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Gatwick Express

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 VictoriaGatwick Airport
Other route(s)Brighton
Fleet size
Stations called at8
Stations operated0
Route km operated43.3
National Rail abbreviationGX
Parent companyGovia Thameslink Railway
Websitewww.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.

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

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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