The pioneering £225m Luton direct air-rail transit (DART) has suffered another delay, ending hopes of carrying its first passengers this year. Luton DART is a major local investment project by the borough council and the airport owner Luton Rising, which is the trading name of London Luton Airport Limited (LLAL).
Construction costs for the development had risen to £261.7m as of March 31 2021, according to the LLAL accounts for 2020/21. Based on a useful economic life of 40 years, these accounts estimate that only £77m will be recoverable or just under a third of the current expenditure on the scheme, with “an impairment of £184.7m”.
In a statement released today, a Luton Rising spokesman confirmed an opening announcement for Luton DART is expected to be made in early 2023. The cable-hauled fast transit service will allow passengers to get on a train at London St Pancras Station and step inside the London Luton Airport terminal just over half an hour later. Once in service, it would connect Luton Airport Parkway station to the airport terminal in a journey of just over three minutes.