Minister gives hope over rail electrification

Patrick McLoughlin said he will meet Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones in the coming weeks to discuss in detail proposals to electrify the Leeds, Harrogate and York line.

Experts say electrification would allow twice as many trains to run along the line, increasing both the frequency and speed of services.

The formal business case unveiled by local leaders in Harrogate last month concluded the £100m investment would bring a £400m return in economic benefits.

Speaking in the Commons yesterday, Mr McLoughlin said he would be “delighted” to meet Mr Jones to discuss the proposal.

“We have received a copy of the business case for the electrification of the Leeds, Harrogate and York line,” the Transport Secretary said. “Indeed, the case looks promising, and I am more than happy to discuss it further with him.”

If approved, the route would see an improved frequency of four trains per hour between Leeds, Horsforth and Harrogate, with two trains per hour extending to Knaresborough and York using modern, electric rolling stock.

Journey times would be reduced by 15 minutes end-to-end, bringing the Leeds-Harrogate journey time to less than 30 minutes.

However, any actual investment appears to be some way off.

Last year, the Government announced a massive programme of rail improvement plans lasting until the end of the decade, including the electrification of the transpennine and Midland main lines, and the “Northern hub” package that will improve services in West Yorkshire and the North West.

However, unless further resources are allocated, further electrification work is unlikely to be undertaken until after 2020.

West Yorkshire transport authority Metro wants the Harrogate scheme to be delivered as an “extension” to the transpennine electrification – work on which is expected to begin in 2017.

Mr McLoughlin also pledged he will “look again” at the case for electrifying the railway line to Hull, where local politicians feel aggrieved the planned transpennine upgrade does not extend all the way to the Humber.

“Under the current arrangements, the electrification of the route to Hull will stop at Selby ... which is several miles short of Hull,” said Hull North’s Labour MP Diana Johnson.

Mr McLoughlin responded: “I could point out how much of the (national rail network) was electrified by the previous Labour Government in 13 years – ten miles, as opposed to the 880 miles that we are planning to electrify.

“(But) she is making yet another case for further electrification of an important line, and I shall certainly look at the case again in detail.”

Mr McLoughlin’s seemingly positive response to the calls for improving Yorkshire’s railways stand in marked contrast to his department’s decision earlier this week not to pursue the reopening of the disused Woodhead Line between Sheffield and Manchester – a move slammed by local railway campaigners.