Luton railway station is located in the town centre of
Luton
Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...
, Bedfordshire, England. The station is about three minutes' walk from
The Mall Shopping Centre. It is situated on the
Midland Main Line and is operated by
Thameslink.
History
Luton station was built by the
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It ama ...
in 1868 on its extension to
St. Pancras. For some years, it was known as ''Luton Midland Road'' to distinguish it from the earlier ''
Luton Bute Street'', which was built in 1858 on the
GNR line from
Hertford North to
Leighton Buzzard.
A public area, known as the ''Great Moor'', had to be built through; the remainder of the land was bought for development by John Crawley, who provided a replacement in what is known as the ''People's Park''. This proved a worthwhile investment because, as the town's staple trade in straw hats diminished as they went out of fashion, it was replaced by engineering works. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the population had nearly trebled and the station had become an important stop for main line expresses.
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The station, consisting of only 3 platforms, was rebuilt in 1939 to the designs of the
London, Midland and Scottish Railway company architect
William Henry Hamlyn
William Henry Hamlyn FRIBA (16 February 1889 – 1968) was an architect based in England noted for his buildings for the London Midland and Scottish Railway.
He was born in Wigan in Lancashire. He studied architecture with Reginald Wynn Owen in ...
.
British Rail era
In 1960, a fourth platform was added. During electrification in the early 1980s, a fifth platform was added for the suburban services to and from St. Pancras.
Privatisation
Upon the opening of Eurostar at St. Pancras International, through-fares to continental Europe were made available from Luton and 67 other UK towns and cities to Paris, Brussels and other destinations in France and Belgium.
The station is set for significant investment from both Network Rail and First Group to improve facilities for customers, as well as creating longer platforms as part of the
Thameslink Programme. In 2009, the station was identified as one of the ten worst
category B interchange stations for mystery shopper assessment of fabric and environment; it is set to receive a share of £50 million funding for improvements. During 2010 and 2011, a number of improvements were implemented at the station; these included extensions to all five platforms (including removing the
barrow crossing
There are around 6,000 level crossings in the United Kingdom, of which about 1,500 are public highway crossings. This number is gradually being reduced as the risk of accidents at level crossings is considered high. The director of the HM Railw ...
) and a new footbridge. The platform extensions formed part of the ''Thameslink Programme'' and allowed 12 car operation at the station. During these works, two new rail overbridges were installed over Old Bedford Road allowing the track to be slewed for the extended platforms.
Accidents and incidents
There have been two accidents at Luton, one in 1955, the other in 1976:
1955 accident
On 22 December 1955, two passenger trains collided at Luton station. One passenger was killed, and 23 injured. The first train, a local service from St Pancras to Leicester, had been given the "right away" from Luton and started to leave the station, but came to a halt when some late passengers attempted to board. As the train was clear of the
Home signal
The application of railway signals on a rail layout is determined by various factors, principally the location of points of potential conflict, as well as the speed and frequency of trains and the movements they require to make.
Non-provisio ...
, the
signalman
A signalman is a person who historically made signals using flags and light. In modern times, the role of signalmen has evolved and now usually uses electronic communication equipment. Signalmen usually work in rail transport networks, armed for ...
accepted the second train, an express from St Pancras to Derby. The signals were left at "Danger", so the Derby train should have stopped at the Home signal until the Leicester train had left the station. However, the driver of the Derby train failed to observe the Distant signal, and only made an emergency brake application when he saw the Home signal at danger, from a distance of approximately . He was unable to stop the train in time, and it collided with the stationary Leicester train. The rear two coaches of the Leicester train
telescoped into each other, causing the majority of casualties. The official enquiry held the driver of the Derby train responsible for the collision, but also noted that the lights from the nearby
Vauxhall factory obscured the view of the Distant signal. The lighting was reorganised following the accident.
1976 accident
A passenger train being operated by a
diesel multiple unit overran signals and collided with another diesel multiple unit at Luton South Signal Box. An express passenger train then collided with the wreckage, striking it with a glancing blow.
Facilities
The station participates in the
Plusbus scheme where train and bus tickets can be bought together for a cheaper price. It is in the same area as
Luton Parkway and
Leagrave stations.
FastTicket machines are used at this station.
Luton station has the following facilities:
2 waiting rooms,
newsagent,
cafe,
telephones,
ATM,
ticket barriers,
toilets, and
a car park with 669 spaces.
Services
Services at Luton are operated by
East Midlands Railway and
Thameslink using and
EMUs
Emus may refer to:
* Emu
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the ...
.
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:
East Midlands Railway
* 2 tph to
London St Pancras International
* 2 tph to
The station is also serves by a single daily service to and from and on weekdays only.
On Sundays only, a limited number of intercity East Midlands Railway services to and call at the station.
Thameslink
* 4 tph to (stopping)
* 2 tph to via
* 2 tph to
Three Bridges via
* 2 tph to via
During the peak hours, the station is served by additional services to and from , , and .
Thameslink also operate a half-hourly night service between Bedford and on Sunday to Friday nights.
Connections
Luton Station Interchange, in front of the station building, provides connections with local and regional bus services.
*The
Luton to Dunstable Busway serves Luton Station Interchange. This
guided bus route, opened in 2013, provides
bus rapid transit services 24 hours a day between
Dunstable
Dunstable ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, east of the Chiltern Hills, north of London. There are several steep chalk escarpments, most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north. Dunstable is t ...
,
Houghton Regis, Luton town and
Luton Airport.
*1 bus per hour to
Milton Keynes Central operated by
Stagecoach in Bedford (99) (formerly Virgin Trains). This starts at
Luton Airport and only calls at a limited number of express bus stops en route.
*1 bus per hour to
Luton Airport forming the return portion of the above
There was previously a shuttle bus service from the station to nearby
London Luton Airport; however, the dedicated shuttle ceased following the construction of
Luton Airport Parkway station. There are still regular buses via the Busway to Luton Airport, via Arriva's A bus, and the Stagecoach hourly 99 bus service also runs directly to the Airport terminal.
References
External links
{{coord, 51.88227, N, 0.41432, W, region:GB_type:railwaystation, display=title
Buildings and structures in Luton
Railway stations in Bedfordshire
Former Midland Railway stations
DfT Category B stations
Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1868
Railway stations served by East Midlands Railway
Railway stations served by Govia Thameslink Railway
Transport in Luton/Dunstable Urban Area
Railway accidents involving a signal passed at danger
William Henry Hamlyn buildings
Rail accidents caused by a driver's error