PalQ

Just read in Guardian that the Gatwick Express has escaped the chopping block but will operate in the future in a slightly different factor. Train tracks all over the London area are in heavy demand and in the UK in general as rail travel has increased leaps and bounds - the greatest increase in Europe i think. Thus track capacity is a question.
And the Gatwick Express, which sits at Gatwick for a long time before each departure is taking up too much "dwell time" at the airport, clogging overloaded tracks. So the remedy will be to have the Gatwick Express act much like other trains at the airport - just stopping for a few minutes and also rather than going non-stop and often half full by stations with crowds of people heading for London, the Gatwick Express will stop at Three Bridges to pick up commuters - but no other stops are envisioned. Thus the nice aspect of always having a train to plop you and your luggage on sitting at Gatwick you'll have to wait on the platform probably until the train comes in. Other trains run the Gatwick routes to Victoria and Thameslink to Kings Cross and other locales but these are often crowded during peak periods before they stop at Gatwick and then often stop at several stations where people crowd aboard during rush hour times. So the premium fare you'd pay for the Gatwick Express is often well worth it as the train is rarely crowded and has special room for luggage. Gatwick Expresses cost 12 pounds standard class - the other trains are cheaper - Southern trains Gatwick to Victoria costs just 8 pounds - Thameslink charges 10 pounds to London stations.

grantop

Hi PalQ: Thinking of flying into Gatwick later this year. Can you explain the Southern trains a little? What times are less likely to be overly crowded (Gatwick into London). Where do I purchase tickets? Is there an on-line schedule I can look at somewhere? Is there any over head storage for a small roller suitcase? Two of my TCs are seniors, any discounts available? Sorry for so many questions but I'll be leading our little group and we usually fly into LHR, Gatwick would be a new adventure!

eliztrav

When we last rode the Gatwick Express into London, it was in the very early morning and it was VERY crowded & uncomfortable. I squeezed onto a seat, but my traveling companion stood at the end of the train car with our roller luggage in the floor with him (and he wasn't alone back there). Don't always assume it will be uncrowded.

PatrickLondon

Train timetables and info about fares:

www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.thetrainline.com

The ticket office is in Gatwick south terminal, beside the entrance to the station, which is integrated into the terminal building. Assume the busiest times into London would be from around 8am to 9am.

There aways used to be a luggage rack above the seats on older-style trains. On newer models, I think there's a less prominent rack running along the side of the carriage, but maybe someone who's travelled the line more recently and more observantly can comment.

Passepartout

Southern Trains have a "Daysave" fare of £20 for up to four people, children £1. Not valid during high-volume periods. southernrailway.com

WillTravel

I had always taken Gatwick Express before, but this last time I took Thameslink. They had a "kid for a quid" deal that made it very worthwhile. The train was not quite as nice as the Gatwick Express, but there was storage for luggage and it moved quite quickly despite the stops.

PalQ

I've been on thameslink trains from Gatwick many times and even during off periods they can be mobbed - not always but can never tell because of the not so unusual cancelled trains where one train picks up the slack of others. I'd take the 4 for 20 quid train but be prepared for crowds. I've also ridden the Gatwick Express many times and have never seen it crowded but don't doubt it could be in rush hours like above says - but other trains at that time would be even more crowded - Gatwick Express starts at Gatwick - other trains are at times very crowded before they get to Gatwick, such as those coming from Brighton during rush hours.

grantop

Ok - information overload! I was asking about the Southern trains that PalQ mentioned, some of you answered regarding the Gatwick Express - aren't these 2 different things?

Passepartout

Yes - two different things. The GX operates non-stop between the airport and the city. Southern makes stops before getting to Gatwick as well as between there and the city.

The rush-hour effect on Southern is somewhat mitigated by the fact that Daysave tickets (4/£20) aren't valid before 10:00 M-F or from London stations 16:45-19:15. Thus you can't use them when the cars are mobbed.

alanRow

Tips for getting from Gatwick Airport to "somewhere in London".

1) Find out where you are going in London, sounds obvious but you wouldn't believe the number of people who get the Gatwick Express to Victoria then find they have to take 2 Tube trips to get to their hotels.

2) Use the journeyplanner on www.tfl.gov.uk. It covers London airports and by putting the postcode or streetname for you hotel into it you can see if there are alternatives to the GE.

3) See if there is a rail station near to your hotel - some of them are VERY central. Then use the journeyplanner in 2) or go to www.nationalrail.co.uk to see how to get there from the airport

grantop

Thank you - that clears things up! Apprecaite the responses.

Where2Travel

Seems like the Gatwick Express could be on its way out after all:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/s...es/4676388.stm

flanneruk

The Dept of Transport announced yesterday that nonstop services to Victoria will be withdrawn. But it didn't give a timetable.

It DID however announce that the withdrawal would mean 14 "fast" Gatwick-London trains an hour most of the day and 18 at peak times.

More irritatingly for some, it's withdrawing the Gatwick-Watford direct service (which goes through Kensington Olympia). Again, no timetable yet.