The Direct Air-Rail Transit (DART) system, which whisks travellers between Luton Airport Parkway Station and the airport terminal in under four minutes, opened on March 27.
Since then, more than 650,000 passengers have used the DART, with an average journey time of just 2.5 minutes. This means that passengers have saved a total of 10.5 years of journey time.
The DART has also been praised for its reliability, with a 99.8% uptime. This means that passengers can be confident that the system will be available when they need it.
The DART has been welcomed by passengers and businesses alike. Passengers have praised the system for its convenience and speed, while businesses have welcomed the reduction in traffic congestion around the airport.
In addition to the time savings, the DART has also:
• Reduced traffic congestion around the airport
• Increased the capacity of the airport transfer service
• Improved the accessibility of the airport for disabled passengers
• Enhanced the passenger experience at the airport
The DART is a major improvement on the previous bus shuttle service, which took an average of 15 minutes to travel between the airport and the station. The DART also has the capacity to carry more passengers, with up to 200 people per vehicle.
Nick Platts, Luton Rising managing director, said: “The newly-launched Luton DART enables a total journey time from the capital of just 32 minutes when passengers combine it with the Luton Airport Express fast train service out of London St Pancras.
“Every passenger using London Luton Airport and the Luton DART means more support for frontline services in Luton and vulnerable people in particular who most need the help we fund through our unique £7.4m annual contribution to local voluntary, community and charitable organisations.”
The DART is part of a wider £1.5 billion investment in transport infrastructure in Luton. The investment is designed to improve connectivity to the airport and make it easier for people to travel to and from the town.
Photo Credit: Luton Rising
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