Luton-10
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You mean tenants. There has been a whole bunch of tenants kicked out of buildings that had been sub divided into offices and many other buildings that are now all but derelict or have been abandoned for years.
I think the last building to be cleared out was Eden Farm next to the Holiday Inn on the old approach road which was a big production facility.
I think the last building to be cleared out was Eden Farm next to the Holiday Inn on the old approach road which was a big production facility.
Last edited by Spanish eyes; 12th Mar 2023 at 11:29.
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Thought we were talking about a specific building.
Are they not now off the Hitchin Road in the Putteridgebury Industrial Estate?
Most of the buildings are light industrial units which could go anywhere. If T2 goes ahead it will all have to move.
Most of the buildings are light industrial units which could go anywhere. If T2 goes ahead it will all have to move.
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LRT bought the lease but not freehold so are paying half a million a year for the site to sit empty. It is up for short term rental but no one is interested. Money that could have gone on social services but is something that is not being mentioned.
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More positive publicity for the DART, or maybe not...
Mr Oliver told the PA news agency that Luton Rising is “effectively a social enterprise” making money to support council services and community projects.
https://www.cityam.com/the-dart-luto...xpensive-line/
Mr Oliver told the PA news agency that Luton Rising is “effectively a social enterprise” making money to support council services and community projects.
https://www.cityam.com/the-dart-luto...xpensive-line/
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Total rubbish, LRT auditors wrote off £186m as unrecoverable even before the first fare paying passenger was carried based then on a cost of £264m, which is now nearer to £300m
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More positive publicity for the DART, or maybe not...
Mr Oliver told the PA news agency that Luton Rising is “effectively a social enterprise” making money to support council services and community projects.
https://www.cityam.com/the-dart-luto...xpensive-line/
Mr Oliver told the PA news agency that Luton Rising is “effectively a social enterprise” making money to support council services and community projects.
https://www.cityam.com/the-dart-luto...xpensive-line/
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Or you could queue in the pi$$ing rain in a queue longer than the capacity of a bus debating timings and distance types!?
In the summer I'm sure a few will still walk dragging their luggage up the hill to save a few quid!
In the summer I'm sure a few will still walk dragging their luggage up the hill to save a few quid!
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No one mentions the uphill slog from the platforms to the terminal entrance. Not exactly convenient. The drop off is even further away with no weather protection for much of the walk. The bus including the shuttle bus stops by the terminal doors.
Easyjet and Wizzair charge significantly for anything but a small bag. Those who are able-bodied and trying to cut the cost of travelling with little or no baggage may well find that the walk up the hill is more manageable than one might think. Yes, I do it regularly unless the weather is foul. I found that from station platform to terminal door, the time to walk via Kimpton Road (i.e. waiting for bus to arrive, to board the bus and until the bus leaves the bus stop versus not having to wait when walking) was pretty similiar to using the bus. Increase the cost of the ride between Parkway and terminal, and you push people a little more in the direction of walking, particularly if it's daytime and warm.
Previously there were many arrow signs at the station pushing rail arrivals towards the bus, but as people are diverted towards Kimpton Road later this spring, Google Maps might start encouraging people to take a different approach. Virtually everyone who can afford to fly has a self-navigation/GPS map app on their phone.
That said, if the cost of the DART is double that of the bus, I'm wondering if people coming from (north) London will start using Greenline / National Express coaches more - they go to the terminal door, have a frequency not that much worse than the train, and are modestly priced
I still think the DART pricing structure is wrong from the point of view of raising revenue. Instead of £4.90 oneway or £9.80 return, it should be £6.90 oneway uphill, £3.90 oneway downhill, and £9.80 return. Paying a supplement to upgrade a oneway into a return should not be possible. Furthermore, there should be a an additional charge (maybe £1) for people who pay for the DART at Parkway station, compared to those who buy it as part of their rail fare. People will be more willing to pay if there is a perceived need to hurry to catch a flight and wanting to avoid walking up the hill in an area they don't know well, compared to a walk down the hill without time pressure.
