£150m bid race for Luton airport light rail link from station to terminal
Date added: 4 March, 2017
Luton Airport has started the bid race for up to £150m worth of construction work for a planned new light railway system. This will be paid for by Luton council. It has appointed Arup to design and press through the mass passenger transport scheme. It would be a 2.1km long guided mass rapid transit system, to run between two purpose-built stations, heading out from Stirling Place, close to Luton Airport Parkway station, to the airport terminal. It will be broken down into two main packages. Work worth up to £115m will include viaducts, embankments, cut and cover works and station platforms. Some of the works will be within the airside sections of the airport. The track, rolling stock and associated systems package will be subject to a separate contract worth up to £35m, to be awarded concurrently. The light rail scheme forms part of a £1.5 billion inward investment programme by Luton council, with a 20-year plan for major transformation of the town. Planning permission is being sought from Luton Borough Council (which conveniently owns the airport) and Central Bedfordshire Council. They hope work could start later in 2017, and it would open in 2021 with the intention of the journey time from Luton to St Pancras being cut to 30 minutes.
£150m bid race takes-off for Luton airport rail link
Aaron Morby (Construction Enquirer)
1.3.2017
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London Luton Airport has officially kicked off the bid race for up to £150m worth of construction work for a planned new light railway system.
The airport has appointed Arup to design and procure the mass passenger transport scheme.
The 2.1km long guided mass rapid transit passenger system will run between two purpose-built stations, heading out from Stirling Place, close to Luton Airport Parkway station, to the airport terminal.
It will be broken down into two main packages. Civils work worth up to £115m will include viaducts, embankments, cut and cover works and station platforms.
Some of the works will be within the airside sections of the airport.
The track, rolling stock and associated systems package will be subject to a separate contract worth up to £35m to be awarded concurrently.
The scheme forms part of an ambitious £1.5bn inward investment programme revealed by the council, which outlines a 20-year plan for major transformation of the town.
Planning permission is being sought from Luton Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council with view to work starting later this year. The transit system is due to open in 2021.
The link to be funded by the council, which owns the airport, would reduce journey time to London to just 30 minutes.
The bid documents are available from the Luton procurement site.
