Editing Gatwick Express (section)

== History ==
===Background===
During the early 1950s, Gatwick Airport expanded substantially, leading to [[Gatwick Airport railway station|Gatwick railway station]] being rebuilt and integrated into the airport's terminal via an upper level concourse designed by [[Southern Region of British Railways|British Rail Southern Region]]. On 27 May 1958, the rebuilt station, ''Gatwick Airport'', opened with a regular train service.<ref name = "airport hist">{{cite web |url = https://www.gatwickairport.com/company/about-us/our-history.html |title = Our History |publisher = Gatwick Airport |access-date = 1 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title = New Southern Region Station for Gatwick Airport |magazine = Railway Magazine |date = July 1958 |pages = 489–491}}</ref> Initially, the rail service was provided entirely by standard London to [[Brighton railway station|Brighton]] stopping services; however, more trains began to call with the introduction of the summer timetable in June 1958. One of the key elements of this expanded service was the extension of [[Three Bridges railway station|Three Bridges]] to [[Bognor Regis railway station|Bognor Regis]] stopping services to start and terminate at [[London Victoria railway station|London Victoria]]. These trains would run through a reversible platform at Gatwick where a portion would detach and wait in the platform for passengers until the next up train from Bognor Regis was attached and the train would depart for Victoria. For this service [[British Rail]] used a small batch of seven [[British Rail Class 402|Class 402 2HALs]] in order to work with the trains used on the Bognor Regis services, suitable for airport link use because of their larger luggage space.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

This situation lasted until the early 1970s when increased passenger and luggage travel to the station was rendering the old system obsolete. British Rail therefore decided to adapt a number of [[British Rail Class 423|Class 423 4VEPs]] with increased luggage capacity (at the expense of fewer second class seats) and were redesignated as [[British Rail Class 423#4Veg units|Class 427 4VEGs]]. The service however remained much the same, with the units attaching and detaching from Bognor Regis bound services running via [[Redhill railway station|Redhill]]. This led to somewhat extended journey times which meant the service lacked any real purpose, as the faster services began calling at Gatwick Airport from the early 1970s, and made the option of travelling to Gatwick from London on the service lack appeal to those who knew better. At first the service from Bognor Regis, which by this stage only stopped at [[East Croydon station|East Croydon]], was branded ''Rapid City Link''.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

During 1975, [[BAA Limited|British Airports Authority]] airport director John Mulkern, [[British Caledonian]] Airways chairman Adam Thomson and British Rail's [[Southern Region of British Railways|Southern Region]] regional manager Bob Reid, formed the ''Gatwick Liaison Group'' to discuss matters of mutual interest. A subsidiary of this entity, the Gatwick Promotion Group, under the chairmanship of the airport's public relations manager David Hurst, was formed to market the airport. It was a long-term aim of the group to have a non-stop service between the airport and central London in order to counter the perceived distance from the capital, for both domestic and overseas passengers.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} One of the first successes of the group was to persuade the British Rail board to redevelop Gatwick station by building a raft over the platforms, and this was opened by British Rail chairman [[Peter Parker (British businessman)|Peter Parker]] in 1980.<ref name = "rail tech">{{cite web |url = https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/gatwickairportstatio/ |title = Gatwick Airport Railway Station |website = Railway Technology |access-date = 1 July 2018}}</ref>

=== Express service ===
[[File:73 on Gatwick Express.jpg|thumb|73213 ''University of Kent at Canterbury'' on Gatwick Express duties in 1998]]
In May 1984, the non-stop Gatwick Express service began, using [[British Rail Class 73|Class 73s]] with [[British Rail Mark 2|Mark 2 carriages]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.railexpress.co.uk/news/gatwick-express-celebrates-30-years |title = Gatwick Express celebrates 30 years - Rail Express Magazine |access-date = 29 July 2015 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150926084655/http://www.railexpress.co.uk/news/gatwick-express-celebrates-30-years |archive-date = 26 September 2015 }}</ref> Later, the duties were taken over by [[British Rail Class 488|Class 488]] and [[British Rail Class 489|Class 489]]. A 30-minute journey time was advertised, although some journeys would take nearer 35 minutes, especially during peak hours.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}

