Editing Gatwick Express (section)

== Rolling stock ==
[[File:Unit 387204 at Crewe on 19th February 2016 05.JPG|thumb|Exterior of a Class 387 passenger carriage]]
[[Govia Thameslink Railway]] operates a fleet of Gatwick Express branded {{brc|387||2}}s which it received in 2016. GTR placed a £145.2{{nbsp}}million order with [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]] for 27 sets of the type in November 2014 to replace the existing [[British Rail Class 442|Class 442 ''Wessex Electrics'']].<ref>{{cite news |title = GTR orders 27 new Class 387-2s to replace Gatwick Express fleet |url = http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Inbox/gtr-confirms-order-for-27-new-class-387-2s-to-replace-gatwick-express-fleet/90090 |access-date = 14 April 2016|work = Rail Technology Magazine |date = 18 November 2014 |archive-date = 23 April 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160423201102/http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Inbox/gtr-confirms-order-for-27-new-class-387-2s-to-replace-gatwick-express-fleet/90090 |url-status = live}}</ref>

The type underwent testing in July 2015,<ref>{{cite news |title = Gatwick Express Class 387/2 EMU on test |url = http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/gatwick-express-class-3872-emu-on-test.html |access-date = 14 April 2016 |work = Railway Gazette |date = 23 July 2015 |archive-date = 14 October 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151014175915/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/gatwick-express-class-3872-emu-on-test.html |url-status = live}}</ref> and began to enter passenger service in February 2016.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news |title = First of 27 new trains starts running on Gatwick Express route |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-35688899 |access-date = 13 April 2016 |work = BBC News |date = 29 February 2016 |archive-date = 2 March 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160302232915/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-35688899 |url-status = live}}</ref> The new trains have 12 carriages compared with 10 for the Class 442, and also feature additional luggage space, [[Wi-Fi|wireless internet]] connectivity and passenger service updates.<ref>{{cite news |title = New Gatwick Express trains take off |url = http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2016/03/11-new-gatwick-express-trains-take.html |access-date = 14 April 2016 |work = Rail News |date = 11 March 2016 |archive-date = 19 April 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160419104456/http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2016/03/11-new-gatwick-express-trains-take.html |url-status = live}}</ref>

In April 2016, drivers belonging to the [[Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen]] (ASLEF) [[trade union]] refused to pick up passengers on the new Class 387 trains. The trains are fitted with "[[One-man operation|Driver-Only Operation]]" (DOO) capability, meaning that the driver closes the doors using CCTV and decides that it is safe to move off, rather than a guard. DOO had been used on the previous 10-car Class 442, but the union claimed that extending this to 12-car trains put too much pressure on the driver and was unsafe. In response, GTR took legal action, and the union ultimately dropped the claim.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/18/govia-thameslink-railway-gatwick-express-aslef-high-court |title = Govia Thameslink takes Aslef union to court over longer trains dispute |work = The Guardian |first = Gwyn |last = Topham |date = 18 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-36601301 |title = Aslef drops legal action and accepts 12-car Gatwick trains |date=23 June 2016 |work=BBC News |access-date = 21 June 2018 |archive-date = 1 December 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171201051828/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-36601301 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The Gatwick Express branded fleet is maintained at [[Brighton Lovers Walk Traction and Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot|Lovers Walk Depot]] with stabling facilities provided at [[Stewarts Lane]] depot. Some classified overhaul work has also been undertaken at [[Hornsey EMU depot and former steam locomotive shed|Hornsey EMU Depot]] taking advantage of the unit's dual voltage capability.

=== Current fleet ===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#f9f9f9;"
! rowspan="2" |Class
! rowspan="2" |Image
! rowspan="2" |Type
! colspan="2" |Top speed
! rowspan="2" |Number
! rowspan="2" |Built
|- style="background:#f9f9f9;"
!mph
!km/h
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[British Rail Class 387|387/2]] ''[[Bombardier Electrostar|Electrostar]]''
| rowspan="2" |[[File:Gatwick_Express_387210_,_Clapham_Junction_24.3.18.jpg|150px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|110
|180
|18
|2015–2016
|-
| colspan="5" |[[File:Gatwick Express Class 387 Diagram.png|800px]]
|}

=== Past fleet ===
Until 1984 the service was operated by [[British Rail Class 423|Class 423 slam-door]] stock, coded 4-VEG (G for Gatwick).

