Welcome
Conversation at the Golden Whistles turned to a favourite Home Counties byway of mine, the Gatwick to Reading route that threads the picturesque North Downs. Living where I do in the south east corner of the country, the line represents a handy outlet to the West.
The North Downs route represents a fabulous opportunity. Currently there are two short trains per hour (one semi-fast, one stopper – of two to three cars per train) on a 70mph railway. But this route connects economically important areas: the prosperous Thames Valley with London’s second airport. An upgrade to 90mph infrastructure and a doubling of service frequency (two stopping trains an hour between Reading and Redhill, with a couple of Reading – Guildford – Gatwick fasts each hour) would likely wash its face financially.
