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31
Mar
MP launches campaign to dual train line between Knaresborough and York
Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon has launched a campaign to dual the train line between Knaresborough and York.
Mr Gordon, who represents Harrogate and Knaresborough, raised the issue during a Commons debate on railway capacity last week.
He said the Leeds to York line via Harrogate frequently experienced bottlenecks and delays at Knaresborough because it became a single track.
The service stops at Cattal, Hammerton and Poppleton between Knaresborough and York.
Mr Gordon said:
Once one service is delayed, the entire day can quickly fall. I am launching a campaign for the dualling of the line between Knaresborough and York so that the railways serving our communities are fit for purpose.
Mr Gordon called on Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to support the campaign. She replied:
I am aware that Network Rail is looking at both electrification schemes and potentially longer platform schemes for stations that serve his constituency, but I recognise that he is talking about dual tracking. May I suggest that he seeks a meeting with the rail minister in the other place to discuss that in more detail?
Speaking afterwards, Mr Gordon said:
We don’t need more meetings — we need real action. People in Harrogate and Knaresborough deserve a rail service that works for them, not one with limited capacity and bottlenecks.
If we want people to choose public transport over cars, we have to make it a viable, reliable option. That starts with dualling the track between Knaresborough and York to boost capacity and ensure more frequent services.
I will keep pushing the government to stop dragging its feet and start delivering the investment our rail network so desperately needs.
Mr Gordon also paid tribute during the Commons debate to Harrogate rail campaigner Brian Dunsby, who died in January.
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