Place Luton Station code LTN DfT category D Number of platforms 4 | Grid reference TL105205 Managed by Thameslink 2011/12 2.430 million | |
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Address Luton LU1 3JH, United Kingdom Similar West Hampstead Thamesli, St Pancras railway station, Harpenden railway station, Bedford railway station, St Albans City railway station | ||
Luton Airport Parkway railway station is on the Midland Main Line in England, serving Luton Airport in Bedfordshire. It is 29 miles 19 chains (47.1 km) down-line from London St Pancras and is situated between Harpenden to the south and Luton to the north. Its three-letter station code is LTN.
Contents
The station is served by Thameslink-operated trains on the Thameslink route and by East Midlands Trains.
It is situated approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the airport, to which it is linked by a frequent shuttle bus service.
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. Now that Govia are once again operating Thameslink, the service is planned to revert to being free.
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. In April 2013, a new northern entrance was opened on Kimpton Road, Luton.
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. 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. 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 underway with the Department for Transport to extend the validity of the Oyster card contactless ticketing system to Luton Airport by 2018. A planning application will be submitted in Autumn 2016, and it is expected that construction will begin in 2017.
London Oyster Cards and contactless cards are expected to be accepted by 2018 to Luton Airport.
Rail services
The typical off-peak service from this station is as follows:
There are also peak-time services by Thameslink from Bedford to Sevenoaks (until December 2014 these were run jointly with Southeastern trains)
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.