Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express

Overview
Franchise(s)	Gatwick Trains 28 April 1996 – 22 June 2008 Part of the South Central franchise 22 June 2008 – 19 September 2009 20 September 2009 – 25 July 2015 Part of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise 26 July 2015 – September 2021
Main route(s)	London Victoria – Gatwick Airport
Other route(s)	Brighton
Fleet size	27 Class 387 1 Class 73
Stations called at	8
Stations operated	0
Route km operated	43.3
National Rail abbreviation	GX
Parent company	Govia Thameslink Railway
Website	www.gatwickexpress.com

Gatwick Express is the name of a fast train service that runs on the Brighton Main Line, a railway line between Victoria station in London and the city of Brighton and Hove in South East England, stopping at Gatwick Airport on the way. It is fast because it does not stop at any stations between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport.

A Gatwick Express train leaves London Victoria station every 15 minutes and takes 30 minutes to get to Gatwick Airport station. After arriving at Gatwick Airport, at least every other train on weekdays and Saturdays continues non-stop to Brighton railway station. At peak hours, every train continues to Brighton, but makes two stops between Gatwick and Brighton. On Sundays, all trains end at Gatwick Airport; there are no trains to and from Brighton.

Before June 2008, Gatwick Express was a train operating company (TOC) and was a franchise owned by Southern, another TOC that has trains on other routes. On 22 June 2008, the Gatwick Express TOC was closed. Now the Gatwick Express is directly operated by Southern, but it is still called Gatwick Express.

Trains

The Gatwick Express service has used many types of trains over the years. Most of them were designed just for the service.

• 
  The first trains to be used on Gatwick Express services were hauled by Class 73 locomotives.
• 
  The Class 73 locomotives hauled two types of carriages, the Class 488 and Class 489, which were in use until 2005.
• 
  From 1999 to 2012, Class 460s were used. The design of the ends of these trains gave them the nickname "Darth Vaders".
• 
  Another Class 460 train, this one waiting at Victoria station and marked with a Continental Airlines logo.
• 
  From 2008 to 2016, Class 442 Wessex Electrics were used. These trains were built 20 years earlier, but were later refurbished.
• 
  Inside the Class 387 trains, which replaced the older trains in 2016. There is both "Standard Class" and "First Class" seating.

Related pages

• Heathrow Express
• Stansted Express
• Airport rail link

Preceded by InterCity As part of British Rail	Operator of Gatwick Express franchise 1997 — 2008	Succeeded by Southern South Central/Gatwick Express franchise
Preceded by Gatwick Express Gatwick Express franchise	Sub-brand of South Central franchise 2008 — present	Incumbent