Work has started on Gatwick Airport’s huge new railway station concourse, as the first train arrives at one of the rebuilt platforms
The £150m Gatwick project has seen many changes at the station already this year, including the closure of platform 7 and now its return, while demolition work will soon begin on the footbridge and platforms 5 and 6, which are now out of service.
All this is working towards the creation of a much bigger, brighter and better station, with much-improved accessibility for passengers, all by 2023.
Platforms 5 and 6 have now been taken out of use and will be demolished and rebuilt to give passengers more room.
They will reopen in a wider and more accessible state in May 2022.
In the meantime, work has begun on building the new railway concourse, which will sit over platforms 5, 6 and 7 and act as a new link for passengers changing trains at the station.
The existing concourse will remain but will be substantially remodelled over the next three years.
Improving accessibility and enhancing passenger experience
Rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris, said: “I am pleased to see this project reach another important milestone, which will transform this vital transport hub as people return to our railways.
“Once completed, the expanded modern station will be an impressive gateway to Global Britain, improving accessibility and enhancing the passenger experience to and from Gatwick.”
Network Rail’s Southern region’s investment director Paul Harwood, said: “We know that fewer passengers are travelling by train or plane, but we are continuing to invest for the future.
“By 2023 passengers arriving at Gatwick will see wider platforms, with more space for them, more lifts and escalators and the crowning achievement – a new railway concourse over some of our tracks.
“Today marks a big step towards that aim and passengers will see more big changes as the days go by.”
Angie Doll, managing director of Southern and Gatwick Express, added: “It’s great to see such progress being made at Gatwick station that will make a tremendous difference to customer experience when traveling to and from the airport by rail.
“This significant investment will complement the multimillion-pound scheme of station improvements we’re delivering for our passengers across our entire network.”
