A Gatwick Airport boss has said rail services are not fit for purpose.

Gatwick's chief commercial officer Guy Stephenson told a trade magazine that the current Gatwick Express was not up to scratch and that Southern Trains must do something about it.

Mr Stephenson’s remarks follow a decision to run Gatwick Express trains to Brighton, ending the dedicated non-stop service to the airport from London Victoria.

Until recently the Gatwick Express operated a fleet of carriages built in 2001 called Junipers. Now they have been replaced with Wessex Eclectics, built 13 years earlier.

The decision was taken by the Government so Gatwick Express trains could run to Brighton at busy times of the day. It was not possible to run extra trains between Gatwick and the capital because the timetable is already so full.

Passengers have complained that the substituted carriages have smaller doors and gangways and less space for luggage. Guy Stephenson told Rail magazine: “The needs of air passengers are very different from commuters. The ambience is poor. It’s not a modern environment. It is not fit for purpose and our customers expect better.”

But a spokeswoman for Gatwick denied a rift between the airport and train management.

She said: “We’re working hard to ensure our requirements for an improved rail service, and those of our airlines and their customers, are included in the super franchise agreement. For example, we are pushing for the Gatwick Express to become a dedicated, non-stop premium service to guarantee our passengers a seat.

“We are also pushing for new, high-quality rolling stock to be delivered which better meets the specific needs of air-rail passengers. Our passengers also want trains which are accessible for all users. By working in partnership with Government, Network Rail and the train operating companies we will be able to provide the sort of rail services that are envied by other airports across the UK and further afield and make Gatwick the easiest airport to travel to by far.”

Southern insisted their trains were now more reliable than ever before.

Southern’s managing director, Chris Burchell, said: “I do not accept that Gatwick Express is not up to scratch. We have invested £14million in modernising the fleet to improve passenger comfort and train reliability.

“What is fair to say is that today’s service is required at the same time to meet both the needs of airport users and to provide thousands of additional seats each week for our growing number of commuters. This is not an easy challenge to overcome but it is part of the plan to retain the Gatwick Express during this franchise in the face of capacity constraints on the Brighton mainline.

“A major capacity injection will be coming on stream over the next few years with the Thameslink Programme and the Government is currently consulting on what should be included in this next franchise period.”