Overnight public transport boost for London Gatwick passengers ahead of summer getaway season
- New overnight trains from London and Reading to support early morning flights
- Eight 24/7 bus routes now serve communities and staff across Sussex and Surrey
- Coach services provide additional overnight links across the South East and beyond
Passengers travelling to London Gatwick this summer will benefit from improved overnight public transport, with new train services and expanded bus connections helping more people reach early morning departures.
New overnight rail services from London Victoria and Reading will give passengers greater flexibility and more sustainable travel options during the busy holiday period. The services will also provide a vital boost for airport workers and local residents who rely on public transport outside traditional hours.
Operated by GTR and Great Western Railway (GWR), the additional trains will offer a convenient, affordable and environmentally friendly way to travel to and from the airport overnight.
London Gatwick is already one of the UK’s best-connected airports, with trains running to London every four minutes on average from its on-site station, alongside an extensive network of local buses and long-distance coaches serving more than 100 destinations.
Through its Sustainable Travel Fund, the airport has worked in partnership with transport operators to help introduce and expand services, supporting its goal for 52% of passenger journeys to and from the airport to be made by public transport by 2030. This forms part of London Gatwick’s Decade of Change sustainability policy.
Two new overnight rail trials will operate over the summer peak:
GTR: Overnight services are being introduced between London and Gatwick on Saturdays and Mondays from 18 July until 7 September. The additional Gatwick Express trains will depart London Victoria at 03:40 and depart Gatwick Airport at 04:35 to accommodate early flights and late arrivals
Great Western Railway (GWR) : Overnight services between Gatwick and Reading in the early hours of Saturdays and Mondays, running from 6 June until 12 September, improving connections across the Thames Valley
These trials are being delivered in collaboration with London Gatwick to test demand during the busy summer season and support longer term provision.
In addition to these rail improvements, London Gatwick part-funds several Metrobus routes, providing frequent and affordable connections between the airport and surrounding communities. This includes the introduction of the 500 service to Eastbourne, providing new links to communities in East Sussex for both passengers and airport staff. The new 500 service takes the tally of 24/7 routes to eight, providing vital overnight connectivity across the local area and wider region.
A range of 14 long-distance coach services also operate around the clock, connecting London Gatwick with destinations including Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford and Swansea.
Hannah Godfrey, Senior Surface Access Manager, London Gatwick said: “With many flights departing early in the morning during the summer peak, having reliable public transport throughout the night is crucial. By working closely with our transport partners and investing through our Sustainable Travel Fund, we’re helping passengers and staff get to the airport easily, affordably and in a way that’s better for the environment. These services are particularly important for thousands of shift workers and local employees who rely on public transport outside standard hours.”
Louis Rambaud, Chief Customer Officer, GTR said: “We are pleased to be supporting Gatwick Airport during the busy summer holiday period. We know people want to make the most of their time away by getting the first flight out of London and the last flight back home again, so – to accommodate this – we are trialling two new overnight services from mid-July to provide even more options for people choosing to travel to the airport by train.”
Mark Hopwood, Managing Director, 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."
Passengers are encouraged to plan their journey in advance and check operators’ websites for full timetables and ticket information. Details of all public transport options serving London Gatwick can be found at www.gatwickairport.com.
With around 43m annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5bn GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). More than 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 160 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared maximum capacity of 57 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.
The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15m people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2bn sustainable growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. VINCI Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%.
VINCI Airports, as the leading private airport operator in the world, manages the development and operation of more than 70 airports located in 14 countries. VINCI Airports draws on its expertise as a comprehensive integrator to develop, finance, build and operate airports, leveraging its investment capability and know-how to optimise operational performance and modernise infrastructure while bringing about their environmental transition. In 2016, VINCI Airports became the first airport operator to commit to an international environmental strategy, setting itself the aim of reaching zero net emissions (scope 1 and 2) across the network by 2050 while supporting the territories’ local climate transition.
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Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, is a leading infrastructure investor that specialises in investing in, owning and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure and water and waste management sectors. With energy pragmatism central to our investment thesis, we are well positioned to support the global energy transition.
GIP’s scaled platform has over $170bn in assets under management. We believe that our focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with our deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational expertise, enables us to be responsible stewards of our clients’ capital and to create positive economic impact for communities. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com .
