Britain's so-called most expensive railway transit system has finally started services, transporting passengers between London Luton Airport and the airport's Parkway railway station. The Direct Air-Rail Transit (DART) was originally scheduled to open in 2020.
Airport officials reportedly said the shuttle is expected to initially run on a flexible but restricted timetable of four hours per day. By the end of the month, the service will increase to 24 hours per day as it gradually replaces the buses used to transport passengers to and from the terminal.
A "game-changer"
On Friday, the first passengers were welcomed onto the automated cable cars between 14:00 and 19:00. Departures are dependent on demand, but officials expect the train to run as frequently as every four minutes in both directions during busy times or peak travel seasons. With the entire system scheduled to be operating in the next few weeks, the train will be able to meet the demand of several travelers on Easter break.
Councillor Javeria Hussain, the Chair of the airport's owner, Luton Rising, spoke to The Independent about the new transit system.
“It is a world-class passenger experience. Please use it: it is an aviation game-changer. Sustainabiility is at its heart.”
Last month, Luton Airport invited volunteers to try out the shuttle system in preparation for the opening.
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Taking up less travel time
The shiny new railway shuttle is undoubtedly a significant upgrade, reportedly costing £290m, equivalent to $351,275,550. According to The Guardian, the DART brings Luton airport within about a half hour's total journey from central London on the fastest trains, complimenting a newly branded Luton Airport Express train that travels from London St. Pancras. With a travel time of 22 minutes, the express train runs nonstop every half-hour.
The 1.25-mile and nearly three-minute journey between the airport and the Parkway railway station climbs 150 feet as the shuttle runs up to 30 mph. The buses that have transported passengers for years take about 10 minutes per trip, according to The Independent.
Expensive means of transportation?
A ticket for the DART shuttle will cost around £4.90 ($5.94), which is somewhat steep by the standards of British railway fares, which have reportedly increased by nearly 6% this month. The price is more than twice as expensive as the £2.40 ($2.91) fare for the existing bus shuttle, and the aim is to increase the proportion of Luton's passengers who use public transport to reach the airport from 29 to 40%, according to the Independent. London's other airports, — Gatwick, Heathrow, and Stansted, already have railway stations that operate directly to their terminals.
Luton Borough Council Leader, Hazel Simmons, said the DART is essential to the community because it does not only serve people, but the airport profits go to vital local services.
"Our airport exists solely to support the town and people in it … I'm amazed and delighted that we have been able to bring something like this to Luton airport," Simmons said.
According to The Independent, London Luton Airport is the fifth-busiest airport in the UK, after Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Stansted. The main airlines that serve the airport are Wizz Air, Ryanair, and easyJet, which has been headquartered at the airport since 1995.
Sources: The Independent, The Guardian