Previously there were many arrow signs at the station pushing rail arrivals towards the bus, but as people are diverted towards Kimpton Road later this spring, Google Maps might start encouraging people to take a different approach. Virtually everyone who can afford to fly has a self-navigation/GPS map app on their phone.
That said, if the cost of the DART is double that of the bus, I'm wondering if people coming from (north) London will start using Greenline / National Express coaches more - they go to the terminal door, have a frequency not that much worse than the train, and are modestly priced
I still think the DART pricing structure is wrong from the point of view of raising revenue. Instead of £4.90 oneway or £9.80 return, it should be £6.90 oneway uphill, £3.90 oneway downhill, and £9.80 return. Paying a supplement to upgrade a oneway into a return should not be possible. Furthermore, there should be a an additional charge (maybe £1) for people who pay for the DART at Parkway station, compared to those who buy it as part of their rail fare. People will be more willing to pay if there is a perceived need to hurry to catch a flight and wanting to avoid walking up the hill in an area they don't know well, compared to a walk down the hill without time pressure.
Last edited by davidjohnson6; 14th Mar 2023 at 15:27.
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Most people starting their journey from Parkway will either be paying nothing due to being a pensioner or airport worker or a local paying half price.
How about paying extra for taking luggage on the Dart just like the airlines?
How about paying extra for taking luggage on the Dart just like the airlines?
A person travelling from (for example) Nottingham to Luton airport may well book an advance train ticket, and then think "I'll decide about the DART later".
The DART operator will want people to be incentivised to book the DART on a non-refundable basis in advance... they get the money up front, don't have to give it back (unless the cable system is out of service, and even then one can make passengers go through all sorts of painful hoops to discourage refund applications), it reduces congestion at the DART station due to the presence of people and bulky luggage, and finally it means passengers pay more for the capacity to defer a decision until the day as to whether to pay for something on the day if trains are delayed or not.
My inclination is that charging for luggage is probably a bad idea - you need time, space, staff and a narrow entrance door to the next journey stage to enforce this - fine at an airport gate with a slow steady queue, but difficult to achieve safely when hundreds of people come off a train in a big surge and you want to avoid a crowd crush
Yes, the thinking is evil from the passenger's perspective, but given the huge debt incurred to build the DART, the operator should be taking every possible step to maximise revenue while still allowing them to advertise a return fare of under £10
The DART operator will want people to be incentivised to book the DART on a non-refundable basis in advance... they get the money up front, don't have to give it back (unless the cable system is out of service, and even then one can make passengers go through all sorts of painful hoops to discourage refund applications), it reduces congestion at the DART station due to the presence of people and bulky luggage, and finally it means passengers pay more for the capacity to defer a decision until the day as to whether to pay for something on the day if trains are delayed or not.
My inclination is that charging for luggage is probably a bad idea - you need time, space, staff and a narrow entrance door to the next journey stage to enforce this - fine at an airport gate with a slow steady queue, but difficult to achieve safely when hundreds of people come off a train in a big surge and you want to avoid a crowd crush
Yes, the thinking is evil from the passenger's perspective, but given the huge debt incurred to build the DART, the operator should be taking every possible step to maximise revenue while still allowing them to advertise a return fare of under £10
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Luton Rising were meant to announce yesterday the date that the dart fully opens but it didn't happen. Passing the Dart at Parkway today there is still weeks of work required to finish the forecourt. Would that stop the opening?
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Some positivity for Luton. https://www.dailystar.co.uk/travel/t...worst-29385078
Although I don't live in the Luton Postcode area I have got free tix for the DART with my concessionary Bus Pass. That incidentally I can it use on a service that calls at the Airport😊 i fly out on 13 April and back on the the 20th so will allow time to experience the DART bothways on the same day ...
Well why not if it saves parking...and basically door to door service
Well why not if it saves parking...and basically door to door service
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Extremely few don’t have access or knowledge. It’s a bit of a patronising trope usually wheeled out when people don’t like something. Like the misconception everyone in a care home listens to Vera Lynn and music from the war, when in reality many were too young or not born and more likely were fans of Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Bowie etc.