Train station coffee company set for Harrogate openingParking charges double at Harrogate train stationWork hub removed from Harrogate rail station

An office for hire in Harrogate rail station has been removed after just seven months.

Sheffield-based Workfromhub designed the facility to create private working space for an “ever growing remote workforce”.

It opened in Harrogate train station on March 23 and joined hubs in Sheffield and Swinton in Rotherham.

The facilities include space for two people along with internet access, a second screen and desk space.

However, the hub appears to have been removed after just seven months in post.

The space occupied by the hub pictured this week.

The space occupied by the hub pictured this week.

The Stray Ferret approached Workfromhub to ask why the facility has been removed and if it will be replaced, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The company’s website still lists the hub as one of its locations.

When it opened, Neal Byers, founder of Workfromhub, said the firm was working with Northern to make use of vacant space in train stations.

He said:

“We are working closely with Northern Rail to help transform underused spaces within stations. We can see the need for people who are on the move to have somewhere private and connected to work from.

“We feel that there are not enough remote working private spaces around to keep up with the demand of a growing remote workforce.”

Read more:

 

Police remove Nazi swastika flag hung over Harrogate Train Station

Police are investigating a suspected hate incident after a Nazi swastika flag was hung from a flat overlooking Harrogate Train Station.

The swastika appeared on Saturday and was visible to commuters until police removed it that night.

It was displayed from the window of a flat on East Parade, high above the train station.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement last night:

“Police in Harrogate are investigating a suspected hate incident after a swastika flag was placed in the window of a flat near Harrogate Train Station on Saturday.

“Two separate complaints were made to North Yorkshire Police.

“Following enquiries, officers attended the property just before 10pm to remove the offensive item.”

Read more:

The spokesperson added:

“The matter is now subject to an investigation and the occupant of the flat, who was not present, will be spoken to in due course.

“Officers will also be taking formal statements from the two complainants during the week, as well as conducting further enquiries in the neighbourhood.”

‘We couldn’t believe it’

Harrogate man Thomas Norman, who reported the incident to police, was travelling to the Harrogate Brewing Co. beer festival on Saturday evening when he noticed the swastika at the station. He added:

“We couldn’t believe it at first and had to ask each other if it was what we thought it was, it was uncanny, I’ve never seen that in a real life context.”

It is the second time in just over a year a swastika has been displayed from a property in Harrogate.

On the previous occasion, the man responsible said it was a kriegsmarine flag which he put up to mark the sinking of the Bismarck ship.

Police asked witnesses to the latest incident, or anyone with information, to make a report via the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling 101, option 4.

If you would prefer to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or make an online report.

Quote reference number 12230151540.

Andrew Jones calls for apology after Lib Dem rival wrongly says Harrogate ticket office closing

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has called on his Liberal Democrat rival to apologise for wrongly claiming Harrogate train station ticket office was due to close.

Rail operator Northern said this morning it planed to shut 131 ticket offices — but Harrogate’s would be one of 18 to remain open. It is part of a nationwide cull of hundreds of ticket offices.

Some four hours after the news was announced, Tom Gordon, the Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, published a press release titled ‘Lib Dems call on rail bosses to save Harrogate ticket office’.

It said the “the closure of the ticket office at Harrogate station will lock so many people out of being able to access tickets and travel by train” and urged the government and rail leaders to “think again”.

Not closing: Harrogate train station ticket office.

An hour later Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dems issued an ‘updated press release’ in which Mr Gordon called for “reassurances on the future of Harrogate ticket office”.

His initial press release prompted Mr Jones to say:

“Harrogate ticket office is remaining open.  It doesn’t need saving.  It was never threatened with closure.

“Assuming they didn’t know the facts, although this may just be political scaremongering, all the Liberal Democrats had to do was read the Stray Ferret, any other local news outlet or my Community News website and they would have known the actual situation.

“The news had been up on those sites for hours before they issued their erroneous press release.  An apology to the customers and staff who have been worried by this false claim would seem to be an appropriate thing to do.”

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Gordon for a response to Mr Jones’ comments and whether he would issue an apology but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Read more:

 

 

Harrogate train station set to have unmanned exit?

Harrogate train station could be set to have unmanned barriers on the exit leading to East Parade.

The barriers are currently monitored by staff, who help with ticket queries.

But a source contacted the Stray Ferret to say rail operator Northern planned to remove staff from the East Parade exit.

The source was concerned this posed safety risks if people needed to leave the station quickly and would also particularly inconvenience disabled people who require help at the barriers.

Harrogate train station barriers

The Stray Ferret asked Northern if and when it planned to implement the new system and what response it had to the concerns.

