Gatwick Airport station upgrade

[jon0844]

It looks very 'European' - the black and yellow. Like it, a serious station.

Imagine if they'd used the new GB Rail signage!

 

[Ken X]

Black and yellow signage is the Airport standard so looks like they have continued the theme onto the station.

 

[infobleep]

I like the improvements at Gatwick Airport. I usully get the 19:12 Haywards Heath to Gatwick Airport service, which is usually 4 carriages or 8.

I then board the 19:29 to Guildford which is a cross platform change, 4 to 3. Owing to the 19:29 being canceled tonight and not wanting to arrive into Guildford around 30 minutes later, whilst still having to catch the 19:12, I opted for the 20:12 from Haywards Heath.

I forgot just how long the train was and arrived towards the London end of Gatwick Airport station.

No problem though, I just walked up the new stairs. Once on the concourse area. I took the escalator down to platform 2. So easy.

In the past I would have had to walk along the platform past people either waiting for a train or boarding a train. I could now avoid them all.

I look forward to the day when station's like Wimbledon also get additional stairs and passage ways

 

[vic-rijrode]

Black and yellow signage is the Airport standard so looks like they have continued the theme onto the station.

I've always liked black and yellow...

 

[talldave]

Thanks for the pics. We're taking a family trip down at the weekend as my son's never been to Gatwick and loves planes & trains. However, I'm not sure that Gatwick can beat Heathrow's parking pods for peak levels of excitement achieved!!

 

[Surreyman]

Visited Gatwick today & went for a walk all around the station.
The 'old' Station, now the (mostly) departure area was uncrowded, seemed to be working well, lifts on north end of platforms 1/2 out of service.
The new arrivals concourse above platforms 5/6/7 very spacious (reminds me a bit of Reading) nice modern feel, Large lifts and banks of escalators can clear these platform of alighting passengers very speedily. Also plenty of room for travellers with luggage to pause and let passengers pass before exiting into the South terminal via the 2 existing parallel corridors with associated ticket gate lines.
Overall very impressed with the new buildings and upgrades to existing.
The airport wasn't particularly busy mid day in November.
A potential issue I can see arising when we get to next summer (Gatwick is a very, very seasonal airport), we could see say 3 trains arriving at the airport at around the same time, a Gatwick express, with maybe 50% of an 8 car alighting, a Thameslink 12 car, and a Southern 12 car, even if a few passengers are just changing trains, that could see several hundred people with luggage exiting direct into the South terminal, with @ 50% heading for the North terminal, potential for a big pedestrian bottleneck in the south terminal at this point?

 

[swt_passenger]

…A potential issue I can see arising when we get to next summer (Gatwick is a very, very seasonal airport), we could see say 3 trains arriving at the airport at around the same time, a Gatwick express, with maybe 50% of an 8 car alighting, a Thameslink 12 car, and a Southern 12 car, even if a few passengers are just changing trains, that could see several hundred people with luggage exiting direct into the South terminal, with @ 50% heading for the North terminal, potential for a big pedestrian bottleneck in the south terminal at this point?

I think they painted themselves into a corner by “teeing” the north terminal shuttle bridge into the original station concourse entrance corridor. Possibly needs a rethink, but if it were to be moved it would probably have to be resited above the A23 road. An airport problem though, rather than for the station.

 

[Jan Mayen]

I also went through today & yesterday. The new eastern concourse on the Southern bridge feels nice & spacious but I have three issues:
1. The platform indicator on the new eastern concourse seems to switch from showing the train just arriving a bit early for my liking. (Went for the 8.40, only for it to show the 9.02. As I was wondering which platform it had been moved to, in it came. Which brings me to the next problem).
2. I couldn't see a departure board showing all platforms.
3. The eastern exit is still closed, even though the signs all point to it being open.

 

[H&I]

I am surprised that there is no level boarding at this station. Most passengers using this station have luggage, so level boarding would be helpful, even if it was just with Harrington Humps.

