Gatwick Airport debuts on London Tube map

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People going to Gatwick Airport will be able to use their Oyster card from 11 January, as the station has been placed on the London Tube map for the first time.

In the largest map ever released by TfL, the stations from Merstham to Gatwick Airport have been added.

The map also depicts another recent change to the Tube system - the creation of Zones 2/3 in east London.

Passengers will now be able to use their Oyster card's ‘pay as you go’ method and contactless payments to get to Gatwick Airport.

The cost of travelling there has also been reduced to £14, or £8 during off-peak times. Rail tickets from London Terminals to Gatwick cost £15.40.

When the expansion was announced in November, Rail Minister Claire Perry said: “Our plan for passengers is to build a 21^st century railway that provides better journeys for all, and improved ticketing is a vital part of that customer experience.”

“This extension of Oyster and contactless embraces some of the latest technology, making journeys easier for customers, offering them a vastly more convenient option.”

“As we undertake the biggest rail modernisation since the Victorian era, improving London to Gatwick by rail is another step to a modern railway that strengthens the economy,” she said.

Shashi Verma, TfL’s Director of Customer Experience, hoped the expansion would “allow travellers from across the world to quickly jump on a train to central London and start their holiday or business trip with minimum fuss.”

Earlier this week, seven stations in east London - Stratford, Stratford International, Stratford High Street, Abbey Road, Canning Town, Star Lane and West Ham – were rezoned from Zone 3 to Zones 2/3, reducing passenger fares.

On 2 January, rail fares rose by one per cent.