UK businesses, organisations and airlines have called on the government to improve rail access to Luton Airport Parkway station.
The CBI, Easyjet and the Federation of Small Businesses are among a number of organisations to support the requirement to introduce four fast trains per hour from central London to Luton as part of the upcoming East Midlands rail refranchising process.
Luton airport said the Express style services will free up airport capacity in the south east – long before the new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick is built – and “transform” access from the north and south to the airport.
Alongside Luton Borough Council’s planned £200million light rail link between Luton Airport Parkway station and the terminal; the additional fast train services will make central London accessible in under 30 minutes.
Nick Barton, CEO, LLA said: “The current £110m development of LLA will grow the number of passengers by 50% to 18 million a year by 2020. Rail infrastructure upgrades are needed to ensure that this capacity can be efficiently and sustainably used. The introduction of Express type services has clear benefits to people all along the line from north to south as well as generating significant revenue benefits for the rail industry.
“The East Midlands refranchising is a huge opportunity to create an integrated end-to-end transport hub for the benefit of the UK and Three Counties region in particular. Luton is at the intersection of two strategically important economic corridors from north to south along with Midland Mainline, and from east to west between the high employment, high skill Oxford-Cambridge corridor. There is a clear economic and social benefit to improving connectivity in the region.”