Luton DART

The Luton DART is an airport rail link in Bedfordshire, England, which connects Luton Airport Parkway station and Luton Airport using a Cable Liner automated people mover system. DART is an acronym for Direct Air-Rail Transit. The line replaces the shuttle bus service, with the aim of reducing road congestion and reducing journey times from London St Pancras to the airport terminal to 32 minutes. Luton DART opened to passengers on 10 March 2023 with a limited service of four hours per day, and now runs 24 hours a day.[2][3]

Luton DART
Map of the transit route
Map of the transit route
Overview
OwnerLuton Borough Council
Transit typeAutomated guided people mover (light metro)
Number of stations2
Websitewww.lutondart.com
Operation
Began operation10 March 2023 (2023-03-10)[1]
Number of vehicles2
Technical
System length1.4 miles (2.3 km)
No. of tracks2
System map
Midland main line
Luton Airport Parkway
A1081
London Luton Airport
Depot

History

Background

From the 1950s and 1960s, Luton Airport experienced an increase in business as a result of the growing package holiday market.[4][5] Although the Midland Main Line passed within 1 mile (1.6 km) of the airport, there was no dedicated railway station and public transport connections to Luton Airport were limited. A shuttle bus service operated from Luton railway station, to convey rail passengers 2 miles (3.2 km) from Luton town centre to the airport terminal.[6]

Luton Airport Parkway railway station opened in 1999, providing rail connections to central and south London, Gatwick Airport and Brighton on the Thameslink route, as well as services to the East Midlands. Although the new station was closer to the airport (1 mile (1.6 km) to the west), it was still necessary to run a shuttle bus transfer service.[7][8][9]

The shuttle bus was considered to be unsatisfactory, and proposals were developed to replace the bus service with a new rail link. Several schemes were considered, including a 2007 proposal to replace the shuttle buses with segregated tracked transit conveyors,[10] and in 2015, a heavy rail spur link to the airport was also being considered.[11] The steep incline from the airport — approximately 40 metres (130 ft) downhill to Luton Airport Parkway station — presented engineering challenges to building any heavy rail link over the short distance to the airport terminal.[12]

In April 2016, London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL) announced a scheme to create a light rail/automated guided people mover connection between the airport and Luton Airport Parkway station.[13] It was envisaged that the introduction of a light-rail link would reduce the journey time between London St Pancras and the airport terminal to less than 30 minutes.[12] At launch, that figure is 32 minutes.[14]

Construction
Luton Airport Parkway DART station under construction (February 2020)

The Luton DART link was approved by Luton Borough Council in June 2017.[15][16] Construction work commenced in April 2018, contracted to a VolkerFitzpatrick / Kier Group joint venture.[17][18]

The project involved construction of bridges over the A1081 road and tunnels, along with two stations in phase 1. The first station was built at Bartlett Square in Napier Park on the east side of Luton Airport Parkway station, and the final station at the airport.[19] In 2018, it was announced that the system would be a Cable Liner, manufactured by the Austrian transit manufacturer, Doppelmayr Cable Car (DCC), who also have a contract to operate the system for the first five years.[20] The vehicles will be built by the Austrian cabin manufacturer Carvatech.[21]

In December 2019, a ready-constructed, 80-metre (260 ft)-long, 1,000-tonne curved bridge was moved into place over the A1081 road on large jacks.[22] Construction work on the line was halted briefly in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic over concerns related to Coronavirus Health Protection Regulations, but resumed after a safety assessment.[23] The cable propulsion system was completed in February 2020 and work then began to install the people mover vehicles on the guide rails.[24] A new light rail terminus building has been constructed next to the railway station. The DART platforms are located on a new upper level above the current station, and are connected to the main-line rail platforms via a new footbridge, complete with lifts and escalators.[25]

Testing of the transit vehicles began in 2021. In August of that year, reports emerged of problems experienced with the traction or the pulley system during testing, and that a DART vehicle had become derailed. This was denied by LLAL.[26]

