Luton DART: Passenger trials take place on £290m air-rail transit system

Passenger trials were under way yesterday (February 1) on the £290m Luton direct air-rail transit (DART) linking London Luton Airport and one of the town’s railway stations.

The driverless shuttle is intended to smoothly transport passengers arriving in Luton by train from London and other parts of the country to the airport terminal.

Volunteers responded to a recent appeal to be part of the initial passenger tests for the system, which has suffered several setbacks, increased costs and delays.

These included ticketing issues, a missing fire hydrant for Luton Airport Parkway railway station and an initial failure by telecom firms to install the six telephone connections ordered for lifts and help points.

An official opening date for the system has still to be announced by Luton Rising, the trading name for the borough council’s airport company London Luton Airport Limited.

Luton Rising said the trials are a “key part of the countdown process before opening”. The company “continues to work towards opening by Easter” and costs “may exceed £290m”, with forecasts predicted in the region of £300m.

The journey from the station to the terminal on a 1.4-mile track takes about three minutes. Work began on the project almost five years ago and it was intended to be completed by the end of 2020.

For yesterday’s first trial, 120 members of the public volunteered to take part and were asked to bring an empty suitcase. Participants were also due to be involved in customer service and health and safety scenarios.

Chief executive officer of Luton Rising Graham Olver said: “We know that many people in Luton are extremely interested in the Luton DART.

“Not only is it a pioneering infrastructure project with environmental benefits, but its contribution to the airport’s success directly benefits local people and services through our unique social investment.

“Passenger trials are a fantastic opportunity to see the scheme up close and we’re grateful to everyone volunteering their time to help us with another major milestone on the journey towards its opening.”

Luton Rising said it will ask volunteers for feedback before reviewing the next steps of the development. A second trial is due to held later this month.

King Charles III was among the first people to travel on the shuttle when he was given a special trip during his visit to Luton in December.

Last month, DART programme director Ruud Haket described it as “a complex project”, saying: “The DART committee has decided to go into the countdown phase, which we’re in now.

“There’s nothing now which materially jeopardises the service. There are a number of construction issues which need finishing, and elements around contracts and the readiness of the organisation.

“There are no dates to report as the Luton Rising board hasn’t decided when to go live yet, so that’s an ongoing process.”