New direct train to take travellers between Luton airport and London in half an hour

‘It will be even easier for passengers to reach the airport as soon as it is safe to do so again,’ says airport CEO

East Midlands Railway is launching a new service

(EMR)

A new direct train service taking passengers between London and Luton Airport in around half an hour will launch in May as part of an ongoing bid to improve the airport’s connectivity.

The East Midlands Railway (EMR) service, which will terminate in Corby on the northbound journey, is to run every half hour between 6am-10pm on weekdays with additional late night and early morning services to serve departures from the airport.

The nonstop service provides a faster option between Luton Airport Parkway and the capital than the current Thameslink trains.

It’s a step towards the airport’s vision of providing a more direct route to travellers – at present, passengers must get a bus between the train station and the airport.

However, a “Luton Airport Express” Direct Air-Rail Transit (DART) service is currently under construction to replace this.

Projected to cost £225m, the 1.4-mile track is due to be completed at some point this year.

Alberto Martin, CEO of Luton Airport, said: “With ongoing travel restrictions, there are far fewer passengers using the airport than there normally would be.

“However, we need to take the opportunity to prepare for a return to air travel, and these changes do just that.

“It will be even easier for passengers to reach the airport as soon as it is safe to do so again, and I look forward to welcoming them back.”

Will Rogers, managing director at EMR, said the May 2021 timetable changes “will provide more seats, quicker journeys and a simpler and more resilient timetable for passengers across the East Midlands”.

“A key part of this enhancement is our step change in service for Luton Airport and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the airport to further develop the service,” he added.