Luton DART and Luton Airport Parkway Updates

[Bletchleyite]

Only 14.2% of airport passengers are using the Dart since it opened in March. The shuttle bus, which the Dart replaced carried 18%. The original target was around 32%, except I can’t find that document anymore.

Might that be a symptom of COVID meaning some people are still avoiding public transport, and the railway being just a bit rubbish at present?

 

[quantinghome]

Might that be a symptom of COVID meaning some people are still avoiding public transport, and the railway being just a bit rubbish at present?

Or people don't like being ripped off to the tune of £3.40 per mile?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Or people don't like being ripped off to the tune of £3.40 per mile?

Given that the taxi is one of the most popular ways of reaching airports due to the typical antisocial hours of flights to/from bases, I very much doubt anyone cares that much when it's compared to the rest of the cost of their trip.

It'd be better if it was free, but that'd require Ryanair and easyJet to start paying the proper going rate for airport use, and that'd mean you just paid more in your fare.

 

[Techniquest]

Might that be a symptom of COVID meaning some people are still avoiding public transport, and the railway being just a bit rubbish at present?

I'd say that has a lot to do with it. Some people, certainly anyone like myself, will have stopped using Luton Airport. That's down to airline preference primarily, so while the number of people ceasing their use of easyJet etc from Luton won't be that many, it's still likely to be a decent size amount.

Not to mention of course a lot of people will still be choosing to holiday in the UK, and the seemingly constant issues with things like airline delays, Air Traffic Control issues and such like won't be helping. I certainly don't have any confidence in my potential flights running, but then I don't have any confidence on trains running until after my journey is complete!

The cost of the DART doesn't bother me too much, I want to do it once for the novelty but otherwise I'd probably never need to use it again. That brings in another potential, but not massive factor, and that's people choosing to travel more actively than before. Walking up from the railway station to the airport is an option, and if one is not laden with luggage then it's certainly a possibility one would choose to take to the pavement and walk rather than the DART.

 

[dk1]

Only 14.2% of airport passengers are using the Dart since it opened in March. The shuttle bus, which the Dart replaced carried 18%. The original target was around 32%, except I can’t find that document anymore.

It all takes time I suppose.

Might that be a symptom of COVID meaning some people are still avoiding public transport, and the railway being just a bit rubbish at present?

Is COVID still a thing? As somebody working on trains it's not been mentioned for a couple of years at least.

Or people don't like being ripped off to the tune of £3.40 per mile?

Exactly. Just need to write of the construction overspend expense & suck it up.

 

[Mikey C]

Only 14.2% of airport passengers are using the Dart since it opened in March. The shuttle bus, which the Dart replaced carried 18%. The original target was around 32%, except I can’t find that document anymore.

Which begs the question as to how the "lost" 3.8% are getting to the airport. Are they still using the train, but not the Dart when they arrive a Luton Parkway?

 

[Hadders]

Which begs the question as to how the "lost" 3.8% are getting to the airport. Are they still using the train, but not the Dart when they arrive a Luton Parkway?

Given the disruption to National Rail services due to industrial action I suspect fewer people are travelling to the airport by train.

 

[Backroom_boy]

Given the disruption to National Rail services due to industrial action I suspect fewer people are travelling to the airport by train.

Yes, would be interesting to see the % of people arriving by train at parkway who used the bus and Dart

 

[stuu]

Is COVID still a thing? As somebody working on trains it's not been mentioned for a couple of years at least.

I think you have a short memory... There was a legal requirement to self isolate in September 2021, and the possibility of stricter restrictions was still there. Restrictions were only lifted in March 2022

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is COVID still a thing? As somebody working on trains it's not been mentioned for a couple of years at least.

There are still people who fear it and act differently as a result of it. Though to be fair it'd be odd to be fine with getting on a plane but not a train.

 

[Haywain]

Which begs the question as to how the "lost" 3.8% are getting to the airport. Are they still using the train, but not the Dart when they arrive a Luton Parkway?

As a regular user of Luton Airport Parkway there is nothing to suggest that people arriving by train are using anything other than the DART to get to the airport, so it is highly likely to be a change of overall travel, and likely to be mostly driven by strikes. Those strikes by ASLEF on Fridays, which result in no Thameslink services, will be having a very significant effect on that.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Given the disruption to National Rail services due to industrial action I suspect fewer people are travelling to the airport by train.

Quite possibly that too. There are probably single figures of people a day, if that, who are going from Luton Airport Parkway to the terminal on foot to avoid paying a fiver, and probably not many more using the Arriva buses (though some may do the latter, particularly passholders, I used to do it to avoid the meat market that was the old bus service, but probably wouldn't now).

Most people would not think to walk to an airport to save a tiny percentage of the cost of the trip, they might not even know you can because you can't walk to a lot of airports at all (e.g. Heathrow Central Terminal Area).

 

[Kite159]

Don't give Luton Airport any ideas, otherwise they will ban regular service buses only allowing the likes of National Express with an extra premium, make it so walking to the airport is impossible to force more passengers onto the overpriced dart.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Don't give Luton Airport any ideas, otherwise they will ban regular service buses only allowing the likes of National Express with an extra premium, make it so walking to the airport is impossible to force more passengers onto the overpriced dart.

They tried something like that and were pulled up for it under competition law, so they can't, but you can be sure they do want to!

If I recall they wanted to do a deal with a particular coach company and exclude the other one, and they took it to Court and won.

However, as I said above, people walking from Parkway to the airport to save a fiver are going to be in single figure numbers each day if even that many. Only the most committed follower of Martyn Lewis would even think about that with luggage up a massive hill.

