Major expansion plans at London Luton Airport

London Luton Airport has received a £200 million investment from London Luton Airport Limited and Luton Borough Council. The investment will pave the way for a Direct Air to Rail Transit (‘DART’), which will transport passengers between Luton Airport Parkway station and Luton Airport.

The current means of transport is via shuttle buses – however, these can be affected by traffic, leading to delayed journeys.

The specifics about the DART – which will be a fully automated and driverless system, covering 2.1km – can be found on the London Luton Airport Limited website. However, the system will be based on the type of people-mover systems found in major international airports around the world.

The DART project is one of three significant developments to the Luton Airport area. The other two developments currently in pre-planning consultation stage are:

• New Century Park: a mixed-use development that incorporates business, commercial and light industrial units in a rural fringe setting, close to Luton Airport. Proposals include the construction of a new £100 million access road and replacement public open space.

• Bartlett Square: a £100 million commercial development sited between Luton Airport and Luton Airport Parkway station, which will include 240,000 sq ft of offices and flexible working spaces, a hotel with up to 170 bedrooms and a multi-storey car park.

Breaking ground

A ground-breaking ceremony took place in April to mark the start of the DART project. As many as 500 construction jobs will be created over the next 3 years to ensure that the DART is delivered in 2021.

As part of the project, a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) will be put in place to ensure that construction traffic and activities are managed and impacts on the local community minimised.

Eland Cables – the rail cable experts

Eland Cables are the leading RISQS-approved supplier of rail cables, cable accessories and overhead line wires and conductors to the railway and metro industry. We are well placed to understand the nuances and intricacies involved in such an ambitious project. We have collaborated on projects with, for example, Network Rail, Metro, the Eurotunnel and Hong Kong Metro, and on airport projects with BAA, United Arab Emirates and Angola airlines.

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