Rail campaigner Brian Dunsby has said he is “optimistic” that the 6.07am Harrogate train to Leeds could be reinstated sooner than expected.
Mr Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, met officials from rail operator Northern last week.
The cuts, which came into force on May 15 and have also affected services across Yorkshire, led to widespread disappointment from commuters.
The early service from Harrogate was popular with business travellers as a way to get not only to Leeds but also to London King’s Cross before 9am.
However, Northern has maintained the cuts are necessary.
Read more:
- Harrogate commuters frustrated as early trains axed today
- Northern to continue with Harrogate train cuts despite pressure from MP
Mr Dunsby and the group’s chairman, Andrew Whitworth, met with senior Northern officials Tony Baxter and Pete Myers to discuss the changes to the timetable.
Following the meeting, Mr Dunsby said:
“I am optimistic that the 6.07am early morning service from Harrogate to Leeds will be reinstated as soon as the threatened industrial action has been settled.
“Failing that happening in quarter three then I am confident that December 2022 will see the reinstatement of the original December 2021 timetable if all else is going to plan.”
Members of the RMT union, which includes Northern employees, voted to strike over pay last week with industrial action expected to take place this month.
Tony Baxter, regional director at Northern, said previously:
“The new timetables are designed to deliver high levels of reliability.
“We’ve made decisions about our timetables based on the levels of resource we have available.
“We’ve then prioritised the routes with the highest customer demand, and which support the region’s economic growth.”
