GATWICK EXPRESS, one of the better innovations by railway operators over the years, could be saved. The now defunct Strategic Rail Authority called for the service to be scrapped in September 2000 citing a poor train service into the Sussex residential belt and to Brighton. Following intense lobbying by airlines and users, BAA current franchise holder National Express has come up with a plan which does away with the now largely redundant baggage facilities, gaining 40 more seats. Trains would be rescheduled and not held so long at Gatwick Airport, which did cause a bottleneck. All peak hour services would stop at Three Bridges, south of the airport, ideal for Crawley commuters. Mike Carrivick, chief executive of Bar UK, said after a meeting with the Department for Transport's rail director-general Mike Mitchell that the Gatwick Express could be saved. Mr Carrivick added: "We got the impression there has been a rethink about the Gatwick Express and we are now a bit more hopeful it might stay in place. "We believe it is a big mistake to take away a direct rail link at a time when air passenger numbers are growing."
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