LNER is planning to change its East Coast Main Line timetable from May 2022, with a significant shake-up to services from Harrogate.
The operator currently runs six trains each way between London King’s Cross and Harrogate each day and there are several key changes on the cards.
It says the planned improvements will benefit its fleet of 65 diesel-electric Azuma trains, which use Japanese bullet train technology.
LNER is calling for the public to give feedback on the full timetable over the next eight weeks.
Big changes to and from London
Direct departures from Harrogate to the capital would move from odd hours to even ones:
- The first service would leave earlier, at 6.35am rather than 7.34am
- A new seventh daily train would leave Harrogate at 6.35pm. On the current schedule, the last train departs at 5.36pm.
In the opposite direction, from London direct to Harrogate:
- Trains would start almost an hour earlier (6.40am rather than 7.33am)
- The final service back would also be earlier, at 4.39pm rather than 5.33pm.
- There are no plans to run an extra seventh train from London to Harrogate.
LNER estimates that travel times between Harrogate and London would be about 10 minutes faster.
There would be a new direct daily service to Newark North Gate, but this would come at the expense of the direct Grantham service. Passengers to the south-west Lincolnshire market town would need to change at Leeds or Doncaster.
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The rail company said in its consultation document that the May 2022 timetable’s core structure is fixed, but that “it may be possible to make some local adjustments in response to feedback”.
David Horne, LNER managing director, said:
“Our new consultation gives us the opportunity to hear the views of our customers and communities across LNER’s route on the proposed improvements we’d like to make from next May, including faster services and more seats between London, York Newcastle and Edinburgh.
“We are confident of the future of long-distance rail travel on the East Coast route and that, by delivering to our customers the full benefit of our new trains and upgraded tracks, we can help level-up and connect the country, protect the environment and support our communities and destinations.”
Have your say on the plans here. The consultation is open until August 5.
“Appalling” and “unacceptable” say opposition parties after The Sunday Times reported yesterday that Britain’s most cancelled train is the 07:13 from Harrogate to Leeds.
The paper published figures from ontimetrains.co.uk which provides statistics on rail punctuality. The paper revealed that the 07:13 was cancelled 28 times out of 55 since new timetables were introduced last year- failing to run on more than half of days in the December to February period analysed.
Northern rail was stripped of its franchise in March for consistently poor performance and is now operated by the government.
The Harrogate Line Supporters Group says it’s been told the cancellations were due to a shortage of staff and more services than normal needing repairs and that there are also serious problems with the 07:46 Harrogate to Leeds.
Harrogate’s Conservative MP, Andrew Jones, who was Rail Minister for 8 months between November 2018 and July 2019 declined to comment to The Stray Ferret on the Sunday Times report. He has previously criticised Northern and supported the move to government ownership.
Opposition parties in Harrogate were united in calling for more money to improve the line. Judith Rogerson, spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said
We have had to put up with an appalling service for far too long. Whilst I welcome the removal of the franchise from Northern Rail, that is only a first step in the right direction. Responsibility now lies squarely with the Government to provide the re-organisation and investment that our local railways desperately need.
Mark Sewards of Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour party, said
It’s completely unacceptable.. Labour has long advocated for our railways to be brought back into public control, and it seems that the government has accepted our argument by terminating Northern Rail’s contract. Money needs to be invested in the Harrogate Line and other train lines in the north of England which have been woefully neglected by a decade of Tory mismanagement.
The Stray Ferret will be tracking the performance of rail services in the district in the coming months.