Luton DART and Luton Airport Parkway Updates

[peterblue]

How much is the drop off charge? Enough to make the £4.90 DART fare worthwhile?

The drop off charge for Luton Airport is £5, so it's a marginal saving.

 

[baz962]

Just checked and it's a fiver. Still free to drop off in the mid term and long term car parks though, so that is what you do if dropping someone off.

 

[peterblue]

Just checked and it's a fiver. Still free to drop off in the mid term and long term car parks though, so that is what you do if dropping someone off.

Indeed, and there are similar loopholes for dropping off at Manchester Airport and presumably others

 

[spag23]

£5 for 10 minutes, then £1/minute

 

[Scotrail88]

It's been announced that the DART will commence full operation today, Tuesday 21st March.

I read somewhere that Monday will be last day of the bus operation.
Any confirmation?

 

[smjxm09]

Why would you need to drop off specifically for the DART? Surely you could just drive to the airport drop off point. And the main Parkway station has its own drop off point at the original entrance.

Because it is also a railway station and not just for the Dart

 

[Haywain]

I read somewhere that Monday will be last day of the bus operation.
Any confirmation?

No news yet. I'll post on here if I hear anything.

 

[1D54]

So when DART becomes fully operational is it a case of use it or walk?

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

So when DART becomes fully operational is it a case of use it or walk?

Arriva services from the back of the station continue, with Plusbus being valid. Somehow think the railway won’t be signposting these prominently.

 

[1D54]

Good to know so thank you.

 

[Haywain]

Arriva services from the back of the station continue, with Plusbus being valid. Somehow think the railway won’t be signposting these prominently.

I'm pretty sure that unless flying out and back the same day the bus fare will be cheaper than PlusBus.

 

[Bald Rick]

All depends where you live. Anyone living in Wigmore, Stopsley or east along the A505 corridor cannot turn right on the A505 and into the existing station forecourt from that direction. Instead they have to pass the other station entrance with its double yellow lines in Kimpton Road and then queue to get into Gypsy Lane and past the retail park with its own queue. Pick the wrong time and it is a long wait due to traffic congestion.

If you're coming from that direction you do (I do !!!!) one of three things:

1) drive on the 505 up to Capabilty Green and then back on yourself. Takes 3 minutes.
2) drop them off at mid stay.
3) do a super quick pit stop by the Holiday Inn Express, or on the Kimpton Road.

If you are taking your passengers to the station rather than the airport, then it’s option 1.

 

[Joshua_Harman]

I read somewhere that Monday will be last day of the bus operation.
Any confirmation?

I heard 26th (Sunday)

 

[Edvid]

Full operation is confirmed as happening on Monday 27 March.

21/03/2023 - Luton DART to officially open on Monday 27 March​

​

The Luton DART connecting London Luton Airport with national rail services in under four minutes will officially open for business on Monday 27 March, it was confirmed during a launch celebration event today.
The announcement was made by Councillor Hazel Simmons MBE on behalf of Luton Council and Luton Rising, its company that owns the airport and has built the new automated people mover.

The Luton DART seamlessly and sustainably connects the airport terminal and the mainline railway at Luton Airport Parkway station where there are direct services to more than 60 stations.

The journey from London St Pancras International to London Luton Airport terminal will take as little as 32 minutes on the twice-hourly, non-stop Luton Airport Express, connected by East Midlands Railway (EMR), and from around 40 minutes on Thameslink’s frequent services.

The Luton DART replaces the existing bus service, which will be terminated, and the transfer is included in any rail ticket where customers choose ‘Luton Airport’ as the start or end point of the journey.

Tickets are available now from all national rail retailers.

Using EMR’s advance tickets a family of four will be able to secure travel between St Pancras International and the London Luton Airport terminal for as little £48.60 and individual tickets start from £10.

All passengers holding a concessionary bus pass, such as pensioners, people with a disability or acting as companion travellers, will be entitled to register to use the Luton DART for free, along with Luton Airport staff.

Residents of Luton are also entitled to register for half-priced travel.

For all these concessionary fares, go to www.lutondart.com and register at least 72 hours before travel.

Cllr Hazel Simmons MBE, Leader of Luton Council, said: “It was as long ago as 2014 that we first began thinking about how we could improve our airport’s rail passenger transfer, how it could be a world-class experience to tempt people away from their cars, and how it could be future-proofed to support onward growth. Here we are now, on the cusp of an exciting new era for our town, our airport, and the people of Luton who benefit from its success.”

