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The Luton DART is an airport rail link in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, which connects Luton Airport Parkway station and Luton Airport ( London Luton Airport) using a Cable Liner automated people mover system. DART is an acronym for Direct Air–Rail Transit. The line, which opened in March 2023, replaces the airport bus service, with the aim of reducing road congestion. Luton Airport is part of the system of six airports serving London; with East Midlands Railway (EMR) service from Central London's St Pancras railway station to Luton Airport Parkway station, the combined EMR-DART system reduces journey times from St Pancras to the airport terminal to 32minutes.
Luton Airport Parkway railway station opened in 1999, providing rail connections to central and south London, Gatwick Airport and on the Thameslink route, as well as services to the East Midlands. Although the new station was closer to the airport to the west it was still necessary to run a shuttle bus transfer service.
The shuttle bus was considered to be unsatisfactory, and proposals were developed to replace the bus service with a new rail link. Several schemes were considered, including a 2007 proposal to replace the shuttle buses with People mover conveyors, and in 2015, a heavy rail spur line link to the airport was also being considered. The steep incline from the airport approximately downhill to Luton Airport Parkway station presented engineering challenges to building any heavy rail link over the short distance to the airport terminal.
In April 2016, London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL) announced a scheme to create a light rail/People mover connection between the airport and Luton Airport Parkway station. It was envisaged that the introduction of a light-rail link would reduce the journey time between London St Pancras and the airport terminal to less than 30minutes. At launch, that figure is 32minutes.
The project involved construction of bridges over the A1081 road and tunnels, along with two stations in phase 1. The first station was built at Bartlett Square in Napier Park on the east side of Luton Airport Parkway station, and the final station at the airport. In 2018, it was announced that the system would be a Cable Liner, manufactured by the Austrian transit manufacturer, Doppelmayr Cable Car (DCC), who also have a contract to operate the system for the first five years. The vehicles were built by the Austrian cabin manufacturer Carvatech.
In December 2019, a ready-constructed, -long, curved bridge was moved into place over the A1081 road on large jacks. Construction work on the line was halted briefly in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic over concerns related to Coronavirus Health Protection Regulations, but resumed after a safety assessment. The cable propulsion system was completed in February 2020 and work then began to install the people mover vehicles on the guide rails. A new light rail terminus building has been constructed next to the railway station.
Testing of the transit vehicles began in 2021. In August of that year, reports emerged of problems experienced with the traction or the pulley system during testing, and that a DART vehicle had become derailment. This was denied by LLAL.
On 6 December 2022, Charles III visited the Luton DART during a royal visit to the town. He unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit before travelling on the new transit system.
Passenger trials began in February 2023, with a second batch of trials announced for March. The service opened to all passengers for four hours per day on 10 March. It subsequently opened for 24 hours per day on 27 March 2023.
DART vehicles head southeastwards along a viaduct. After crossing the A1081 road, the vehicles curve eastwards along a cutting and concrete trough before entering a 350-metre cut-and-cover tunnel under the airport apron.
The eastern airport terminus is located at a new subterranean station underneath the drop-off area in front of the terminal building. Access to a surface level concourse and barrier line is provided by escalators and lifts; the airport terminal is a covered but outdoor walk from the station concourse.
The £4.90 DART fare has been criticised as too expensive for the short journey; at £3.95 per mile, it is claimed by The Guardian to be the most expensive train in Britain by distance.
East Midlands Railway states that to destinations across the UK will be available. A "walk up" fare from the airport to London St Pancras will cost £22.40 one way, which it says is similar in price to other airport rail links in the UK (such as Heathrow Express), though at least 25 per cent of Advance tickets will be sold at £10 one way or less.
Thameslink also provides service to Luton Airport Parkway, with six trains an hour calling at the station in both directions during the day. To the north trains run to Luton and Bedford, and to the south they serve London St Pancras and continue to various destinations to the south of London, including , and . The journey time to St Pancras varies between 40 and 50minutes depending on the stopping pattern.
Future developments
As part of the proposals for the expansion of Luton Airport, it is envisaged that the DART line would be extended eastwards to terminate at a new station serving Terminal 2.
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