Press release -
Thameslink welcomes announcement of Luton DART airport connection
Thameslink have welcomed the announcement by Luton Rising and Luton Borough Council today [24 February] that the Luton DART station-airport shuttle service is on course to open fully for commercial operations around the end of March.
The Luton DART (Direct Air-Rail Transit) is a new fast passenger transit system connecting Luton Airport Parkway station to London Luton Airport, the UK’s fifth largest, in just over 3 minutes.
The fully-automated people mover is a major local investment by Luton Rising - the Council’s business and social enterprise that owns Luton Airport - and the Council itself.
The DART will offer seamless, sustainable travel between the airport and Luton Airport Parkway, which provides direct services to more than 50 Thameslink stations, including five in Central London. The four-carriage, 170-capacity DART will replace the existing bus transfer service, providing step-free, indoor transfers between station and airport in less than half the time and at more than twice the frequency, with no traffic delays.
For instance, the complete journey from London St Pancras International to London Luton Airport terminal will take from around 40 minutes using Thameslink’s frequent services.
Thameslink Managing Director Tom Moran said: “This is exciting news. We’re delighted for our customers travelling to and from Luton Airport, whose transfers between train and plane will soon be so much faster and easier. It’s another reason to choose the train when travelling to Luton Airport.
“The DART provides seamless, step-free transfers inside Luton Airport Parkway station, which is served by up to eight Thameslink trains an hour. You can board a direct train to the airport from over 50 Thameslink stations, including five in Central London and busy hubs such as Bedford, Brighton and the Medway Towns in North Kent. The network’s great connections, including the Elizabeth line at Farringdon, make a train to London Luton Airport a simple, sustainable option for millions of people in the South East.”
Ends
Note to editors
For more information about the Luton DART, see Luton Rising's website.
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For more information, contact the press office on 0203 750 2031.
Govia Thameslink Railway
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services as follows:
- Thameslink – cross-London services between Bedford/Peterborough/Cambridge and Brighton/Horsham/Littlehampton/East Grinstead, and between Luton/St Albans and Sutton/Wimbledon/Rainham; plus services between London and Sevenoaks
- Great Northern – services between London and Welwyn, Hertford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn
- Southern – services between London and the Sussex coast (Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Hastings) and parts of Surrey, Kent and Hampshire (Ashford International, Southampton, Portsmouth)
- Gatwick Express – fast, non-stop direct services between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria
www.southernrailway.com, www.thameslinkrailway.com, www.gatwickexpress.com, www.greatnorthernrail.com
