train operator as well as BAA, who feared that airport users would have to fight for space on the trains with commuters. In certain situations, such as the 07/07/2005 London bombings, rail emergencies, or other severe disruption, when normal trains to Redhill are/were cancelled, the Gatwick Express has been known to stop there. This is because of Redhill's unique rail connections to Reading, Wales, Birmingham and Kent.
Transfer to Southern
On 3 February 2006, the Department for TransportDepartment for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
Rail Group (DfT), which took over the responsibilities of the SRA in summer 2005, announced that the service would be axed to free up space on the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
. Gatwick Airport owner BAA campaigned to retain the dedicated airport link saying that 80% of respondents to an online poll favoured retaining the service, with backing from many airlines using the airport. Towards the end of 2006 the DfT embarked on a consultation exercise to examine the situation, offering four possible options - three of which would allow for some form of modified express service to be retained. A decision was made to keep the Gatwick Express and to expand the service to Brighton at peak times from December 2008. The Gatwick Express franchise ended on 22 June 2008, when the service was transferred to Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
. Initially, services continued unchanged.
In December 2008, the Gatwick Express was extended to start at Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
during the morning peak period, and to terminate there in the evening peak. This doubled the number of London-Brighton express trains during those periods. The extra capacity is provided by leasing a number of Class 442
British Rail Class 442
The British Rail Class 442 Wessex Electric electrical multiple units were introduced in 1988 on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Twenty-four of these 5-car units were built in 1988/89 by BREL at its Derby works...
units that were not in use. However, only six units were reconditioned in time for the change, so three of these six services are initially being run using stock that has not been refurbished. The combined South Central/Gatwick Express franchise ended in September 2009, and allowed the new franchise holder (Southern) time to implement the major timetable changes planned for December 2009. The Gatwick Express retains its separate branding as part of the new franchise, similar to that of the Stansted Express
Stansted Express
Stansted Express is a sub-brand of National Express East Anglia. It is the direct train service linking central London to Stansted Airport, one of London's major air hubs...
within the Greater Anglia franchise. In May 2011 the final Class 460 vehicles were returned off lease, meaning the franchise is exclusively operated by Class 442 units.
Ticketing
London - Gatwick is one of few journeys on the UK National RailNational Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
network for which passengers are required to choose between different operators when buying tickets — on all other flows shared by different National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
operators tickets for immediate travel are inter-available, although some restrictions may apply on cheaper tickets. Through tickets for which the London-Gatwick line is part of a permitted route are valid on the Gatwick Express, provided they are not endorsed "NOT GATWICK EXPRESS." Tickets from London to stations south of Gatwick generally bear this restriction. Passengers cannot travel on Gatwick Express using the Network Railcard
Network Railcard
thumb|The earliest version of the NetworkCard, issued manually rather than through an [[APTIS]] machine.The Network Railcard is a discount card introduced in 1986 by British Rail, upon the creation of their Network SouthEast area around London, England....
discount for South East England. Southern tickets to Redhill can be used in emergencies, as the train stops there during such times.
Standard Gatwick Express services do not charge penalty fare
Penalty fare
On the United Kingdom's public transport systems, a penalty fare is a special fare charged at a higher than normal price because the purchaser did not comply with the normal ticket purchasing rules...
s and permit tickets to be purchased on board with no extra charge. However, journeys to or from stations south of Gatwick are subject to penalty fares. This rule applies, as of December 2008, to the six weekday services each way that start or end at Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
.
Current fleet
Class 442 "Wessex Electrics"British Rail Class 442
The British Rail Class 442 Wessex Electric electrical multiple units were introduced in 1988 on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Twenty-four of these 5-car units were built in 1988/89 by BREL at its Derby works...
units entered service on the 14 December 2008, and by May 2011 had displaced the entire 8 unit fleet of Class 460
British Rail Class 460
The British Rail Class 460 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath from 2000-01. These units are part of Alstom's "Juniper" family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 458...
EMUs from the franchise. These units operate as either single 5 car units or are coupled together to form 10 car trains. In peak hours, these trains run services to Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
. The trains were recently refurbished for use on the route. The refurbishment included new seats, more seats, new large luggage racks and a new first class area in what used to be the buffet. The refurbishment also included a repaint into a modified version of the Gatwick Express livery.
Under the "Sussex Route Utilisation Strategy" document published on 28 January 2010, Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
stated that the class 460 fleet would be removed from Gatwick Express operations by Dec 2010 to strengthen operations elsewhere, possibly augmenting the similar Class 458
British Rail Class 458
The South West Trains Class 458 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath between 1998 and 2002. These units are part of Alstom's Juniper family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 460.-Description:...
units working for South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
on routes out of London Waterloo.
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Routes operated | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||
| Class 73 British Rail Class 73 The British Rail Class 73 is a United Kingdom model of electro-diesel locomotive. The type is unusual in that it can operate from a 750 V DC third-rail or an on-board diesel engine to allow it to operate on non-electrified routes... |
|
electro-diesel locomotive Electro-diesel locomotive An Electro-diesel locomotive is powered either from an electricity supply or by using the onboard diesel engine... |
90 | 145 | 1 | Thunderbird locomotive | 1962 |
| Class 442 (5Wes) Wessex Electric British Rail Class 442 The British Rail Class 442 Wessex Electric electrical multiple units were introduced in 1988 on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Twenty-four of these 5-car units were built in 1988/89 by BREL at its Derby works... |
 |
Electric multiple unit Electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages... |
100 | 160 | 24 | London Victoria - Gatwick Airport London Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport... London Victoria - Brighton (Peaks and weekends only) London Bridge London Bridge station London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the... - Eastbourne Eastbourne railway station Eastbourne railway station serves Eastbourne in East Sussex, England. It is on the East Coastway Line, and train services are provided by Southern. It is one of two railway stations in the town, the other being Hampden Park Station... (Peaks only) London Bridge London Bridge station London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the... - Littlehampton Littlehampton railway station Littlehampton railway station is in Littlehampton in the county of West Sussex. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern.... (from late 2011 or 2012) |
1988-89 (Refurbished for Gatwick Express 2008) |
Past fleet
| Class | Image | Type | Built | Withdrawn |
| Class 460 (8Gat) Juniper British Rail Class 460 The British Rail Class 460 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath from 2000-01. These units are part of Alstom's "Juniper" family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 458... |
 |
electric multiple unit Electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages... |
2000–2001 | 2011 (2 reinstated, others in store. To be transferred to South West Trains) |
| Class 458 (4Jop) Juniper British Rail Class 458 The South West Trains Class 458 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath between 1998 and 2002. These units are part of Alstom's Juniper family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 460.-Description:... |
electric multiple unit Electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages... |
1998–2002 | 2006 (sub-leased from South West Trains South West Trains South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight... but never used in active service) |
|
| Class 488 British Rail Class 488 The British Rail Class 488 are unpowered trailer sets, converted from Mark 2F coaches for the Gatwick Express service from London Victoria railway station to Gatwick Airport.... |
 |
Converted Mark 2 coaches British Rail Mark 2 The Mark 2 family of railway carriages were British Rail's second design of carriages. They were built by British Rail workshops between 1964 and 1975... |
1983–1984 | 2005 |
| Class 489 (GLV) British Rail Class 489 The British Rail Class 489 is a type of electrical multiple unit, specially converted for use on Gatwick Express trains, from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport.... |
 |
electric multiple unit Electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages... |
1983–1984 | 2005 |