=== Privatisation ===
[[File:1995 gatwick express.gif|thumb|Original privatisation era logo from 1994]]
[[File:GatwickExpress.svg|thumb|Logo introduced by National Express and retained by Southern until 2016]]
Gatwick Express was the first portion of [[InterCity (British Rail)|British Rail's InterCity]] sector to be converted into a separate train operating unit, ready for franchising as a private business with the assets transferred to Gatwick Express Limited<ref>{{cite web |url = http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/02912338 |title = Gatwick Express: company no. 2912338 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072638/http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/02912338 |archive-date = 4 March 2016 |publisher = Companies House}}</ref> in March 1994.<ref name="Vincent">{{cite book |title = The Intercity Story |last = Vincent |first = Mike |publisher = OPC Railprint |date = April 2004 |isbn = 978-0-86093-524-7}}</ref> The Gatwick Express franchise was awarded by the [[Director of Passenger Rail Franchising]] to [[National Express]] with the franchise starting on 28 April 1996.<ref name = "airport hist"/>

=== Operated by Southern ===
In April 2007, the [[Department for Transport]] announced that the Gatwick Express franchise was to be incorporated into the South Central franchise and the services transferred to [[Southern (Govia Thameslink Railway)|Southern]]<ref>{{cite web |url = http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/03010919 |title = New Southern Railway Limited: company no. 3010919 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160813212309/http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/03010919 |archive-date=13 August 2016 |publisher = Companies House}}</ref> on 22 June 2008. This reorganisation was part of a plan to use Gatwick Express services to provide extra capacity on the [[Brighton Main Line]] south of Gatwick Airport.<ref name="bbc-remain">{{cite news |title=Gatwick Express service to remain |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6524763.stm |access-date=31 December 2009 |work=BBC News |date=4 April 2007}}</ref><ref name="goahead">{{cite news |title=Agreement to Amend the Gatwick Express and Southern Franchises |url=https://go-ahead.com/media/news/2007news/2007-06-19.aspx |access-date=7 February 2022 |publisher=Go-Ahead Group |date=19 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123151534/http://go-ahead.com/media/news/2007news/2007-06-19.aspx |archive-date=23 November 2012}}</ref>

On 20 August 2008, the Department for Transport announced that [[Abellio (transport company)|Abellio]], [[Govia]], [[National Express]] and [[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach]] had been shortlisted to bid for the new South Central franchise.<ref>{{cite press release |url = http://www.whitehallpages.net/news/archive/127489 |title=Bidders for South Central franchise announced |publisher = Department for Transport |date = 20 August 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131102171718/http://www.whitehallpages.net/news/archive/127489 |archive-date=2 November 2013 }}</ref> On 9 June 2009, the Department for Transport announced that Govia<ref>{{cite web |url = http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/06574965 |title = Southern Railway Limited: Company no. 6574965 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160413000255/http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/06574965 |archive-date = 13 April 2016 |publisher = Companies House}}</ref> had retained the franchise, beginning on 20 September 2009.<ref>{{cite press release |url = http://www.go-ahead.com/media/news/2009news/2009-06-09.aspx |title = Retention of South Central franchise |publisher = Go-Ahead |date = 9 June 2009 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121123140524/http://go-ahead.com/media/news/2009news/2009-06-09.aspx |archive-date = 23 November 2012 |df = dmy-all }}</ref>

=== Operated by Govia Thameslink Railway ===
The Department for Transport confirmed prior to the awarding of the new franchise that the Southern franchise would be merged at its conclusion in July 2015 into the proposed [[Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern]] franchise.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/rail-passenger-franchise-thameslink/thameslink-ojeu-notice.pdf |title = Thameslink Franchise: Official Journal of European Union notice |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130527143852/http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/rail-passenger-franchise-thameslink/thameslink-ojeu-notice.pdf |archive-date = 27 May 2013 |publisher = Department for Transport |date = 19 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://assets.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-23/consultation-thameslink.pdf |title = Consultation on the Combined Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120617070504/http://assets.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2012-23/consultation-thameslink.pdf |archive-date = 17 June 2012 |publisher = Department for Transport |date = May 2012}}</ref>

In March 2012, the Department for Transport announced that [[Abellio (transport company)|Abellio]], [[FirstGroup]], [[Govia]], [[MTR Corporation|MTR]] and [[Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach]] had been shortlisted to bid for the new franchise.<ref>{{cite press release |url = http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-press-20120329 |title= Bidders to oversee improvements on rail franchises announced |publisher = Department for Transport |date = 29 March 2012 |access-date = 24 September 2012 |archive-date = 25 September 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120925051042/http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-press-20120329/ |url-status = live }}</ref> The Invitation to Tender was to have been issued in October 2012, and the successful bidder announced in spring 2013. However, in the wake of the [[InterCity West Coast]] refranchising process collapsing, the [[Secretary of State for Transport]] announced in October 2012 that the process would be put on hold pending the results of a review.<ref>{{cite press release |url = http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-press-20121003a |title = West Coast Main Line franchise competition cancelled |publisher = Department for Transport |date = 3 October 2012 |access-date = 7 October 2012 |archive-date = 10 October 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121010151357/http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dft-press-20121003a/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

