Late-Night Rail Link Planned for Gatwick Airport
Great Western Railway (GWR) has announced a summer trial of overnight train services between Reading and Gatwick Airport, aimed at improving rail options outside standard daytime hours. The pilot will run on selected nights between 5 June and 11 September 2026, helping link late arrivals and early departures with stations along the North Downs Line.
At present, rail services on this route operate mainly between 4:30am and 11:30pm, leaving limited options for people catching very early or late flights. More than 20% of Gatwick passengers from the Thames Valley cannot currently rely on rail connections due to timetable gaps. The planned night services are intended to provide additional flexibility during periods when alternatives are limited.
“Services will run approximately every 2 hours and will call at Reading, Wokingham, Guildford, Dorking Deepdene, Reigate, Redhill and Gatwick Airport."
Planned overnight stops
- Reading
- Wokingham
- Guildford
- Dorking Deepdene
- Reigate
- Redhill
- Gatwick Airport
Trains are planned to run about every two hours on Friday and Sunday nights, allowing GWR to review passenger demand and practical performance of the service. The trial will show whether night trains could remain in the timetable long term, helping both airport passengers and people who work late or early shifts along the route.
Later evening and early morning trains could help travellers better match rail journeys with flight departure and arrival times, including routes used by Jet2 and British Airways passengers. The extra services may also make it easier to travel between regional towns and Gatwick, giving more options for weekend trips, business journeys or longer international travel without needing a taxi or booking a hotel near the airport.
If the trial attracts enough interest, expanded night services could reduce the need for car travel when reaching the airport outside standard hours. Closer timing between trains and flights may help avoid inconvenient gaps in connections and make early departures or late arrivals easier to organise, especially during the busy summer period when timing can affect how comfortable the journey feels.