Work to install lifts at Luton train station is due to begin this week, Luton South MP Rachel Hopkins has confirmed, in a major step forward for accessibility at one of the town’s busiest transport hubs.
Posting on social media yesterday, Ms Hopkins said she was “pleased to share that work to install lifts to the platforms is set to start next week,” adding that the announcement followed “many discussions with Network Rail and the Department for Transport” and that the long-awaited improvements were finally being implemented.
The work is expected to include changes outside the station, including the temporary relocation of the taxi rank during the construction. Residents near the station should already have received letters from Network Rail outlining the initial plans and the likely disruption while the lifts are installed.
Luton station currently provides only partial step-free access, meaning some platforms can only be reached by stairs. The installation of lifts is part of a nationwide effort to improve accessibility for passengers using the rail network under the Department for Transport’s Access for All programme, which aims to give people with mobility impairments, luggage or pushchairs step-free routes between platforms and station entrances.
Specific details from Network Rail and the Department for Transport on the Luton lift works have not yet been published, but previous plans for the station included building a new accessible bridge and installing lifts to all platforms but work has been delayed for several years.
A Luton Council-supported petition last year urged government ministers to back a full station redevelopment, arguing that Luton’s facilities had not kept pace with the needs of the nearly four million passengers who use the station each year.
Step-free access is essential for passengers with mobility needs, families with pushchairs and older travellers, many of whom are currently reliant on limited alternatives or assistance services.
Ms Hopkins’ announcement follows a broader push nationally to install more lifts and accessible infrastructure at railway stations, with similar projects unveiled last month at Biggleswade Train Station in the north of Bedfordshire.
In her social media post, Ms Hopkins said: “This is brilliant news and I’m so glad that following many discussions with Network Rail and the Department for Transport, this much-needed work is finally set to begin!”
Network Rail has previously said that accessibility improvements are funded by the Department for Transport and selected stations are chosen based on criteria such as passenger benefit and geographic representation.
Temporary disruption is expected during the works, and Ms Hopkins urged residents and travellers to bear with the changes as the upgrades proceed.
Back in December 2025, the council’s head of transport services, Antony Swift, told the audit and governance committee: “The council is continuing to actively lobby Network Rail regarding station redevelopment.
“Working with Luton Rising, Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway other stakeholders, have commissioned a consortium of consultants has been commissioned to prepare an early stage feasibility study. The scope of which covers the redevelopment of the [railway] station and regeneration of the wider area.”
He added: “The work began in November last month and we’ll be producing a report for consideration in January 2026.
“Following the issue of the report, a view will then be taken on the appropriateness of developing a Department for Transport (DfT) compliant business case, with a greater focus on value for money.
“This piece of work helps to build on the momentum of station infrastructure changes planned for 2026, specifically the Access for All works, which will deliver new lifts and a footbridge, that will provide full access to Luton Station.
“The main [accessibility] works are due to start in the spring 2026 and take 12 months to deliver.”
However, he also said the council is awaiting decision from the DfT over improvements to Leagrave Station.
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