East Midlands Railway (EMR) has launched a consultation on proposed changes to its December 2020 timetable, which includes the introduction of a Luton Airport Express service.
The new timetable would see the addition of a half-hourly non-stop train between London St Pancras and Luton Airport Parkway. This new service would be operated by electric trains and separately branded to other EMR operations.
According to EMR, the service would operate every 30 minutes between 0600 and 2200, with additional late night and early morning trains to serve flight departures.
The proposal would also see the introduction of services every half hour from Corby and other stations in the East Midlands to the airport with a journey time of under an hour.
Luton airport has welcomed the proposals, having campaigned for an express rail service to help reduce car journeys to the airport. It partnered with EMR owner Abellio after the company won the franchise, offering to assist in a £600 million investment in improving rail services to and from the hub.
In a statement, the airport said: “The proposed introduction of a Luton Airport Express service will be significantly enhanced by the construction of the Direct Air-Rail Transit (DART) service, due to be completed in 2021. The £225 million investment will see the creation of a fixed link between the airport and the station, allowing passengers to travel seamlessly from central London to the airport in just 30 minutes.”
Luton airport CEO Alberto Martin added: “We fully support EMR’s proposals to introduce express services, which are vital to encourage more passengers to travel to the airport by rail. I look forward to working with Abellio as the new franchise operators throughout their franchise term to see how we can further enhance the service with more trains and direct access to major cities in the north.”
A final decision on the proposed timetable is expected to be made by Network Rail in late spring.
eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk