Luton Airport announces launch of 'Express' rail service
London Luton Airport (LLA) has announced a new partnership agreement with Abellio, which will operate the East Midlands Railway for the next eight years.
Courtesy Luton Airport
The partnership will bring a package of more than £600 million investment in improvements to rail services across the East Midlands and between Bedford, Corby, Wellingborough, Kettering, Luton Airport Parkway and London St Pancras.
East Midlands Railway, or EMR, will oversee the delivery of improvements to improve customers’ experience, improve rail connections and drive economic growth including more regular services between London St Pancras station and London Luton Airport, with a new ‘Luton Airport Express’ style-service operated by a new all-electric fleet of trains that will also serve Luton, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and Bedford. This new rail service will come into service by December 2020, and will feature fast trains between St Pancras and Luton Airport Parkway every 30 minutes.
Other positive changes to be brought in by EMR include:
Replacement of the entire intercity train fleet including 165 brand new intercity bi-mode carriages (33 trains) that will link cities in the North and East Midlands to London St Pancras, and the introduction of electric trains between London and Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Wellingborough, Corby, Bedford and Kettering.
Investment of £20 million at all stations with specific improvements made at St Pancras including new waiting areas for all EMR customers including additional seating and better lounge areas.
Alberto Martin, Chief Executive of London Luton Airport (LLA), said: “We welcome the arrival of EMR and the commitment to provide an express-style service to the airport every half an hour from December 2020. Along with the arrival of the £225m Direct Air-Rail Transit service in 2021, linking Luton Airport Parkway station directly with the airport terminal, we will see a step change in rail connectivity between London and its fastest-growing airport.
“Once the developments are completed, passengers will be able to reach the airport terminal in a little under half an hour from central London. This transformation of service with its own sub brand, website, easier ticketing and dedicated platform at St Pancras will be welcomed by all passengers who travel to us by rail”
Dominic Booth, Managing Director of Abellio UK, said: “Abellio is delighted to have been entrusted to operate East Midlands Railway and we’ve already started on our £600 million investment package to transform rail services from towns like Corby, Bedford and also Luton Airport into London St Pancras station.”
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