Wise words from City AM
No simplistic and lazy journalism!
I don't know how many times I need to post this, but it is not as simple at EMT just stopping additional trains at Luton Airport Parkway!
There is NO ROOM on the current trains to accommodate the additional passengers boarding at LTN Parkway!
Unlike Thameslink which is getting new trains and adding new capacity to the line, the last new trains EMT received was around 2004 when the Meridian trains arrived and has been no new capacity added in that time. There are also no orders or plans to buy/add additional trains for the foreseeable future. It usually takes around 5 years from ordering trains for them come on-line.
It's even in doubt if the electrification of the line north of Bedford to Wellingborough. Kettering and Corby is going ahead (which was earmarked to be completed by 2019), as no new electric trains are available to run along this route, and the electrification of the Great Western line from Paddington to the west is running behind schedule and over budget.
When trains leave Wellingborough they are already full and usually only standing room at Bedford, and they are then standing in the vestibules all the way to London. It is exactly the same leaving London, where is the room for these additional passengers supposed to come from?!
One of the key priorities of Network Rail and future franchises according to the DfT is to improve journey times on the Midland Mainline as it has some of the slowest journey times per mile, compared to other intercity routes in the UK. They are improving the tracks and removing bottlenecks at certain junctions. Adding additional stops on the fast track at LTN Parkway causes another bottleneck.
The Corby to London train currently stops at Luton hourly, maybe this could be moved to Parkway, but then means the towns main station no longer has an express service and I am sure the council will be unhappy with that.
Why is there this sudden urge for EMT trains to stop at Parkway when the Thameslink trains currently serving the station take around 30 mins and comparable to Gatwick Express and far quicker than the Stansted Express. They only call at St Albans and Harpenden!
Im looking on National Rail website now and the following Thameslink trains take 30-32 mins!
12.07 - 32 mins
12.21 - 30 mins
12.37 - 32 mins
12.51 - 30 mins
(Plus 3-4 other trains taking 40-47 mins) and 1 EMT train too.