London Gatwick North Terminal Monorail to Close from September 2009

The free public transport monorail, which links Gatwick’s South and North terminals, will be shut from September 28th 2009 until Spring 2010.

The system has proved increasingly unreliable in recent months, with several groups of passengers having been evacuated mid-journey.

The first new track is scheduled to open on April 28, 2010, with limited service. The second track will open in July 2010.

Maintenance work will be carried out on the line during this period and a free replacement bus service will ferry passengers between the two terminals.

This will impact users of the North Terminal, particularly British Airways, some Easyjet and Emirates passengers as well as Qatar Airways, Nationwide, Easy Jet, Thomson/First Choice, Malev, SN Brussels, Comet, Air Namibia, Delta and Oman Air.

You should plan to leave *at least *an extra 15 minutes to transit the short distance between the terminals.

Might be wise to consider door to door taxi drop off, driving and parking for shorter trips or an overnight in the Sofitel to avoid such a rush….though beware the link bridge to the Sofitel from the Terminal is also closed and is being demolished this week.

Nothing on the BAA Gatwick website about all this, natch.

I don’t think a terminal to terminal cab would work as the drivers have to pay a fee to BAA to queue up, and are royally cheesed off if you ask them to do a local job.

Hopefully, the replacement bus service will be efficient, modern and spacious. On the other hand it is being organised by BAA.

So what’s the betting it is infrequent, overcrowded and resourced with surly drivers in old, polluting and dirty buses.

We shall wait and see…..

hi,

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Thanks

According to BAA website it says that buses will depart every 3 minutes between 0400 and 1800, then every 6 minutes thereafter. Departing from the upper level

http://www.gatwickairport.com/portal/page/Gatwick%5EGeneral%5EAirport+information%5ETerminal+transit+update/2835f112a1413210VgnVCM10000036821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/

It is unlikely that the buses will be “prehistoric” BAA has a policy of requiring a certain specification such as minimum age, emmissions etc. It does depend on who has won the contract to operate the service. You never know they may be bendi buses displaced from the Red Arrow routes in London which is about to happen very soon.

They have to do the work on the Transit and a bus is the only option, a pain as it may be for all of us, its not for ever and the drivers might be quite nice! The thought of using a taxi is a bit silly and going for the normal service bus would take even more time.

Returned between North and South on Thursday lunchtime and quite busy but time from domestic baggage hall to South Terminal took just on 14 minutes. The signs were not as clear as in the south terminal but do say where you have to go clearly. The only potential problem was that whilst the signs direct you to the lifts, if you have only light luggage and go on the escalator there was no sign at the top. I mentioned this to a member of staff at the south terminal.

This evening hoping that my suggestion had been listened to, found that the Transit was operating, most likely due to an accident on the M23 which blocked most of the roads. Even the captain on my BA flight mentioned the traffic whilst taxing to the stand.

The closure of the monorail at Gatwick is causing considerable inconvenience and delays for passengers transiting between the terminals. The transit process does take longer due to everyone having to pile on a bus. Think of a car-park transfer and the commotion caused by people piling on with their luggage. It is the same here. Do allow extra time for your transfer.

I think this hummingbird chatter is spam