Posted 24th February 2023 | No Comments

Luton Airport rail link to open in March

The delayed Luton DART line, a people mover connecting Luton Airport Parkway on the Midland Main Line with London Luton Airport, is expected to have a ‘soft’ launch on 10 March, with full services set to follow ‘around the end of March’.

The DART was visited by the King on 6 December, an event which recalled the previous visit to the area by his mother the late Queen, when she opened Luton Airport Parkway station in 1999.

When the new link has opened fully, the existing bus link between the station and airport will be withdrawn. Luton Airport Parkway is served by two fast East Midlands Railway services from St Pancras International each hour, as well as Thameslink trains.

From 10 March, the council-owned airport company Luton Rising expects that the people mover will run for about four hours a day, in preparation for a 24-hour service from the end of the month, and the opinions of passengers will be invited. The single fare will be £4.90, compared with £2.50 on the bus.

A council spokesman said: ‘The fare is based on independent assessment and sound rationale, reflecting the value of time saved and convenience and the quality of what we are providing compared to what went before.’

Until the end of March, passengers who have a ticket for the existing bus transfer will be invited to take the DART at no additional charge.

The cost of the project has risen from a planned £225 million to £300 million, and the opening will come two years later than originally planned.

Luton Borough Council leader Cllr Hazel Simmons said: ‘The Luton DART is one of the biggest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Luton and promises to put our town and our airport firmly on the map for all the right reasons. Electrically-powered, energy-efficient, and future-proofed to support sustainable growth of the airport, it is a vital sign of our commitment to encourage more passengers to take the train rather than individual car journeys to and from our airport.’