thanks

I'm hoping to be able to access DART from the parkway train station side (arriving on foot) with only a DART ticket, but that will require going through entry and exit Thameslink gate lines. I wonder if I can use a contactless card which won't get charged if it registers me entering and leaving the Thameslink zone within just a few mins?

Good question and lots of unknowns. I can’t see why not as you should be able to buy a through ticket from any U.K. station so why not from the other side of the tracks at Parkway, as Central station is a valid destination. It would mean passing through 3 sets of barriers to board the Dart.

Another more intriguing question is if someone buys a ticket from Central to Parkway and wants to be picked up. As there is no pick up area on the Dart side it would mean crossing the railway tracks into Thameslink territory. I can’t see how a Dart ticket to Parkway would allow access through the Thameslink barriers unless Parkway Thameslink was a separate destination.

Looking at the Thameslink website I can still buy a return ticket to the airport for £3.80 for April 22nd, which is well after the planned opening date of Easter and somewhat cheaper than the £9.80 new fare. Would that ticket still be valid on the Dart?

For Luton residents, Dart tickets will be half price, if booked in advance. A bargain seeing it has already cost them £300m

https://i.imgur.com/W005VVU.jpg

Good comments on fares.

One thing I could suggest is there is a national fares rise on 1 March. It is normal at the same time to alter availability and conditions of general tickets (i.e. not those special offers from TOC). It is possible the new fares tables from 01/03/23 may contain conditions changes ?

Re. access across Parkway station from the Up side (Kimpton Road) to Down side (Gypsy Lane) it would be unusual to say the least to allow cross station access. There are a very limited number of GB stations where this is possible already BUT all of them have some historic public right of way embedded into them (e.g. including but not limited to Stockport, Guildford, Sheffield) that requires access through ticket gates and use subway / foorbridge. Stockport they give you a bit of card and manually open the gates (or did pre covid not been there since) the others I'm not sure what they do.

I can't think of any station where the provision of any new facility - including any transport interchange - on one side has been provided with customer access from the opposite.

I remember there was a huge debate in rail anorak circles with the rebuilt Thameslink Blackfriars that spans the Thames with new additional entrances on the south bank. There were a lot of people getting hot under the collar demanding it as a free walking route along the platforms, that, apart from sightseeing, was based on accessing LU District line from the south bank. Unless one has reached the daily Oyster fare cap, touch in one end touch out the other does create a journey / fare / penalty.

I am not saying it can't be done. Far from it. It is very easy to implement. I'm just saying I can't think of an example where this is allowed anywhere except historic rights of ways embedded in laws/byelaws.

OK total digression but examples. Interesting to see how Luton Parkway does all this.

PS don't affect me; I have a Luton to London annual season ticket; should I wish to cross Parkway I simply enter and exit with the season.

DART ? You can vote your opinion here
https://www.bedfordshirelive.co.uk/n...oughts-8102578

Propaganda machine in full flow. It serves north and south and not east or west. With all these people now going to travel by train at £9.80 return why is LRT planning to build thousands of additional car park spaces with major road upgrades planned all the way to the A1M?

Good news for the residents of Luton with the 'Game Changing Debt' of the DART! Independent inquiry coming.

https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/tr...rspend-4019705

What won’t be covered is why did the Council agree for the Dart to be built in the first place when the airport was capped at 18m and there wasn’t even a hint of airport expansion. The Dart is only needed for a 32m airport and that planning application hasn’t even been submitted yet.

Who foots the bill for that where the only gain for Luton residents is political gain? It not going to recover any overspend already.

Another £20m spend is before the Council to make the Dart green.

Oh dear, stands 41 & 41L pushed back 2 weeks and Delta 3 weeks.
EGTT/QMXLC/IV/BO /A /000/999/5152N00022W
A) EGGW
B) 23/02/15 17:17 C) 23/03/02 23:59
E) TWY DELTA CLOSED BETWEEN DELTA 1 AND SOUTH OF FOXTROT 5 DUE WIP
Q) EGTT/QMPLC/IV/BO /A /000/999/5152N00022W
A) EGGW
B) 23/02/15 17:33 C) 23/02/28 18:00
E) STAND 42 AND STAND 42L CLOSED DUE TO WIP.

Have there actually been any more DART trials after that first date ?

I have lost track, there /should/ have been 2 since, but per upthread at least the next one following that first one was reported to have been cancelled.

There was another test yesterday according to posts on a rail forum.

Second and fourth trials cancelled and reported as complete. Signage was rubbish. How can they spend 5 year’s building it and still get the signage wrong? This photo from Luton Rising Temperature showing the signage to the drop off area except there isn’t one according to a company spokeswoman.
https://i.imgur.com/YopFhmg.jpg

bangs head on desk at the signage

Ta for update on trials

I expect that the PR blurb of the construction company and their porject manager has lots of things about 'Good communication' and 'Feedback at every level' etcetera.

2022 CAA Figures for LTN
 

CAA Figures for air travel in 2022.

Luton was the fifth busiest airport in the UK in terms of passenger numbers, handling 13.322 million.
Source - CAA

Luton handled 9,244 aircraft movement.
What is interesting here is 2,013 of these were "business aviation" and the total number of "business aviation" flights across all London airports was 2,892, so Luton handled nearly 70% of all these flights!
Source - CAA

2892 is of the "London Airports" it does not include Biggin Hill which is under "Other" or Farnborough.

Might explain why there was a boat parked up at the airport the other day. Some here will know what I am talking about.

But for those who haven't got their oar in......give us a clue !!!!!!