History
Luton and Leagrave stations were built by the Midland Railway in 1868 on its extension south from Bedford to St Pancras. The old Leagrave Midland station buildings still exist, having been restored in the 1980s. For some years Luton station was called Luton Midland Road to distinguish it from the earlier Luton Bute Street, built by the Luton, Dunstable and Welwyn Junction Railway Company in 1858, later part of the GNR. Bute Street was closed in 1965.
Construction of the first section of the M1 in 1959 meant that Luton being one of the first towns in the United Kingdom to be linked to the new motorway network.
The A5 road, which passes through nearby Dunstable, is on the route of the Watling Street, an ancient route of England.
Luton Airport was opened for passenger services at the end of World War II. Passenger numbers more than doubled from 1992 to 1998 when the growth of new low-cost flights rejuvenated the airport, and it was expanded in 1999 with a new terminal building and Luton Airport Parkway railway station was also opened.
Read more about this topic: Transport In Luton
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Regarding History as the slaughter-bench at which the happiness of peoples, the wisdom of States, and the virtue of individuals have been victimized—the question involuntarily arises—to what principle, to what final aim these enormous sacrifices have been offered.”
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)
“Don’t give your opinions about Art and the Purpose of Life. They are of little interest and, anyway, you can’t express them. Don’t analyse yourself. Give the relevant facts and let your readers make their own judgments. Stick to your story. It is not the most important subject in history but it is one about which you are uniquely qualified to speak.”
—Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966)
“The history of all countries shows that the working class exclusively by its own effort is able to develop only trade-union consciousness.”
—Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870–1924)