 

[The exile]

I am surprised that there is no level boarding at this station. Most passengers using this station have luggage, so level boarding would be helpful, even if it was just with Harrington Humps.

Do any of the trains that use it conform to the new level boarding standards? - if not, there would have been little point unless the platforms were being ripped up anyway (which they may have been…)

 

[H&I]

Do any of the trains that use it conform to the new level boarding standards? - if not, there would have been little point unless the platforms were being ripped up anyway (which they may have been…)

They rebuilt some platforms to widen them as part of the upgrade, yet there is still no level boarding despite all that investment. The Siemens Desiro City and Bombardier Electrostar trains on the Brighton Main Line have similar floor heights, approximately 1.1 m.

 

[The exile]

They rebuilt some platforms to widen them as part of the upgrade, yet there is still no level boarding despite all that investment. The Siemens Desiro City and Bombardier Electrostar trains on the Brighton Main Line have similar floor heights, approximately 1.1 m.

What is the level-boarding standard height?

 

[H&I]

What is the level-boarding standard height?

There are two different standards. On some parts of the network, such as on Merseyrail, Transport for Wales and Greater Anglia, it is at 915 mm. On other parts, such as the London Overground East London line, Thameslink and the Elizabeth line, the level boarding is done at 1,115 mm. Thameslink calls at Gatwick Airport station, so it looks like the latter standard would be applicable here.

 

[The exile]

There are two different standards. On some parts of the network, such as on Merseyrail, Transport for Wales and Greater Anglia, it is at 915 mm. On other parts, such as the London Overground East London line, Thameslink and the Elizabeth line, the level boarding is done at 1,115 mm. Thameslink calls at Gatwick Airport station, so it looks like the latter standard would be applicable here.

Suppose we ought to be grateful to only have 2 standards ( it’s a farce that it is not 1!) - I believe the Germans have 3!

 

[Surreyman]

I also went through today & yesterday. The new eastern concourse on the Southern bridge feels nice & spacious but I have three issues:
1. The platform indicator on the new eastern concourse seems to switch from showing the train just arriving a bit early for my liking. (Went for the 8.40, only for it to show the 9.02. As I was wondering which platform it had been moved to, in it came. Which brings me to the next problem).
2. I couldn't see a departure board showing all platforms.
3. The eastern exit is still closed, even though the signs all point to it being open.

When you mention the 'Eastern exit' I assume you mean the gatel ine near platform 7 in the new arrivals concourse which exits to the car parks/coach station?
I used this gate line the wrong way today i.e from the car parks into the station, the bloke on the gate indicated that it was exit only but would let me through (all the gates had a red light) also no current signage above this entrance/exit from car park side.

 

[infobleep]

When you mention the 'Eastern exit' I assume you mean the gatel ine near platform 7 in the new arrivals concourse which exits to the car parks/coach station?
I used this gate line the wrong way today i.e from the car parks into the station, the bloke on the gate indicated that it was exit only but would let me through (all the gates had a red light) also no current signage above this entrance/exit from car park side.

When there is a rail replacement bus in operation, is this not the fastest entry to the station or is that not the case, now there has been some other changes made?

What is the advantage of this being an exit-only barrier?

 

[H&I]

Suppose we ought to be grateful to only have 2 standards ( it’s a farce that it is not 1!) - I believe the Germans have 3!

I am just surprised that they have not included platform humps at the station when London Bridge has them on the Thameslink platforms.

 

[Bald Rick]

I am just surprised that they have not included platform humps at the station when London Bridge has them on the Thameslink platforms.

That is specifically for Thameslink ie Class 700s, and the location of the accessible coaches.

 

[Surreyman]

When there is a rail replacement bus in operation, is this not the fastest entry to the station or is that not the case, now there has been some other changes made?

What is the advantage of this being an exit-only barrier?

I have no idea whether this is temporary or permanent.
I should have added that all the signage on the bus ramp set down/car park area currently directs you to the Station via the northern pedestrian tunnels/moving walkways. There is one solitary ticket machine of a design I have not seen before, this does suggest it will be used as an entry point?

