Luton station

Luton
Station platforms with a Thameslink train waiting
Location
Place	Luton
Local authority	Borough of Luton
Grid reference	TL092216
Operations
Station code	LUT
Managed by	Thameslink
Number of platforms	5
DfT category	B
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2011/12	3.440 million
2012/13	3.444 million
2013/14	3.443 million
2014/15	3.548 million
2015/16	3.626 million
History
Key dates	Opened 1868 (1868)
National Rail – UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Luton from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

[ ] Railways around Luton
Midland Main Line Leagrave Branch to Dunstable Luton Luton Bute Street Luton Airport Parkway Luton Airport(planned link) Luton Hoo Chiltern Green Branch to Welwyn Garden City Midland Main Line

Luton railway station is located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The station is near to the town centre, about three minutes' walk from the Arndale Shopping Centre. It is situated on the Midland Main Line and is operated by Thameslink.

It was built by the Midland Railway 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, built in 1858 on the GNR line from Hertford North to Leighton Buzzard.

To build the line 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.

The station, consisting of only 3 platforms was rebuilt in 1937 to the designs of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway company architect William Henry Hamlyn.

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.

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, and is set to receive a share of £50 million funding for improvements. During 2010 and 2011 a number of improvements took place at the station, these included extensions to all five platforms (including removing the barrow crossing) and a new footbridge. The platform extensions form part of the Thameslink Programme and allow 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.