Holidaymakers, airport staff, shift workers and travellers will all benefit when the new overnight rail service to Gatwick Airport launches this summer.
Great Western Railway (GWR) has announced that they will begin trialling this night-time route between Reading and Gatwick Airport on Saturday 6 June. The 12-week trial will help GWR test the demand for late-night and early-morning services running to Gatwick, which is currently the UK’s second-busiest airport.
At present, GWR only operates services between 04:30 and 23:30, which means passengers with early departures or late arrivals are unable to access rail services through the Thames Valley. These passengers make up over 20% of the total daily traffic at Gatwick.
This pilot scheme will introduce two Saturday morning services from Reading, via Wokingham, Guildford, Dorking, Reigate and Redhill – plus three return journeys. Furthermore, every Monday morning there will be one service running from Reading and two return journeys.
In 2025, 42.8 million passengers travelled via Gatwick, with numerous major carriers - including easyJet, Ryanair, TUI, British Airways, Jet2 and Emirates - operating from the airport. Gatwick’s website states that it is the UK’s best-connected airport by rail, with direct links to over 120 stations, which is more than any other European airport.