 

[GoneSouth]

That is specifically for Thameslink ie Class 700s, and the location of the accessible coaches.

Which also stop at Gatwick

 

[Bald Rick]

Which also stop at Gatwick

As do other trains, with differently located accessible coaches. Where would the hump go?

 

[neilm]

I have noticed that on a 700 the rear doors are locked out on platform 6 southbound (at least, there could be more platforms) does anyone know why this is? It seems odd that all the money has been spent, yet the platforms are too short. It caught a few people out but they were just about to be able to make it off the next set of doors.

 

[H&I]

That is specifically for Thameslink ie Class 700s, and the location of the accessible coaches.

For wheelchair users, signage could be placed advising that the hump is positioned only for level boarding onto the accessible coach for Thameslink services and to seek staff for assistance when boarding Southern or Gatwick Express services. For people with luggage, having level boarding is still helpful even when the coach itself is not an accessible coach. People would be able to board trains quicker, reducing dwell time. At a station where there are plenty of passengers travelling with heavy luggage, having some level boarding is better than nothing.

 

[bubieyehyeh]

I changed at gatwick this evening to have a look, however noted some issues...

I took the new escalator from platform 7 upto the new area created. I then went down the escalator to platform 6, but couldn't see any signs to say it was platform 5&6 9except on lifts) but not by the escalators, but could see sign at bottom of escalators.

The electronic board on platform 6 was showing the next train, and two different following trains both listed as 3rd.
After the next train came and left, one of the previous 3rd trains appeared as the next train, and a new 3rd train was listed.

Then just as my train was showing as arrived, before it was in view the PA started playing a message saying something like "this is a emergency please leave immediately"
Most people seem to ignore it, the train departure people scuttled off somewhere without telling people to leave.
My train then arrived so I left using that. I assume it was a false alarm, but looks like the boards and PA might have been rushed for opening.

 

[theageofthetra]

I had an early flight from Gatwick on Weds morning, so ended up getting a Southern service from East Croydon to Ore. It came in at I think platform 3 or 4, which had no working lift and no working up escalator (one down one was working)

I had hand luggage so wasn't too badly affected, but there were plenty of others who had to lug their cases up the defective up escalator.

Why on earth would they not have switched the direction of the working down one?

 

[infobleep]

I had an early flight from Gatwick on Weds morning, so ended up getting a Southern service from East Croydon to Ore. It came in at I think platform 3 or 4, which had no working lift and no working up escalator (one down one was working)

I had hand luggage so wasn't too badly affected, but there were plenty of others who had to lug their cases up the defective up escalator.

Why on earth would they not have switched the direction of the working down one?

This is Gatwick Airport you are talking about
There was a period when both the escalators on platforms 1 and 2 for the south bridge were only up and so the only way down was to use a lift or the stairs. I was told the manager requested it to be like this. That was during the pandemic.

Now days one of them is at least set to be down. Makes much more sense.

 

[och aye]

Geoff Marshall did a visited the station and got a chance to go up onto the roof with the double arrow.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Suppose we ought to be grateful to only have 2 standards ( it’s a farce that it is not 1!) - I believe the Germans have 3!

"A farce" is very extreme. This railway is 80% Victorian infrastructure, and while improvements are being made, with varying platform levels all over the country, it's not easy.

 

[dastocks]

When there is a rail replacement bus in operation, is this not the fastest entry to the station or is that not the case, now there has been some other changes made?

What is the advantage of this being an exit-only barrier?

I don't think rail replacement buses at Gatwick are A Thing because it's almost unthinkable that engineering work would require a complete line closure north or south of the station. There are sometimes buses put on for stations to/from Redhill when engineering work blocks the slow lines but I think they use the local bus stands on the A23 under the south terminal.

 

[jon0844]

Geoff Marshall did a visited the station and got a chance to go up onto the roof with the double arrow.

Needs a refresh. Wonder how much paint would be needed!