Rail nightmare for Luton airport travellers

Industrial action and service restrictions from the £5.5bn Thameslink programme are causing headaches for business travellers to Luton Airport.

Business travellers using First Capital Connect (FCC) trains to reach two of Britain's busiest airports are risking missing their flights because of disruption due to industrial action and redevelopment works.

While city airports across Europe have long had excellent and relatively cheap train lines into the city centre, British airports rarely compare favourably.

But London's busy Luton and Gatwick airports have done better than most, with fast train connections to the capital and beyond operated by a number of train companies including FCC.

Now both airports are suffering from hugely reduced train services due to industrial action by FCC drivers that began in mid-November and shows no sign of ending.

The problems have been caused by drivers choosing not to work overtime and on their rest days as part of a pay dispute. The train company is offering drivers a pay deal which involves no increase in salaries for the year from April 2009, an increase of 3% or more for the year starting April 2010 and a lump sum payment of £200 next April.

To avoid the travel chaos- why not drive and park your car at Luton Airport Parking- the only secure onsite car park facility?

FCC’s increasing reliance on drivers working overtime has led to at least half of the company’s trains on the Bedford to Brighton route being cancelled. As a result, the company has been forced to introduce a drastically reduced timetable, with an hour sometimes passing between trains if those services that do run develop technical problems.

As a result, disgruntled passengers are venting their fury on a spoof website, called First Crapital Connect.

The industrial action by FCC drivers comes on top of severe disruption to evening and weekend services caused by the £5.5 billion Thameslink redevelopment programme.

Services had already been slashed as Thameslink trains run by FCC are redeveloped to bring 12-carriage trains to the line. The first phase of work is not expected to be completed until 2012, and even then FCC is signalling further upheaval will follow.

Desperate travellers are having to resort to jumping in cabs to complete their journeys if they can't get their usual train service. A taxi driver at King's Cross said: “I have picked up loads of people who just got stranded here late at night and couldn't get home.”

A statement from FCC describes changes during the redevelopment: “There are no cross-London Thameslink route service between London Bridge / Herne Hill and St Pancras International from 10.30pm to 4.30am, Mondays to Fridays, and during most weekends until 2012”.

Information on the rail disruption is not always clear or easy to find either. For instance low-cost airline easyJet makes no mention of reduced rail services from Luton on its website, where it suggests “First Capital Connect also connects London Luton airport and Gatwick airport”.

Not every day it doesn't.