Cllr Javeria Hussain, Chair of Luton Rising, said: “Since 1998 Luton Rising has already earned its position as by far the most socially impactful airport owner in the UK, providing the council with more than £300m for the front-line services that local people rely on, and the charitable sector with a further £180m that supports some of our most vulnerable residents. The Luton DART helps secure this support, and the economic and employment growth of the airport, for future generations.

“We also want to be known as an environmental exemplar, and the Luton DART is significant evidence of the environmental thinking that has also led to our development of a unique Green Controlled Growth framework for the airport’s long-term proposed expansion.”

Graham Olver, Chief Executive Officer of Luton Rising, added: “The Luton DART provides new speed, reliability and convenience for rail passengers. In improving the connectivity between the national rail network and our airport system, it’s also a game-changer for our airport’s competitive position in the London and UK aviation systems – and that secures and enhances prospects for everyone who relies on our airport for their own prosperity.”

At the launch celebration, Mayor of Luton Councillor Sameera Saleem was joined by Luton Town Football Club legend Mick Harford and Grammy Award-winning Luton-born film composer David Arnold to cut a ribbon.

The highly-acclaimed Luton Youth Funk Orchestra serenaded guests with live performances of ‘Come Fly With Me’, immortalised by Frank Sinatra, on the Luton DART.

Alberto Martin, CEO of London Luton Airport, commented: “The DART is a transformational development for London Luton Airport. Luton Rising’s investment in the DART will fundamentally enhance the simple and friendly passenger experience we work hard to deliver each day - offering a faster, more convenient airport transfer for rail passengers and supporting our commitment to deliver enhanced connectivity to the airport.

“But the impact of the DART will go beyond the enhanced ease and convenience for passengers. It will also be instrumental in the airport’s plans for future sustainable growth, encouraging passengers away from their cars and onto public transport. We look forward to welcoming the many thousands of passengers who will choose to arrive at our terminal via the DART.”

Simon Pready, Commercial Director of East Midlands Railway, said: “The DART represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Luton and we are proud to be part of such an environmentally and economically important project.

“EMR’s Luton Airport Express will provide customers travelling from the capital and the south, a convenient, fast and environmentally friendly way to get to the airport – with a trip taking as little as 32 minutes and costing from just £10 – it’s a great option.

“I’m personally looking forward to speaking to our customers to find out where they are jetting off to.”

Keith Jipps, Infrastructure Director for Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “DART is great news for Luton and for our customers. It means we can offer a faster, more frequent, easier and more environmentally friendly airport transfer. And with up to eight Thameslink trains an hour, passengers have direct links to and from our airport station with five central London stations and 50 local stations between Bedfordshire, Sussex and Kent.

“Rail is the most sustainable public transport available, yet just one in five trips are made by train. With DART, working closely with Luton Rising and the airport, we hope to grow that number significantly for everyone's benefit.”

There's also a couple of image galleries linked on the Luton Rising press release. Furthermore...

Anyone living in Wigmore, Stopsley or east along the A505 corridor cannot turn right on the A1081 and into the existing station forecourt from that direction.

1) drive on the A1081 up to Capabilty Green and then back on yourself. Takes 3 minutes.

Corrections shown in bold. Kimpton Road itself is on the A505.

 

[spag23]

Interesting. From the above release, it now seems that it's only registering that has to be done 72 hours in advance of travel.
After then, actually booking the tickets can be done on the spot (subject to mobile access).
As an experiment I've started to buy a ticket for this afternoon, and it's not objecting.
So it seems the booking is not as restrictive as we'd thought.

 

[Starmill]

Indeed, and there are similar loopholes for dropping off at Manchester Airport and presumably others

It's not really a loophole though is it? The bus from the drop-off point to the terminal is free and provided by the airport. It is an incentive to get people to for the airport's car parking, use public transport, or drop off remotely. The original drop-off points were well over-capacity, and the queue to use them was blocking the other routes around the airport which affected operations. This is the main reason for introducing the charge and in that respect it has been very successful.

 

[nbdm]

It's not really a loophole though is it? The bus from the drop-off point to the terminal is free and provided by the airport. It is an incentive to get people to for the airport's car parking, use public transport, or drop off remotely. The original drop-off points were well over-capacity, and the queue to use them was blocking the other routes around the airport which affected operations. This is the main reason for introducing the charge and in that respect it has been very successful.

