Network Rail and Gatwick airport have agreed a £53 million joint funding programme to upgrade the airport’s station facilities, including a new platform and refurbishment of concourse areas.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013, and will include a new platform to address the bottleneck in the Gatwick area caused on Brighton mainline services, new escalators and lifts on platforms 5 and 6 to improve passenger circulation, the refurbishment of the concourse area, and the upgrade of track and signalling.
Network Rail will fund £44.9 million of the upgrade costs, with Gatwick airport making up the remaining £7.9 million. Work is due to start in the summer of 2011, although the major construction work will not commence until after the 2012 Olympics Games.
Gatwick announced a £1 billion revamp of its South and North terminals earlier this year (see online news June 21), and unveiled its refurbished inter-terminal shuttle service in July (see online news July 2).
The station at Gatwick is the busiest airport station in the UK, with 11.5 million journeys made last year, and is used by Gatwick Express, Southern, First Great Western and First Capital Connect services.
For more information visit gatwickairport.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
