A new transport link is being built at Luton Airport

As part of a major expansion project at London Luton Airport, the airport will also be getting a new transport link. Passengers traveling from London St. Pancras International to Luton will in future make the final leg of their journey in a new cable liner from Doppelmayr Cable Car instead of by bus.

This means that the journey from the city to the international airport will take just 30 minutes in total. In addition to building the Cable Liner, Doppelmayr Cable Car UK Limited will also be responsible for operating the system for the first five years. The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on April 17, 2018. The Cable Liner facility, which is just under two kilometers long, is scheduled to start public operation in 2021.

London Luton Airport is located just under 50 kilometers north of the UK’s capital. To effectively reduce travel time for passengers while providing the highest possible level of comfort, London Luton Airport Limited is planning to invest in a new transport link between Luton Airport Parkway rail station and the airport.

The Direct Air to Rail Transit, or DART, will be a cable liner shuttle operated by Doppelmayr Cable Car. The Luton DART will operate on a route of just under two kilometers and will be available to passengers every four minutes at peak times. Doppelmayr Cable Car UK Limited will also be responsible for operating the installation for the first five years – with an option to extend for a further five years. The groundbreaking ceremony for the major project took place on April 17, 2018.

DCC’s Cable Liner impressed due to its performance, reliability and energy efficiency. “As an attractive transport solution, this investment will encourage passengers to increasingly travel to the airport by train and thus make an important contribution to reducing the volume of traffic on the roads. It is also a vote of confidence in Luton’s potential for economic and employment growth,” explains Councillor Andy Malcolm, Chair, London Luton Airport Limited.

The Doppelmayr Group can point to numerous similar reference projects. In the UK, Luton is the second airport to rely on the know-how of the world market leader: the Air Rail Link in Birmingham has been in operation since 2003.

In this project, Doppelmayr Cable Car is paying particular attention to local value creation. The partnership with training institutions in Luton is particularly important in the realization of the project. Local companies as well as young people are involved in the construction of the Luton DART. On-site assembly work is scheduled to begin in 2019, with opening for public use planned for 2021.

Key data

-Customer: London Luton Airport Limited
-Contractor: Doppelmayr Cable Car UK Limited
-System type: Cable Liner Double Shuttle
-Line: 2 independent tracks, each with a length of 1,955 m Number of train sets: 2 trains with 4 cars each
-capacity per train: 170 passengers
-Capacity: 2,720 passengers per hour and direction
-Start of assembly in autumn 2019
-Public operation from April 2021
-Operator contract for 5 years + 5 years option