Banner image showing passengers disembarking train at London Gatwick train station Banner image showing passengers disembarking train at London Gatwick train station

Train

Travel to over 120 train stations directly from London Gatwick, offering unrivalled connectivity into London and the South East

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The UK's best connected airport

London Gatwick has the best ​train ​connections of any airport in Britain with a train departing on average every four minutes, connecting passengers directly to 120 train stations and over 700 within ​one ​change.

The ​train ​station ​can be found ​at the South Terminal, just a five minutes walk from both departures and arrivals. ​It​ is easily accessible from the North Terminal ​too with our​ free shuttle​ service taking two minutes​.

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A couple walking to London Gatwick terminals from the train station

Train services to and from London Gatwick

We are served by four train operators that provide direct services to over 120 stations, including 7 key stations across London and easy interchange to the Elizabeth Line, making your onward journey quick and easy.

  • Gatwick Express provides a non-stop service direct to London Victoria. Departing twice an hour, it takes just 30 minutes. You can save 10% if you book online in advance directly through the Gatwick Express Website.
  • Save 10% on the Gatwick Express

  • Southern provides services across London and the South-East, including London Victoria, Clapham Junction, Brighton, Horsham, Southampton, Eastbourne and Portsmouth, ​and​ many​ more​ local stations. 

  • Thameslink connects London Gatwick to the south coast at Brighton, as well as to several central London stations: London Bridge, London Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon and St Pancras International. Trains then continue to Bedford, Peterborough and Cambridge. Thameslink services also provide direct services to Luton Airport Parkway, with an easy interchange to the DART that takes you directly to the airport in four minutes.

  • Great Western Railway direct services run between London Gatwick and Reading every half hour, getting you to the airport station in around 90 minutes. Book early and save, on average, more than 50%. For more information visit the GWR website.

Image showing passengers checking train times board at the brand new London Gatwick train station
Purchasing train tickets at London Gatwick

There are so many ways to pay for your train tickets that travelling by train to and from London Gatwick couldn’t be easier:

  • Pay using your contactless payment card or Oyster card (excluding the 60+ Oyster photocard) to travel to and from London by tapping in and out at the ticket barrier – you don’t even need to stop walking!*
  • Buy your tickets online in advance and scan the barcode at the ticket barriers.
  • If you prefer to buy your ticket on the day, there are plenty of ticket machines in the station in the South Terminal if you prefer to buy on the day.
  • If you need to buy an Oyster card, you can purchase one at the Your Service Centre desk - operated by SkyBreak - located in South Terminal check-in zone.


To help save some money on your journey:

Passengers buying tickets in the ticket hall at the new London Gatwick train station

*Contactless payment is not valid for travel to stations south of Gatwick Airport or outside of London. If travelling south to destinations such as Crawley, Horsham and Brighton or outside London to destinations such as Reading and Cambridge you will need to purchase a ticket.

How long does it take to get to London Gatwick by train?

The below are the average times for direct train services to or from London Gatwick along the most popular routes. Please be aware however that times can fluctuate and so we would always recommend allowing additional time for your journey.

  • Bedford, 2 hours with Thameslink
  • Brighton, 30 minutes with Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express
  • Cambridge, 2 hours with Thameslink
  • Eastbourne, 1 hour with Southern
  • Guildford, 1 hour with GWR
  • London 30 to 45 minutes with Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express
  • Luton, 1 hour 30 minutes with Thameslink
  • Portsmouth, 1 hour 45 minutes with Southern
  • Reading, 1 hour 30 minutes with GWR
  • Reigate / Redhill, 15 minutes with GWR
Rail disruption
Like the rest of the country's network, occasionally rail services in and out of London Gatwick may be affected by strike action or planned engineering works. We recommend regularly checking this page to ensure you remain well informed of any potential disruption to your journey.

August 2025

August Bank Holiday (23rd – 25th)

We recommend allowing additional time for your journey to Gatwick Airport across the bank holiday weekend as minor engineering works are planned and we expect lines to be busier than usual.

  • Redhill and Tonbridge: Engineering works mean this line will be closed with bus replacement services running all weekend.
  • Three Bridges and Horsham: Engineering works mean this line will be closed on Sunday 24th only.
  • Gatwick Express. An amended timetable will be in place Monday 25th only.

For more information, visit August Bank Holiday | National Rail

September 2025

North Downs Line Closure (14 – 27 September):

The GWR Guildford to Reigate line will be closed for two weeks due to major signalling upgrades. Rail replacement buses will be in operation between Guildford, Gatwick Airport and Redhill during this period.

  • 14 Sept: GWR trains will run between Reading and Ash, with passengers wishing to continue to Gatwick Airport needing to alight at North Camp for replacement bus services.
  • 15 – 27 Sept: GWR trains will run between Reading and Guildford; with replacement buses then running between Guildford and Gatwick Airport (non-stop) as well as between Guildford and Reading (all stations, via Dorking Main).

Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services will continue to run as normal during this period.

We recommend passengers allow extra time for their journeys and visit Network Rail – North Downs Upgrade for more information.

Alternative transport methods

On days with disrupted rail services, you may find that alternative methods of transport to London Gatwick will be busier than usual and so it is always best to plan well ahead:

By bus and coach

Metrobus offer local bus services around the London Gatwick area, serving towns including Crawley, Horley, Redhill, Reigate and Horsham. Single fares are capped at £3. You can buy tickets on board, online or on the Metrobus app. If you’re travelling to London, you can catch a bus to Redhill (Fastway 100, 400, 420 or 460), where you can transfer to the Transport for London 405 bus to Croydon. You can then connect to the London bus network, trains or the tram to Wimbledon and the District Line. 

The Airline, Flixbus and National Express offer coach services from both terminals to towns and cities around across England and Wales, including London, Oxford and Brighton. Most services also call at Heathrow Central Bus Station and Terminal 5, where you can transfer to the Piccadilly Line or Elizabeth Line into central London.

We highly recommend booking coach tickets in advance of days with disruption as services are likely to sell out quickly.

Find out more about local and national buses


By car

Pre-book your airport parking in advance as our car parks will be very busy, although we usually have additional capacity to cope with disruption to the surrounding rail network.

Pre-book Official London Gatwick Airport Parking


By taxi

Gatwick Cars Ltd is our official taxi provider and can be found outside both the North and South Terminals. Expect queues on days with sever rail disruption and pre-book your taxi in advance

to avoid long delays and disappointment

Pre-book a taxi online or Call +44 (0)1293 550000


Car hire

A range of car rental companies operate from both North and South Terminals.

Find out more about car hire here