Tony Baxter, regional director for Northern, said in a statement:

“We’re always looking at ways to improve the customer experience and passenger flow across our station estate, including Harrogate.

“Any improvement plans are always subject to rigorous safety and accessibility checks.”

Northern did not respond to a further email seeking clarification on when any changes would be implemented.

We also asked rail union the RMT if it had any concerns but it did not issue a response.

Read more:

 

All Creatures star pokes fun at Harrogate station’s ‘harassing’ staircase

All Creatures Great and Small star Samuel West has poked fun at the number of brightly coloured warnings that greet commuters at Harrogate train station.

People using the stairs to cross platforms are greeted by a raft of brightly coloured messages imploring them to do everything from use the handrails to keep to the left.

West, who plays Siegfried Farnon in the Channel 5 remake of the drama series about vets, expressed his sensory overload on social media after a recent visit to the station.

The actor and narrator tweeted to his 104,000 followers:

https://twitter.com/exitthelemming/status/1642619635194372100

The post has attracted 4,500 likes and 249 retweets.

One person replied that it looked like a “seriously bossy set of steps” while another described it as “a sensory nightmare”.

Somebody else said:

“A frustrated copywriter finally given a platform… so to speak!”

Several commented they would be too worried about tripping to read all the messages.

A spokesperson for rail operator Northern said:

“We carry out regular inspections of the stations across our network and we’ll certainly take this into consideration.”

Read more:

 

Man accused of sex offences at Harrogate train station

A man has appeared in court on two counts of groping men at Harrogate train station.

Jason Darren Graham Wilson, 51, was charged with inappropriately touching a man at the station on April 29 and May 24 last year.

He is also accused of the same crime, which is contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003, at York train station on June 20 last year.

Mr Wilson, of Hope Street, York, denies all charges and following his appearance at York Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday will stand trial on May 17.

He was remanded on bail on condition that he does not enter Harrogate or York train stations unless it is within 30 minutes of a train he intends to use, and he must have a valid travel ticket.

Read more:

 

Harrogate train station becomes mobility scooter-friendly

Rail company Northern has added Harrogate to its list of mobility scooter-friendly stations. 

It means staff will be on hand to help mobility scooter users, providing items such as ramps to access trains.

Northern said this week 38 new stations, including Harrogate, had become mobility scooter-friendly, bringing the total to more than 160 stations across 28 routes.  

Anyone travelling on a mobility scooter must first obtain a permit from Northern to ensure the model they use meets certain size and manoeuvrability specifications.

The scheme is free and registered passengers are given a personalised sticker that will placed on the pre-assessed vehicle. This will be accompanied by a card that can be carried by customers if they use scooters that don’t have a suitable place to display the sticker.

Mark Powles, customer and commercial director at Northern, said:

“We are committed to giving people with additional mobility needs the confidence to travel by rail. We want to support our customers whenever they need it.

“The mobility scooter scheme is an example of this commitment and we’ll be looking to deliver improved accessibility across our network as we roll out similar improvements at other stations in the future.”

Read more:

Northern recently banned all e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards across its trains and stations in the north of England

However, electric wheelchairs and e-bikes are exempt from the ban – as are mobility scooters for those with access needs, as long as they are registered with the train operator’s mobility scooter permit scheme – which checks devices by a range of criteria to make sure they are safe to use on-board.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,000 services a day to more than 500 stations across the north of England.

Harrogate district train passengers warned not to travel for five days next week

Northern has warned passengers not to travel for the majority of next week amid more industrial action.

RMT Union members are expected to stage another walkout from Tuesday (December 13) until Saturday (December 17) in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The strikes will be the latest to hit the Harrogate district rail network this year.

Northern, which operates services from Harrogate and Knaresborough towards Leeds and York, has warned passengers not to travel after Monday next week as services wind down.

The operator said it expects to run a “very limited service” during the days of strike action.

A table issued by Northern warning passengers of days with industrial action.

A visual issued by Northern

It said in a statement:

“On strike days, only travel by rail if necessary and if you do travel, expect severe disruption and plan ahead – especially the first and last trains of the day.

“If you do decide to travel, there will be very limited services running across the whole rail network so remember to check your entire journey as other train service providers may be affected.

“There will be no rail replacement buses on strike days for Northern services and some Northern stations may be closed or have reduced hours due to the limited staffing and services.”

Read more:

Northern is also expecting disruption over Christmas as the RMT Union announced further planned demonstrations.

The union is planning to stage a further walkout from Christmas Eve until December 27.

Northern added:

“We’re working on what that means for services, please check before you travel as your usual train may not be running.”