Only 147 days after it opened, the Luton DART welcomed its millionth passenger. Wouter Ruffen, a Dutch native who has been traveling on a budget around Europe, was the historic traveler. On Monday, August 21, he was traveling from London Luton to Amsterdam.
From London St. Pancras International, he had purchased a contactless ticket to the airport that included the Luton DART connection at Luton Airport Parkway station.
Wouter claimed that using the trains and tapping at the gates was simple. He has since won a year of free DART travel on the Luton line.
On March 27, the automated Direct Air-Rail Transit system went into operation, swiftly transporting passengers from Luton Airport Parkway Station to the airport terminal.
When travelers combine the Luton DART with the rapid rail service from London St. Pancras, their entire travel time from the capital is only 32 minutes.
Councillor Javeria Hussain, Chair of Luton Rising, the Luton Council-owned company that owns the airport for the benefit of the community and constructed the Luton DART to significantly improve the passenger experience, stated: “London Luton Airport is now operating at close to the passenger levels seen before the pandemic so it’s no surprise to see the Luton DART performing so well.”
Nick Platts, managing director, continued, “We can see the benefits that customers are receiving in terms of convenience, ease of travel, and reduced journey times compared with the previous bus transfer service.”
“Our customers have already saved themselves the equivalent of about 20 years’ worth of travel time, and it is quite encouraging that the service is operating at a 99.8% reliability rate.
“More than that, each passenger using London Luton Airport and the Luton DART means more support for services in Luton and vulnerable people in particular who most need the help we fund through our unique £7.4 million annual contribution to local voluntary, community, and charitable organizations,” the statement continued.
Source- Travel daily
Link- https://www.traveldailymedia.com/luton-dart-rewards-its-one-millionth-passenger/