Luton Airport Parkway station
Luton Airport Parkway | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | Borough of Luton |
| Managed by | Thameslink |
| Platforms | 4 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | LTN |
| History | |
| Opened | November 1999 |
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Luton Airport Parkway railway station is the railway station for London Luton Airport in Bedfordshire, England. The station is situated approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the airport, to which it is linked by a frequent shuttle bus service.[1]
The station is located on the Midland Main Line and is served by Thameslink and East Midlands Trains. From the station, services are available north to Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering, Leicester, Derby and Nottingham. Passengers can also travel south to London, Wimbledon, Sutton, London Gatwick Airport and Brighton.
London Oyster Cards and contactless cards will be accepted on Thameslink services in early 2016 to Luton Airport.[2]
History
The station was opened in 1999, specifically to serve Luton Airport. Initially it was linked to the airport by free shuttle buses operated by National Car Parks on behalf of the airport's owners. In January 2008 the free shuttle bus service was replaced by a more frequent, but chargeable, service provided by First Capital Connect.[1] Now that Govia are once again operating Thameslink, the service is planned to revert to being free.[3]
In November 2008, the station became the first on the Thameslink route to have its platforms extended in order to accommodate twelve-coach trains as part of the Thameslink Programme.[4] In April 2013, a new northern entrance was opened on Kimpton Road, Luton.
Services
Rail services
The typical off-peak service from this station is as follows:
- 4 trains per hour (tph) to Brighton via London and Gatwick Airport (Thameslink)
- 2 tph to Sutton via London and Wimbledon (Thameslink)
- 1 tph to London St Pancras International only (East Midlands Trains)
- 2 tph to Luton only (Thameslink)
- 4 tph to Bedford (all stations) (Thameslink)
- 1 tph to Nottingham via Leicester (fast to Bedford) (East Midlands Trains)
There are also peak-time services by the jointly run Thameslink and Southeastern trains running from Bedford to Sevenoaks.
Other East Midlands Trains services, from Leeds, Sheffield and Derby, run through at high speed, but do sometimes stop. Interchange with these services can be made at Leicester and St Pancras.
Shuttle service to London Luton Airport
The station is connected to London Luton Airport by a shuttle bus which takes 10 minutes for the journey. Services run every 10 minutes during the day and connect with all trains calling at the station overnight. The service is provided by Thameslink, and through booking to the airport is available from all National Rail stations. Passengers without through tickets must pay an additional fare to use the buses.[1][5]
Future
A 1.4-mile (2.3 km) light rail link is planned to link Luton Airport Parkway station to the airport. The £200 million link, scheduled to open by the end of 2020, is being funded by Luton Borough Council and will be designed by the engineering firm Arup. The link will be operated 24 hours a day by an automated guided people mover which would offer a 5-minute transfer time between Parkway station and the airport terminal.[6] The major challenge faced by railway engineers building a rail link here is that the railway station, although located adjacent to the airport perimeter, lies around 40 metres downhill from the airport.[7] The project will involve the construction of bridges over the neighbouring A1081 dual carriageway and tunnels, along with three new stations. The light rail platforms at the Parkway station will be built on a new level above the current main line rail platforms. Negotiations are already underway with the Department for Transport to extend the validity of the Oyster card contactless ticketing system to Luton Airport. A planning application will be submitted in Autumn 2016, and it is expected that construction will begin in 2017.[8]
Station facilities
- Four platforms
- Four waiting rooms
- Newsagent/Cafe
- Telephones
- ATM
- Ticket barriers
- FastTicket machine
- Toilets
- Multistorey car park
- Free 20 minute wait car park
- The station participates in the Plusbus scheme where train and bus tickets can be bought together for a cheaper price. It is in the same town as Luton and Leagrave stations.
Service patterns
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands Trains | ||||
| Thameslink | ||||
References
- ^ a b c Luton on Sunday (20 January 2008). "Airport shuttle bus will charge in future". Retrieved 20 January 2008.
- ^ http://www.internationalairportreview.com/20508/airport-news/london-luton-airport-awards-first-contract-of-100m-redevelopment/
- ^ GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway)
- ^ "Thameslink Programme". Network Rail. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
- ^ "How often does the shuttle bus run between London Luton Airport and Luton Airport Parkway Rail Station?". London Luton Airport. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ^ "Luton Airport peoplemover plan announced". Railway Gazette. 15 April 2016. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Topham, Gwyn (15 April 2016). "Luton airport calls time on bus transfers with £200m fast-track to trains". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Luton Airport could get a new £200m 'Tube-style' link". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)
External links
- Train times and station information for Luton Airport Parkway station from National Rail
- Use dmy dates from May 2013
- Railway stations in Bedfordshire
- Buildings and structures in Luton
- Railway stations opened by Railtrack
- Railway stations opened in 1999
- Railway stations served by East Midlands Trains
- Thameslink railway stations
- Airport railway stations in the United Kingdom
- Transport in Luton/Dunstable Urban Area