Autonomous light rail, also known as self-driving or driverless trains, has the potential to revolutionise the way we travel by rail and the Luton DART is one such project. However, due to a rise in costs exceeding £300M, it has once again been delayed with no exact date beyond Easter 2023. In this article, find out why the Luton DART has been delayed, where it will go and the benefits of autonomous trains.
What Is The Luton DART Light Rail?
The Luton DART project is a multimillion-pound project to create a 2.1-km autonomous light rail link between Luton Airport and Luton Parkway. Arup spearheaded the design of this project, while Doppelmayr Cable Car was chosen to provide its cable-driven autonomous transportation system due to its low environmental footprint.
Funded by Luton Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and the Department for Transport, the aim is to improve public transport links to the airport while reducing congestion in the local area. It will use cutting-edge technology, including sensors and guidance systems, to enable trains to operate without drivers.
Luton DART Light Rail To Replace Bus Service
The new line will replace the existing shuttle bus service, providing faster journeys from London St Pancras to its airport terminal with the added bonus of reducing road congestion for all commuters.
LLAL is hoping to establish a 24-hour Luton DART link, and they are currently in negotiations with Transport for London (TfL) and the Department for Transport. Their goal is to make ticketing simpler by providing contactless payments that can be used across rail and DART journeys; this may even involve having DART services included on TfL’s oyster card payment system.
Where Does The Luton DART Rail Go?
Boasting a brand new purpose-built station at Luton Parkway connected to the Network Rail station, the Luton DART will transit on a 350m viaduct before moving onto an impressive 72m long steel truss bridge with a composite deck spanning over live dual carriageways.
After passing Luton Airport’s landing lights, it goes through a 600m long cut and fill section before entering a 500m long trough segment made of concrete. From there, it burrows underground into a 350m tunnel descending beneath the airport’s taxiway to its final destination; Central Terminal station located 20 metres beneath the current airport “drop-off” area.
With the Luton Dart, commuters will be able to reach their destination at London Luton Airport from the bustling St Pancras Station in a mere 30 minutes. What’s more, this swift journey only takes four minutes for those departing from or arriving at Luton Airport Parkway station!
Why Has The Luton DART Rail Link Been Delayed?
The project was first announced in 2017 and had an initial estimated cost of £200M but due to delays and rising costs, the budget has increased to more than £300M.
The delay in the opening date can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the engineering requirements of such an ambitious project have been more complex than originally anticipated and have required a lot of extra work to ensure that the system is safe and reliable.
In addition, cost overruns associated with changes in design and construction methods have had a significant impact on the overall budget. Moreover, there were also delays and disruptions to the construction process due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Graham Olver, chief executive of Luton Rising expressed his thoughts on this matter in a statement made to The Times: “These are very complex systems. Our primary focus is safety and we have taken time to make sure we get the customer experience right.”
The Benefits of Autonomous Light Rail
The benefits of autonomous light rail are numerous. For one, it has the potential to significantly improve safety by eliminating the risk of human error. It can also reduce operating costs by eliminating the need for human operators, and it has the potential to increase efficiency by allowing trains to run more frequently and with tighter schedules.
Upon completion, the Luton DART self-driving light rail connection will serve as a significant link between London Luton Airport and its nearby transit centre of Luton Parkway. The project is expected to bring many benefits to Luton including improved journey times and reduced congestion in the local area.
It is expected that the project will have a hugely positive impact on Luton, its airport and beyond, offering a valuable step towards improving public transport connections in the South East region.
Conclusion
Constructed by a Joint Venture (JV) of VolkerFitzpatrick and Kier, it was originally intended to open in 2021 with an estimated cost of £225M. Luton Council’s records for 2020-21 disclosed that the project had skyrocketed to an estimate of £261.7M and the opening date has been postponed to October 2022.
King Charles may have taken a journey on the Luton DART in December 2022, but Luton Rising – responsible for this development – announced that it will not be available until the Easter weekend which is 9 April. Further details concerning its launch date are expected early in 2023. For more information, go to the Luton Rising website.
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