Police have made an arrest following reports of a man carrying guns on a train near Gatwick Airport. British Transport Police confirmed they received a report at 12.45pm on Friday 20 February 2026 regarding a man with a firearm on a train traveling from Brighton to Gatwick.
Arrest and Investigation Details
Sussex Police officers met the train upon its arrival at Gatwick Airport and arrested a man who was found in possession of two imitation firearms. In a statement, British Transport Police said: "We received a report at 12.45pm on 20 February of a man on board a train from Brighton with a firearm. Sussex Police officers met the train at Gatwick Airport, and arrested a man in possession of two imitation firearms. BTP officers are investigating."
Service Disruptions and Resumption
The incident caused significant travel disruptions at Gatwick Airport. Southern Railway announced on social media that all its trains were temporarily unable to call at the airport, affecting services across multiple operators including Thameslink and Gatwick Express.
However, normal operations resumed relatively quickly. Southern Railway provided an update just before 2.30pm stating: "Disruption caused by the police dealing with an incident at Gatwick Airport has now ended. Services are no longer affected by this problem."
The swift police response and subsequent arrest helped minimize the overall impact on travelers, with rail services returning to their regular schedules within approximately two hours of the initial report.
