'Unfounded and entirely inaccurate': LLAL hits back at councillor's claims DART left tracks during testing

The direct air to rail transit (DART) will carry passengers from Luton Airport Parkway Station to the airport terminal in under five minutes

The council-owned company, London Luton Airport Limited (LLAL), has made the statement following comments made by Liberal Democrat Cllr David Franks that the DART was undergoing testing problems.

Appearing at the council's overview and scrutiny board yesterday, Cllr Franks said: "It's because there's some problem with either the traction, the pulley system or the wheels."

Today, Graham Olver, CEO of LLAL, said: “We wish to make it absolutely clear that any suggestion that the DART may have left the tracks at any point during testing is wholly unfounded and entirely inaccurate.

“There have been absolutely no incidents of this nature, nor any operational problems with either the traction, pulley system or the wheels.

"It is extremely regrettable that these comments have been put into the public domain without questions first being put to us.

“Our nine-month programme of testing for the Luton DART is robust, rigorous and significantly advanced, and we are pleased to report that so far it has proceeded entirely according to plan.”