Leader calls on councillors to get on board rail upgrade plan

The proposals – which could see trains from the London Underground brought north to run on the line – would represent the biggest improvements to the region’s rail network in nearly 20 years.

The scheme was unveiled by the Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce’s chief executive, Brian Dunsby, last week, with Harrogate business leaders and politicians currently petitioning the Government to secure funding from £25bn due to be spent improving the nation’s rail network up until 2013-14.

Last night, Councillor Don Mackenzie, the leader of Harrogate Council, issued his appeal to members at a full meeting of the local authority – saying they needed to build on the success of securing a direct northbound service between the spa town and London that started in May.

“There will be some who question the chances of success of securing the necessary funding for such a scheme,” he said.

“They will point to the difficult economic situation in the UK and dismiss any hopes of realising the enormous benefits of this initiative to our residents, businesses and visitors to our district.

“They will be satisfied that we have at least secured a direct rail service to and from London for the first time in 25 years.

“I say to those doubters that this is a proposal, which deserves our full support.

“We have a duty to those who elected us to fight to get the very best for our residents, who deserve better than the ancient and uncomfortable diesel trains currently used for local rail services.

“What impression does it give to our business and leisure visitors, who, having arrived at Leeds or York in a modern and comfortable electric high-speed train, complete their journey to Harrogate having to stand in an ancient, slow, and noisy diesel train?”

Harrogate MP Andrew Jones is also now behind the scheme, and last week, accompanied by Mr Dunsby, handed over the proposals documents in person to the Department for Transport.

Hopes are high that the money will be obtained, as the plans meet many of the credentials set out by former Civil Aviation Authority chairman Sir Roy McNulty in a report published in May outlining a radical overhaul to save Britain’s railways £1bn a year.

Following last night’s meeting, Coun Mackenzie told the Yorkshire Post the timing could not be better to launch a scheme, vital for the future of Harrogate’s economic growth.

“Our links are vital to the sorts of businesses that invest in Harrogate,” he said.

“Leeds, York and Northallerton all have wonderful rail connections and are electrified, Harrogate on the other hand is on this remote line.

“We believe this plan is a real solution to these problems.”

The upgrade is earmarked to be completed by 2015 and would reduce journey times by as much as 12 per cent, allow more services and provide a long-awaited replacement to existing diesel trains on the 38-mile stretch of track.

Under the plans, billed as the biggest boost to Yorkshire’s rail network since the electrification of the Airedale line in the mid-1990s, a low-cost ground-level electrification system would be introduced, similar to technology already on London’s Docklands Light Railway and in Copenhagen and Berlin.

A fleet of 20 trains from London would be modified – costing £500,000 each – for use in Yorkshire. Each could carry about 40 per cent more passengers than existing diesel units, with 280 rather than 207 seats. Standing passengers would also get more room.

The rest of the £150m would cover electrifying the line and building a maintenance depot near Harrogate.