From May 1984 [[British Rail Mark 2|Mark 2F]] stock released from [[Midland Main Line]] duties coupled to a [[British Rail Class 489|Class 489 Gatwick Luggage Van]] took over the services, hauled by {{brc|73}} locomotives.<ref>{{citation| journal=Rail Magazine |issue= 520 |date=17 August 2005 |page =6}}</ref>

A franchise commitment by National Express was the replacement of these with new stock, and eight [[British Rail Class 460|Class 460 ''Junipers'']] started to be delivered from January 1999. Because of reliability problems, some of the old stock remained in service until 2005.

To replace the last of the old stock, a pair of [[British Rail Class 458|Class 458 ''Junipers'']] were transferred from [[South West Trains]] for use as spares. They remained in their existing livery but with Gatwick Express branding and their seating was modified from high density 3+2 seating configuration to 2+2 configuration, some seating being replaced with luggage racks. However, these units never entered service and returned to South West Trains. The Class 460s were withdrawn from service in September 2012 to be merged with the mechanically similar Class 458 units used by South West Trains in order to provide more stock at peak times.<ref>{{cite news |title=SWT to merge Class 458 and Class 460 fleets |url=http://www.railexpress.co.uk/news/swt-to-merge-class-458-and-class-460-fleets |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505150646/http://www.railexpress.co.uk/news/swt-to-merge-class-458-and-class-460-fleets |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 May 2016 |access-date=14 April 2016 |work=Rail Express |date=5 January 2012}}</ref><ref name="catch">{{cite magazine |last1=Foster |first1=Stefanie |title='Catch the train and you've caught the plane' |url=https://www.railmagazine.com/trains/new-trains/catch-the-train-and-you-ve-caught-the-plane |access-date=7 February 2022 |magazine=[[Rail Magazine]] |publisher=Bauer Consumer Media Ltd |date=18 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Unwanted, unreliable – but these trains are the answer |url=https://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2013/04/20-unwanted-unreliable--but-these.html |access-date=1 February 2022 |work=Railnews |date=20 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330222450/https://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2013/04/20-unwanted-unreliable--but-these.html |archive-date=30 March 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Gatwick Express service received 17 refurbished Class 442 ''Wessex Electrics'' from South West Trains from December 2008,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Class 442s receive an extensive internal refit before joining Gatwick Express |magazine=Rail |location= Peterborough |issue=606 |date=3 December 2008 |page=14 }}</ref> followed by a further seven through leases in 2009, after Southern retained the South Central franchise. The additional rolling stock allowed Southern to provide extra capacity on the Gatwick Express services extended to [[Brighton railway station|Brighton]]. The stock were replaced during 2016 by newly built Class 387/2s.<ref name="railfebdebut">{{cite magazine |title=Late-February debut for Gatwick Express Class 387/2s |url= http://www.railmagazine.com/news/fleet/2016/02/03/late-february-debut-for-gatwick-express-class-387/2s |magazine=Rail |location = Peterborough, UK |date = 3 February 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=First GatEx 442 sent off lease |magazine=Rail |issue=798 |date=13 April 2016 |page=30 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Class
!Image
!Type
!Number
!Cars 
!Built
!Withdrawn
|-
|[[British Rail Class 488|488/2]]
|rowspan="2"|[[File:8313 at London Victoria.jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="2"|[[British Railways Mark 2|Converted MK2 carriages]]
|10
|2
|rowspan="3"|1983–1984
|rowspan="3"|2005
|-
|[[British Rail Class 488|488/3]]
|19
|3
|-
|[[British Rail Class 489|489 (GLV)]]
|[[File:9107 at Wirksworth.jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="2"|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|10
|1
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[British Rail Class 460|460 (8GAT) ''Coradia Juniper'']]
|rowspan="2"|[[File:460007 at London Victoria.jpg|100px]]
|8
|8
|1999–2001
|2012
|-
|colspan="5"|[[File:Gatwick Express Class 460.png|912px]]
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[British Rail Class 442|442 (5WES) ''Wessex Electrics'']]
|rowspan="2"|[[File:442411 Gatwick Express.JPG|100px]]
|[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|16
|5
|1988–1989
|2016
|-
|colspan="5"|[[File:Class 442 Gatwick Express Diagram.png|800px]]
|-
|[[British Rail Class 73|73]]
|[[File:73202 'Dave Berry', Lovers Walk 08-Aug-2013.jpg|100px]]
|[[Electro-diesel locomotive]]
|1
|
|1962, 1965–1967
|2019
|}