New overnight train service at Gatwick to launch

A new overnight train service to and from Gatwick Airport will begin operating for the summer.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said services between the airport and Reading, via Redhill, Reigate, Dorking and Guildford, would begin operating from 6 June.

The service will operate for 12 weeks on a trial basis, with two services from Reading to Gatwick and three return services every Saturday morning, plus one service from Reading and two from Gatwick every Monday morning.

The trains will run down the North Downs line, which has been closed on multiple occasions over the last few years so maintenance can take place.

Currently, GWR services only run between 04:30 and 23:30, meaning passengers with early departures or late arrivals which make up over 20% of Gatwick's daily traffic are not able to reach the airport by rail from the west.

The operator said it would assess how popular the services were and would consider if overnight services on a longer term basis were possible.

Mark Hopwood, managing director at Great Western Railway, said: "This trial allows us to test demand for extended operating hours to Gatwick and gather real-world data on how passengers use these services.

"Improving sustainable connectivity to airports is important to support the growth in air travel and we're pleased to work with Gatwick Airport and Network Rail to explore what's possible."

Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer at London Gatwick, said he was "delighted" by the new service and said it would "make travelling to and from Gatwick even easier for passengers and staff working at the airport".

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