Government promises 20 more train carriages for the Leeds commuter crush

From December, the additional 20 coaches mean there will be 2,000 extra seats each day on trains in and out of Leeds.

The Northern Rail company will be able to run more trains at busy times on the lines from Skipton, Ilkley and Doncaster via Wakefield into Leeds - and to lengthen other trains on existing services.

The Leeds area carriages form part of the 650 additional coaches the Government is introducing on the rail network by 2014, with a total of 2,100 being promised over the next few years.

The Government has already announced that the average annual fare rise for regulated fares, which include season tickets, will increase in January 2012 from the RPI inflation rate plus 1% to RPI plus 3%.

The actual increase will depend on what the RPI rate is in July this year, with rail travellers braced for a possible rise in the region of 8%.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said today: “Even at a time of severe pressure on public spending, we cannot afford not to invest in Britain’s future - and that’s why we are investing more than £10 million in providing these extra carriages for Yorkshire commuters. They will ease crowding and provide passengers with more comfortable journeys.

“The tough decisions the Government has taken on rail fares allow us to continue to deliver this sort of much needed improvement to the railways.

“We are investing in 2,100 extra carriages to increase capacity across the rail network and in the longer term we have plans for a high-speed rail network which will ease overcrowding and make our railways fit for the 21st century.”