Opening
Luton Airport Parkway station concourse
Luton Airport station platform

The system was originally scheduled to open in 2021. Following delays resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening date was revised to late 2022. The planned opening was later delayed due to further technical testing and development of the ticketing system.[27][28][29][30]

On 6 December 2022, King Charles III visited the Luton DART terminal station during a royal visit to the town. He unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit before travelling on the new transit system.[31][32]

Passenger trials began in February 2023,[33] with a second batch of trials announced for March. The service opened to all passengers for four hours per day on 10 March. It is expected to open 24 hours per day on 27 March.[1][2]

Route
Aerial view of Luton Airport in February 2022; the Luton DART line crosses the picture from the mainline railway station in the bottom-left, terminating at the airport in the centre of the photo

The 2.1 km (1.3 mi) DART line begins at Luton DART Parkway, a purpose-built station adjoining Luton Airport Parkway railway station, which provides an interchange with East Midlands Railway and Thameslink passenger rail services.[19]

DART vehicles head south-eastwards along a 350-metre (380-yard) viaduct. After crossing the A1081 road, the vehicles curve eastwards along a 1.1 km (0.68-mile) cutting and concrete trough before entering a 350-metre cut-and-cover tunnel under the airport apron. The eastern terminus is located at a new subterranean Central Terminal station underneath the drop-off area in front of the terminal building.[19]

Operation
Interior of DART shuttle train

Luton DART is operated by a subsidiary company wholly owned by London Luton Airport Limited (LLAL, trading as Luton Rising).[34]

The DART will run 24 hours a day beginning on 27 March.[2]

The single fare for the DART is £4.90, with concessions for Luton residents, and free travel for holders of concessionary travel passes, disabled blue badge holders and airport workers.[35] Rail tickets marked "Luton Airport" will include a ride on the DART.[36][37]

East Midlands Railway will run a new express service every half an hour from London St Pancras to Luton Airport Parkway, with ticket prices including a ride on the DART.[38][39]

Controversies

A member of Luton Borough Council's overview and scrutiny board called for an independent investigation into Luton DART's two year delay and £90 million budget increase.[40]

The £4.90 DART fare has been criticised as too expensive for the short journey; at £3.95 per mile, it is claimed by The Guardian to be the most expensive train in Britain by distance.[41] Luton Airport notes that through tickets to destinations across the UK will be available - with advance tickets to London around £10. A "walk up" fare from the airport to London St Pancras will cost £22.40, which is similar in price to other airport rail links in the UK (such as Heathrow Express).[37]

The existing shuttle bus which has a fare of £2.40 single, with a return fare of £3.80 is due to be withdrawn.[42]

Future extension

As part of the proposals for the expansion of Luton Airport, it is envisaged that the DART line would be extended eastwards to terminate at a new station serving Terminal 2.[43][44]

