Luton Airport: £225million DART air to rail transport link delayed until 2023

The pioneering £225m Luton direct air-rail transit (DART) has suffered another delay, ending hopes of carrying its first passengers this year.

Luton DART is a major local investment project by the borough council and the airport owner Luton Rising, which is the trading name of London Luton Airport Limited (LLAL).

Construction costs for the development had risen to £261.7m as of March 31 2021, according to the LLAL accounts for 2020/21.

Based on a useful economic life of 40 years, these accounts estimate that only £77m will be recoverable or just under a third of the current expenditure on the scheme, with “an impairment of £184.7m”.

In a statement released today, a Luton Rising spokesman confirmed an opening announcement for Luton DART is expected to be made in early 2023.

The cable-hauled fast transit service will allow passengers to get on a train at London St Pancras Station and step inside the London Luton Airport terminal just over half an hour later.

Once in service, it would connect Luton Airport Parkway station to the airport terminal in a journey of just over three minutes.

Luton Rising chief executive officer Graham Olver said: “We’d hoped for an announcement of opening the Luton DART in 2022, and we’ll do so as soon as we’re assured passengers will get the world-class service they deserve.

“Testing of the system is significantly advanced, but there remain several important tasks that we’re working to complete with our partners.

“These relate mostly to complexities and alignment of the system’s revenue and ticketing arrangements. This will also allow us more time to complete all the regulatory, operational and health and safety testing.

“The Luton DART is one of the biggest infrastructure projects ever undertaken locally and will put our town and our airport firmly on the map for all the right reasons.

“It’s a vital investment which signals our commitment to the ongoing success of the airport for the benefit of our passengers, airlines and the people of Luton,” he explained.

“Everything we do is aimed not only at supporting economic and employment growth, but also generating positive outcomes for the community and acting in an environmentally responsible way.

“Electrically powered, energy efficient, and future-proofed to support sustainable growth of the airport, the DART helps us continue to deliver social impact on a scale well beyond any other UK airport.”

The DART aims to increase the number of rail passengers accessing the airport, while supporting the delivery of the Luton 2040 vision of a carbon-neutral town, said the statement.

“This objective includes reducing the environmental impact of journeys to and from the airport, as well as congestion on surrounding roads.”

It can offer “direct, seamless, sustainable travel to London Luton Airport from more than 60 stations across the Thameslink and East Midlands Railway network, replacing the current bus transfer service”.

The local authority’s airport company is the sole shareholder in the Luton DART, while the airport is operated by a private company, entirely separate to LLAL, under a concession agreement.