The government has revealed that London’s Gatwick Airport railway station will undergo a £150 million upgrade, starting in Spring 2020, and expected to take around two years to complete.
[This article was published in The Evening Standard, The Daily Mail, and The Business Traveller]
The upgrade is said to involve doubling the size of the station concourse, the adding of five new lifts and eight new escalators as well as the widening of two platforms.
The number of people using Gatwick station each year has grown by six million since 2010, however, the station is not designed for the high volume of daily passengers, often carrying large sized luggage.
The aim of the upgrade scheme is to cut train delays caused by platform overcrowding and congestion while providing easier connections to other destinations.
Chris Grayling the 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.”
The renovation will be managed by Network Rail, in partnership with the Department for Transport. Gatwick and Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership are co-funding the project with £37 million and £10 million respectively.
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