Thameslink provides a fine service into London

I’ve been spending more time than is probably healthy at Gatwick Airport station, but it’s allowed me to realise what a great service Thameslink provides into central London.

Sure, last May’s timetable introduction was a disaster with implications for the rail industry’s reputation far beyond its patch, but Thameslink today provides (to my eyes) the best fast service into London. Forget Gatwick Express, catch Thameslink!

I know there has been heavy criticism of the seats aboard its Class 700s, but these trains benefit from plenty of space for luggage even if they were designed primarily for commuters. They’re not trying to pretend they’re better than they are, as Gatwick Express tries with its Class 387s over Southern’s similar Class 377s.

And rather than delivering you only to Victoria, Thameslink has several stations in London’s centre - allowing access to the City, to Kent (and the South West with a short hop from London Bridge to Waterloo East), to London Underground lines at Farringdon (Crossrail soon, I hope) and inter-city rail services from St Pancras and King’s Cross.

I’ve caught trains from King’s Cross within an hour of landing at Gatwick, although I’ll admit that this is easier if you don’t have luggage to collect at the airport carousel.

Gatwick Airport station remains confusing, but the airport’s owners and Network Rail have plans to make the station bigger and easier to use ( RAIL 860). One further simplification should be to ditch Gatwick Express. It’s redundant. Southern can continue serving stations to Victoria, while Thameslink runs its mix of fast and stopping services to London Bridge and beyond.

Indeed, when Crossrail eventually opens, Heathrow Express should be redundant, too. There’s little point in rushing to Paddington just to wait for a connection further into London when you could catch a through train.

That would leave just Stansted Airport with a dedicated airport express service. Would that it were an express, with timings of around 48 minutes for 37 miles - an average of just over 45mph!

If there’s a common thread here, it’s that as ordinary rail services to airports have improved, so the need for dedicated trains diminishes to the point that they’re occupying track space that could be better used for other trains.