All rail lines through London Gatwick Airport were blocked for one hour this afternoon after British Transport Police (BTP) arrested a man carrying two imitation firearms on a Brighton-to-Gatwick train. The incident, first reported at 13:23 GMT, forced Gatwick Express, Southern, Thameslink and Great Western Railway services to halt, stranding scores of international passengers aiming for flights.
National Rail issued a ‘do not travel’ advisory, estimating delays of up to 45 minutes and warning that knock-on disruption could last through the evening peak. Affected airlines waived minimum-check-in cut-off times, and travel-management companies rebooked clients onto road transfers to meet departure deadlines.
![Gatwick Airport rail shutdown after firearms arrest snarls air-rail connections]()
For travellers suddenly rerouted via alternative hubs or needing new stopovers, up-to-date visa and transit-permit information becomes critical. VisaHQ can smooth this process with rapid online eligibility checks and expedited processing services, helping passengers secure the right documents even while they wait at the airport. Full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
The episode underlines the fragility of surface-access links at the UK’s second-busiest long-haul gateway. Gatwick is unique among London airports in relying on a single main rail corridor; a 60-minute closure can ripple across the entire network and invalidate through-ticket agreements relied upon by corporate travellers.
BTP confirmed the suspect is in custody and that the firearms were replicas, but a security sweep of the station concourse was required before services resumed. Rail-air integration remains a weak point in the UK’s corporate travel ecosystem, and today’s stoppage will revive industry calls for a dedicated contingency bus fleet and real-time ‘flight protect’ ticketing.
National Rail issued a ‘do not travel’ advisory, estimating delays of up to 45 minutes and warning that knock-on disruption could last through the evening peak. Affected airlines waived minimum-check-in cut-off times, and travel-management companies rebooked clients onto road transfers to meet departure deadlines.
For travellers suddenly rerouted via alternative hubs or needing new stopovers, up-to-date visa and transit-permit information becomes critical. VisaHQ can smooth this process with rapid online eligibility checks and expedited processing services, helping passengers secure the right documents even while they wait at the airport. Full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
The episode underlines the fragility of surface-access links at the UK’s second-busiest long-haul gateway. Gatwick is unique among London airports in relying on a single main rail corridor; a 60-minute closure can ripple across the entire network and invalidate through-ticket agreements relied upon by corporate travellers.
BTP confirmed the suspect is in custody and that the firearms were replicas, but a security sweep of the station concourse was required before services resumed. Rail-air integration remains a weak point in the UK’s corporate travel ecosystem, and today’s stoppage will revive industry calls for a dedicated contingency bus fleet and real-time ‘flight protect’ ticketing.
