London Gatwick and Great Western Railway (GWR) have announced a new strategic partnership to help meet aspirations to enhance the North Downs Line, connecting London Gatwick to Surrey and the Thames Valley.
The partnership aims to continue to lobby for station and service enhancements on the vital line, and was announced at London Gatwick’s annual Transport Forum, which brings together partners from across the UK transport sector, local government and communities.
The theme of this year’s forum was multi-modal and integrated transport focusing on the importance of airports as transport hubs, where a range of transport options create local, regional and international connections.
London Gatwick is already a key transport hub in the South East. It is easily accessible and connects aviation with rail, coach travel, local buses and the national cycle network. The airport is directly connected to over 100 stations with trains to London departing every four minutes. London Gatwick has direct connections to more than 50 towns and over 100 when including local buses.
London Gatwick and Great Western Railway (GWR) have partnered to help drive enhancement to the North Downs Line, connecting London Gatwick to Reading, the wider Surrey area and the Thames Valley. They will work together to develop plans to make station and service improvements, while also offering future benefits to passengers across the wider network.
Together London Gatwick and GWR will promote enhanced service development, working with the wider rail industry. They will further develop joint marketing and commercial offers; collaborate with partners on station improvements and further engage with local communities to support and enhance their travel experience on the North Downs Line.
As part of London Gatwick’s sustainability policy, Decade of Change, the airport is working with transport providers to increase passenger and colleague use of public transport and zero and ultra-low emission journeys to 60% by 2030. The partnership with GWR supports this collaborative approach, as both organisations work together across the region to enable growth in rail passengers.
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