Gatwick Airport: Revamped railway station opens to customers

The £249m upgrade includes a new concourse and airport entrance, as well as a remodelled track

A revamped Gatwick Airport railway station has opened to customers.

The £249m upgrade includes a new concourse and airport entrance, as well as a remodelled track.

Network Rail said the revamp would give passengers travelling between Brighton and London "easier, faster, more reliable journeys".

Transport Secretary Mark Harper previously said the upgrade, which began in 2020, would see the station become an "impressive gateway".

According to Network Rail, more than 21m people used the station In 2019 - more than it was designed for.

During the redevelopment, a second concourse has been built, while eight new escalators, five new lifts and four new stairways have been installed.

The upgrade work began in 2020 after concerns that the station had become too busy

Network Rail said that the changes have doubled space for passengers, improved movement around the station and would ease congestion and improve train journey times.

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail's Sussex route director, said she hoped the upgrades would encourage passengers to "ditch the car and travel by rail".

"This project is not just for those making their way to the airport, the work benefits passengers across the region by giving them quicker journeys and a more reliable timetable," she added.

Tom Hanrahan, from Brighton, travels through Gatwick Airport railway station every day

Tom Hanrahan lives in Brighton and travels through Gatwick Airport station every day on his way to work.

"It's spacious. They've been working on it for a while, so it's nice to see it finished," he said.

"I travel a lot, and it reminds me of airports and terminals in modern cities."