Representation by Richard Salmon
- Date submitted
- 12 September 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
My main concern regarding impacts is on the increased passenger numbers, and increased reliance on public transport (particularly rail) to enable the expected journeys to and from the airport. It is vitally important that as much extra traffic is by public transport rather than further increasing the number of car journeys in the locality. The additional demand on the Brighton main railway line (BML) will undoubtedly have a significant impact on those, like myself, who travel from stations like Redhill. Already our services are degraded compared to what they were a few years ago, particularly as regards the huge reduction of capacity into London Victoria, but also with regards to late evening trains from Gatwick and further south into Redhill, where the service becomes very irregular and sparse, particularly on Saturday evenings. The issue is that as more passengers present from Gatwick, the limited capacity on the BML is likely to further impact negatively on services via Redhill. The various proposals for capacity enhancements on the BML proposed a few years ago by Network Rail (and also on Gatwick-Reading) have been indefinitely postponed for lack of money. The track layout at the south end of Redhill station does not permit an increase in the frequency of Gatwick-Reading trains, and the major constraint on the BML is at East Croydon where proposals to add two more platforms and rebuild the complex junctions north of the station would all add significantly more capacity. These issues are mentioned in 21/4 of the response of 20 July 2023 by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council (RE: TR020005 Gatwick Northern Runway Development Consent Order Application Adequacy of Consultation Request Reigate and Banstead Borough Council Part Response). In addition plans for an additional 12-car turnback platform at Reigate, and capacity enhancements and an additional platform at Wivelsfield are also stalled. In view of the inability of BML to absorb the additional capacity, and the apparent inability of Government to fund the required rail capacity enhancements, I therefore believe the inspector should take the view that it is vital that Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) make a substantial financial contribution to enable those capacity enhancements can be funded and thus reinstated in Network Rail's programme of work. Without those BML capacity enhancements being funded and built, I do not believe the proposal from GAL is environmentally or practically sustainable.