Similar to Luton, Birmingham airport have a free drop-off a 10 minute(ish) walk from the terminal, or a 'premium' one outside the terminal doors starting at £3 for 15 minutes.
It is not uncommon for people to exit the air-rail link straight into waiting cars avoiding both the terminal drop off charges or having to walk far. Some even park in the station MSCP which can be cheaper than official airport parking.
The air-rail link is free to use and the drop-off area at the railway station is free (although has a 20 minute limit, with little enforcement)
I imagine Luton require tickets to try and avoid similar situations with their people mover, while of course needing to pay back the construction costs.

The BHX air-rail link does also provide access to the NEC, that may be part of the reason for no ticketing as people stay at airport hotels during NEC events and vice-versa.

 

[Bald Rick]

I imagine Luton require tickets to try and avoid similar situations with their people mover, while of course needing to pay back the construction costs.

Yes - when you have a c£300m loan to pay off, the banks do get a little tetchy…

 

[edwin_m]

Note how DART was marketed from the start as a Metro, with publicity pictures showing doctored photos of Dubai. This was clearly seeking to position it in the market as a paid service rather than a free shuttle, despite being technically almost identical to the one in Birmingham.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Note how DART was marketed from the start as a Metro, with publicity pictures showing doctored photos of Dubai. This was clearly seeking to position it in the market as a paid service rather than a free shuttle, despite being technically almost identical to the one in Birmingham.

Technically very similar to a former part (now converted to one of M. Michelin's "guided bus" metros as per Paris) of the Lausanne Metro too, if I recall. It isn't the technology that makes it one, it's how it's used and priced.

 

[pdeaves]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but... is it straightforward to use the 'dart' system without flying? Could I travel out from the main line and back again without being 'forced' around the airport bits and bobs?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but... is it straightforward to use the 'dart' system without flying? Could I travel out from the main line and back again without being 'forced' around the airport bits and bobs?

Yes, it goes to the "landside" part of the airport.

 

[pdeaves]

Yes, it goes to the "landside" part of the airport.

Thanks!

 

[spag23]

Yes, it goes to the "landside" part of the airport.

Not just landside, but outside. You have to walk in the open air, in all weathers, the last hundred yards into the terminal building. OK, a canopy part of the way.

 

[Haywain]

It has been announced that the shuttle bus from Parkway will cease at midnight tonight.

Yes - when you have a c£300m loan to pay off, the banks do get a little tetchy…

Nowt to do with banks, the money was borrowed from Luton Borough Council who, in turn, borrowed it from the government. Luton Borough make a bit on the deal by charging a higher interest rate than the government.

 

[Bald Rick]

Nowt to do with banks, the money was borrowed from Luton Borough Council who, in turn, borrowed it from the government. Luton Borough make a bit on the deal by charging a higher interest rate than the government.

I was using ‘banks’ in the broadest sense, ie lenders!

 

[cuemaster]

I was using ‘banks’ in the broadest sense, ie lenders!

You could argue the government obtain its funds from the Bank of England which is of course a bank! So your original post stands....

Seperately pleased to hear the cost to use the Luton Dart for a return journey is £4.80...quite reasonable.

 

[smjxm09]

You could argue the government obtain its funds from the Bank of England which is of course a bank! So your original post stands....

Seperately pleased to hear the cost to use the Luton Dart for a return journey is £4.80...quite reasonable.

No discounts for booking the Dart in advance or booking a return. There are bid discounts for the EMR leg of the journey if booked in advance.

 

[yorkie]

This thread is to discuss the actual DART system/infrastructure; if anyone would like to discuss DART ticketing, please use the following thread in the relevant forum section:

Luton Airport DART ticketing discussion

Sorry if this has been answered already but, if it has, I haven't been able to find it by searching: Is an Anytime Return from Luton Airport Parkway to Luton Airport (as shown on, for example, Trainsplit) valid on the DART? And if so, where do they get off trying to charge people £4.90 single...

www.railforums.co.uk

Thanks

 

[norbitonflyer]

Indeed, and there are similar loopholes for dropping off at Manchester Airport and presumably others

Stansted for one - drop off in the long stay car park and wait for the shuttle bus.