Gatwick Express class 387 in the brave new world

[Andy1673]

WIth the Corona outbreak and reduced timetable all Gatwick Express services are suspended. Does anyone know the situation? Are any Gatwick Express class 387 units out on Southern services or they simply stored at Lovers Walk and Stewarts Lane?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

If they are on Southern services, it wouldn’t be the first time. After all, they are run by the same TOC. Southern and Gatwick Express are purely sub-brands of Govia Thameslink Railway which is the TOC. I’ve travelled on 387s working engineering work services via Horsham and have also seen pictures of one at Portsmouth & Southsea

 

[BromleyBoi]

They are still out and about. Just been moved onto covering some of the Southern Brighton services.

 

[ThameslinkUser]

The COO of GTR confirmed this plan back on the 26th of March via Twitter

 

[Class 170101]

I would expect most units to move around at some point. Leaving things standing idle for long periods is not a good idea.

 

[Expression357]

WIth the Corona outbreak and reduced timetable all Gatwick Express services are suspended. Does anyone know the situation? Are any Gatwick Express class 387 units out on Southern services or they simply stored at Lovers Walk and Stewarts Lane?

Simply put there were so few Airport passengers travelling, that the Gatwick Express dedicated service was suspended.

However, the trains still need rotating and there are still Gatwick Express crews that require work, so the GX 387 fleet are operating a majority of the Southern 1A** Victoria-Brighton services.

 

[JonathanH]

The point about this was that with a reduced workforce, the Victoria to Brighton services could be run by Gatwick Express crews and the Brighton crews who would usually work the Southern Victoria to Brighton services could cover for their colleagues at Eastbourne / Littlehampton / Bognor / Barnham.

 

[London Trains]

In the May timetable change, the Southern services to Brighton were supposed to stop due to the Gatwick works, and there would only be Gatwick Express services to Brighton.

If the emergency timetable is still running in May, will there be no timetable change and Southern services continue running to Brighton or will the timetable change and Brighton have no service to Victoria?

 

[Andy1673]

In the May timetable change, the Southern services to Brighton were supposed to stop due to the Gatwick works, and there would only be Gatwick Express services to Brighton.

If the emergency timetable is still running in May, will there be no timetable change and Southern services continue running to Brighton or will the timetable change and Brighton have no service to Victoria?

New May timetable contains some late evening 1A** Victoria to Brighton and return services advertised as Southern but (as December'19 and earlier timetables) operated by Gatwick Express 387s. No one knows whether new timetable will start at the time or not. If the emergency (very short planning) timetable will be still run in the second half of May Southern continue run Victoria to Brighton highly likely...
If the situation doesn`t get worse (but I believe it will be much better)