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

Don't give Luton Airport any ideas, otherwise they will ban regular service buses only allowing the likes of National Express with an extra premium, make it so walking to the airport is impossible to force more passengers onto the overpriced dart.

They've already tried that by having a very poorly maintained and badly signposted walking route. There is no excuse not to tidy it up, if only for the benefit of airport and hotel workers.

They tried something like that and were pulled up for it under competition law, so they can't, but you can be sure they do want to!

If I recall they wanted to do a deal with a particular coach company and exclude the other one, and they took it to Court and won.

However, as I said above, people walking from Parkway to the airport to save a fiver are going to be in single figure numbers each day if even that many. Only the most committed follower of Martyn Lewis would even think about that with luggage up a massive hill.

I've walked it several times pre-DART but it was never because of saving cash. A combination of clement weather, lack of luggage (at most a single backpack) and having plenty of time made it preferable to the crowded shuttle bus. But I must admit I like walking!

 

[jon0844]

However, as I said above, people walking from Parkway to the airport to save a fiver are going to be in single figure numbers each day if even that many. Only the most committed follower of Martyn Lewis would even think about that with luggage up a massive hill.

I'd consider it the other way if travelling only with a small bag like a rucksack, but not with lots of bags or up a hill. I'd use the local bus now.

I like walking!

Me too. Of course, if going to an airport then time is a factor - but when leaving the airport, there's less time pressure.

 

[1D54]

I've walked it a few times both ways as i travel with only a backpack and will continue to do so and to say the number of people who do the same is 'single figure numbers each day if even that many' is incorrect, more do it from the airport for obvious reasons but it is common to see others whether saving money, time to kill or whatever reason making the trip on foot.

 

[Haywain]

A good number walk to and from the nearby hotels to get picked up and dropped off to avoid the airport fees. Hardly any walk to or from Parkway.

 

[dk1]

I think you have a short memory... There was a legal requirement to self isolate in September 2021, and the possibility of stricter restrictions was still there. Restrictions were only lifted in March 2022

I suppose in some small way but It got normal well before then for most, especially us that worked throughout it.

 

[Techniquest]

I suppose in some small way but It got normal well before then for most, especially us that worked throughout it.

Maybe in East Anglia, but that wasn't the case over here. 'Normal' took a good while to arrive in my neck of the woods.

 

[stuu]

I suppose in some small way but It got normal well before then for most, especially us that worked throughout it.

Masks were still mandatory everywhere, and would be for another 4 months, fairly sure that's not normal and a sign that covid was still very much a thing

 

[norbitonflyer]

The bus ticket I got yesterday said that masks are still required - not that anyone was actually wearing one.
(And it was very well ventilated, being an open topper!)

 

[dk1]

The bus ticket I got yesterday said that masks are still required - not that anyone was actually wearing one.
(And it was very well ventilated, being an open topper!)

This tosh absolutely crazes me. If I walk into a restaurant that still has 2m markers and signage ill take my business somewhere else. Why on earth do some establishments and transport operators still feel the need to continue reminding everybody of a depressing couple of years they'd prefer to forget and move on?

 

[Bletchleyite]

This tosh absolutely crazes me. If I walk into a restaurant that still has 2m markers and signage ill take my business somewhere else. Why on earth do some establishments and transport operators still feel the need to continue reminding everybody of a depressing couple of years they'd prefer to forget and move on?

Never assume conspiracy when cock-up is more likely.

That is, basically all of these signs remaining in place are because the owner has forgotten to remove them or can't be bothered, not because they give a monkey's about them.

See also stuff like "business zone" antimacassars on Chiltern LHCS (it's just Standard now) and First Class markings on LNR (same).

 

[plugwash]

Yes, would be interesting to see the % of people arriving by train at parkway who used the bus and Dart

I suspect the problem is splitting those arriving at parkway with the intent of using the airport, with those arriving at parkway for other reasons.

 

[Haywain]

I suspect the problem is splitting those arriving at parkway with the intent of using the airport, with those arriving at parkway for other reasons.

Of those using the airport there will be hardly any difference - in both cases it will be very close to 100%.

 

[dk1]

Never assume conspiracy when cock-up is more likely.

That is, basically all of these signs remaining in place are because the owner has forgotten to remove them or can't be bothered, not because they give a monkey's about them.

See also stuff like "business zone" antimacassars on Chiltern LHCS (it's just Standard now) and First Class markings on LNR (same).

I would NEVER assume conspiracy. I had no time for those theories throughout the pandemic. I was referring to lazy sloppy business practice.

 

[Techniquest]

I would NEVER assume conspiracy. I had no time for those theories throughout the pandemic. I was referring to lazy sloppy business practice.

Well my place of work, at least a few weeks ago, still had the message on the voicemail about only taking appointments and that face coverings were still required. That's not been the case for a long time, and I'd like to hope by now the message has been changed!

 

[dk1]

Well my place of work, at least a few weeks ago, still had the message on the voicemail about only taking appointments and that face coverings were still required. That's not been the case for a long time, and I'd like to hope by now the message has been changed!

However do you keep your patience with them?

 

[Techniquest]

However do you keep your patience with them?

My job involves a need of a lot of patience, so I guess I'm just lucky. Said patience does wear thin sometimes though! It may also help that I kept wearing my face masks for a long time after others stopped doing so, indeed it was only a handful of months ago that I stopped doing so!

Anyway, the Luton Airport Express ad came on again today on YouTube and this time I watched it all the way through. It did its job well, I was most encouraged to use EMR's services to Luton. That is helped by having a good few 360s on my wants list to be fair!