King Charles III boards delayed Luton DART airport shuttle

The King is pictured on the three-minute DART journey

King Charles III has hopped on to a new airport shuttle as part of his first engagements in Bedfordshire since becoming monarch. BBC News has looked at the delayed £281m Luton DART transit system and what it means to the town and airport passengers.

What is the Luton DART?

The DART - seen here crossing a bridge over a dual carriageway - is driverless and replaces shuttle buses

The DART (Direct Air-Rail Transit) is a cable-drawn, driverless railway running on a 1.4-mile (2.2km) line connecting Luton Airport Parkway station to the airport terminal in just over three minutes, 24 hours a day. It will replace shuttle buses which pick up passengers every 10 minutes. The DART route includes a 350m (1,148 ft) long viaduct, a bridge over a dual carriageway and a new underground station at the airport.

Will it make any difference to passengers?

Anyone catching a flight will be able to get on a train at London St Pancras station and step inside Luton Airport terminal just 30 minutes later. Developers say the DART will create a "seamless transfer".

Speed aside, are there any other benefits?

The Luton DART was originally due to open two years ago

Luton Rising, which owns the airport, said it would create an "even more compelling case" to fly from Luton and leave the car at home. It is the UK's fifth busiest airport and saw 1.2m passengers pass through its gates in April. The DART also fits the airport's green agenda to shift passenger traffic from road to rail and reduce congestion around Luton. It was approved by all three parties on the council, unanimously, in 2017. At the time, Labour councillor Dave Taylor, chairman of planning, said: "The airport is a success story for the town and this improves the accessibility to it."

What has it meant for Luton?

The construction project has created up to 500 jobs and more than 80 full-time jobs will be available on the DART. A Construction Skills Training Hub off Kimpton Road, Luton, has given 720 local apprentices the skills to go into the industry. It received government funding and is a joint venture by Luton Borough Council, VolkerFitzpatrick-Kier and Luton Rising. Some of the apprentices met the King during his visit.

Is everyone a fan?

No. The DART is part of wider plan to expand the airport with a second terminal, which would include a third DART stop. Speaking in 2019, Andrew Lambourne, of Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise, said the expansion was "unethical", with the airport owners "driven to maximise capacity for Luton regardless of the environmental impact". The airport said it planned to achieve carbon neutrality for its own operations by 2026 and get to net zero emissions by 2040.

How much has it cost and when does it open?

Passengers for the airport will be able to board the DART at Luton Airport Parkway

Construction costs have risen from £200m to the latest figure of £281m and it is more than two years over schedule. Work began in 2018 and it was due to open by the end of 2020. The pandemic caused setbacks and since then, delays have been down to the complexities of ticketing and revenue arrangements, Luton Rising said. The King was given a special trip on the DART during his visit, but the line is not due to carry its first passengers until 2023, with a date to be announced early next year.

What else did the King visit in Luton?

Various local groups, including representatives from The Ghana Society, Royal British Legion, the Luton Town football academy, veterans and cadets, greeted the King at the town hall, which was marred by an incident of alleged egg-throwing outside.

The King also met those who run the Luton Sikh Soup Kitchen and he officially opened the new Guru Nanak Gurdwara temple.