With the last franchise expiring on 25 July 2015, the South Central franchise merged with the Thameslink Great Northern franchise to create [[Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern]]. This is operated by [[Govia Thameslink Railway]], which is also owned by Southern's parent company, [[Govia]]. The Gatwick Express brand identity has been retained. [[Oyster card]]s and [[contactless payment]] cards have been accepted for travel between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport since January 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/rail-news/oyster-reaches-gatwick-as-shown-on-major-new-tfl-rail-map |title = Oyster reaches Gatwick, as shown on major new TfL rail map |publisher = Railtechnologymagazine.com |date = 8 January 2016 |access-date = 22 March 2017 |archive-date = 2 December 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171202194624/http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/oyster-reaches-gatwick-as-shown-on-major-new-tfl-rail-map }}</ref>

=== Suspension ===
On 30 March 2020, all Gatwick Express services were suspended until further notice under a reduced timetable rapidly adopted in response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="resumption">{{cite web |last = Graves |first = Kieran |date = 1 December 2021 |title = Gatwick Airport: Brighton and London Gatwick Express train timetables as service returns after 21 months |url = https://www.sussexlive.co.uk/news/sussex-news/gatwick-express-winter-train-timetables-6286403 |website = SussexLive |access-date = 10 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = GTR announces further-reduced rail timetable from Monday 30 March |url = https://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/govia-thameslink-railway/pressreleases/gtr-announces-further-reduced-rail-timetable-from-monday-30-march-2985517 |publisher = Mynewsdesk.com |date = 26 March 2020 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201129053344/https://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/govia-thameslink-railway/pressreleases/gtr-announces-further-reduced-rail-timetable-from-monday-30-march-2985517 |archive-date = 29 November 2020 |access-date = 12 August 2020}}</ref> Some of Gatwick Express's [[British Rail Class 387|Class 387/2]] trains have been used by Southern on its [[East Coastway line|East Coastway]] services between {{rws|Brighton}} and {{rws|Eastbourne}}, {{rws|Hastings}} and {{rws|Ore}}, on some [[Brighton Main Line]] services between Brighton and {{stn|London Victoria}}, and on some [[West Coastway line|West Coastway]] services between [[Brighton railway station|Brighton]] and [[West Worthing railway station|West Worthing]]. During May 2021, nine Class 387/2s were transferred to [[Great Northern route|Great Northern]] as replacements for [[British Rail Class 365|Class 365]]s on services between {{rws|London King's Cross}} and {{rws|Cambridge}}, {{rws|Ely}}, {{rws|Peterborough}} and {{rws|Stevenage}}; six of these trains were then leased to [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] to cover for [[British Rail Class 800|Class 800]]s on services between {{stn|London Paddington}} and {{rws|Didcot Parkway}}.<ref>{{cite web |last = Holden |first = Michael |date = 13 July 2021 |title = Gatwick Express trains sent to Great Western Railway in wake of Class 800 cracks |url = https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2021/07/gatwick-express-trains-sent-to-great-western-railway-in-wake-of-class-800-cracks.html |publisher = RailAdvent |access-date = 25 October 2021}}</ref>

During December 2021, the Gatwick Express briefly resumed on weekdays only, but was suspended after only two weeks due to engineering works and COVID-related developments. On 3 April 2022, Gatwick Express services restarted under a seven-day timetable; however, only two services per hour were initially ran between London and Gatwick instead of four per hour as they were prior to the pandemic. Govia Thameslink Railway attributed the work to redevelop Gatwick Airport station for this cutback.<ref>{{cite web |date = 16 March 2022 |title = Gatwick Express: Non-stop train service to London resumes |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-60752293 |publisher = BBC News |access-date = 5 April 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title = Gatwick Express to resume non-stop services from next month – RailAdvent |url = https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/03/gatwick-express-to-resume-non-stop-services-from-next-month.html/amp |access-date = 8 June 2022 |website = railadvent.co.uk}}</ref>