References
  1. "Luton Dart airport shuttle welcomes first passengers". BBC News. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  2. "Luton DART will officially open on Monday - connecting Luton Airport to national rail services in under 4 minutes".
  3. @LutonRising (23 March 2023). "Luton DART is now open" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. "Airport History". London Luton Airport. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2007.
  5. "Luton Airport marks 80th birthday". BBC News. 16 July 2018. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  6. Beddall, David (30 October 2022). Luton's Transport: A Journey Through Time. Pen & Sword. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-5267-5561-2. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  7. Haywood, Russell (23 March 2016). Railways, Urban Development and Town Planning in Britain: 1948–2008. Routledge. p. 225. ISBN 978-1-317-07164-8. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  8. Shannon, Paul D. (30 November 2019). British Railway Infrastructure Since 1970: An Historical Overview. Pen & Sword. pp. 128–129. ISBN 978-1-5267-3480-8. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  9. David, Gareth (30 September 2017). Railway Renaissance: Britain's Railways After Beeching. Pen & Sword. p. 195. ISBN 978-1-4738-6202-9. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  10. "Blue Skies Easing the Pressure". The Monitor. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
  11. "Luton Airport reveals plans for new direct rail service". Railway Technology. 21 July 2015. Archived from the original on 12 August 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  12. Topham, Gwyn (15 April 2016). "Luton airport to replace bus transfers with £200m light rail link". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  13. Luton airport peoplemover plan announced Railway Gazette International 15 April 2016
  14. "Luton Airport Express". East Midlands Railway. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  15. "New railway connection to London Luton Airport approved". BBC News. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  16. "London Luton Airport peoplemover approved". Metro Report International. Sutton: DVV Media Group. 6 July 2017.
  17. "Work begins on new £225 million rail link at Luton Airport". ITV News Anglia. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  18. VolkerFitzpatrick-Kier jv wins £119m Luton airport rail link Construction Enquirer January 2018
  19. Horgan, Rob (30 April 2021). "Luton Dart: Autonomous rail link between airport and station nears completion". New Civil Engineer. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  20. "Doppelmayr Cable Car to build Cable Liner in London" (Press release). 18 April 2018. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  21. "Luton Dart". Carvatech. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  22. Sketchley, Elisha (3 December 2019). "1,000 tonne Luton DART bridge opens". Planning, BIM & Construction Today. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  23. "Work restarts on the Luton DART after review of how government's COVID-19 guidance was being implemented". www.lutontoday.co.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  24. "DART train between London Luton Airport and St Pancras one step closer". ITV News. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  25. "Transforming Luton Airport Parkway". www.thameslinkrailway.com. Govia Thameslink Railway Ltd. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  26. "'Testing problems' with £225m Luton DART, meeting told". www.lutontoday.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  27. "Luton DART". Luton Rising. London Luton airport Ltd. 6 September 2021. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  28. Horgan, Rob (5 October 2022). "Luton Airport's £260M autonomous light rail link delayed". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  29. Duncan, Euan (4 October 2022). "£225million DART air to rail transport link for Luton Airport delayed until 2023". www.lutontoday.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  30. "Luton airport shuttle used by King to open by Easter". BBC News. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  31. Hutchinson, Laura (6 December 2022). "In Pictures: King Charles rides Luton DART during visit to the town". Luton Today. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  32. "King Charles III boards delayed Luton DART airport shuttle". BBC News. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  33. "Luton DART: Passenger trials take place on £290m air-rail transit system". Luton Today.
  34. "Luton Airport's new £225m DART project will be run by a new subsidiary company". www.lutontoday.co.uk. 2 August 2022. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  35. Duncan, Euan (19 October 2022). "Fares for new Luton Airport DART transport system unveiled". bedfordshirelive. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  36. Preston, Olivia (6 March 2023). "Luton DART set to replace shuttle bus service by end of March". Luton Today. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  37. "Luton airport Dart rail shuttle finally set to open – at a price". The Independent. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023. East Midlands Railway, which will provide the Luton Airport Express service as part of its normal network from London via Luton to Bedford and Corby, says at least 25 per cent of Advance tickets between the capital and the airport will be sold at £10 one way or less – including the Dart portion of the journey. The full "walk-up" fare is £22.40 one way, which is comparable with the express rail links serving Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted from central London.
  38. "Luton Airport Express". East Midlands Railway. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  39. "Luton airport Dart rail shuttle finally set to open – at a price". The Independent. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023. A newly branded Luton Airport Express train from London St Pancras will run nonstop every half-hour with a journey time of just 22 minutes.
  40. "Investigate airport shuttle delay, councillor says". BBC. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  41. "Luton Dart: 'the most expensive train in Britain' opens for business". The Guardian. 3 March 2023.
  42. "Train Information to LLA – London Luton Airport". london-luton.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  43. "Future LuToN Statutory Consultation 2019" (PDF). London Luton Airport Ltd. October 2019. pp. 4, 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2019.
  44. "Welcome to our expansion proposals". Luton Rising. 30 January 2022. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
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