Publicity drive aims to highlight improved rail links to London

A MAJOR publicity drive has been launched to highlight the long-awaited arrival of improved rail links between Harrogate and London to open up new markets in the multi-million-pound tourism and conferencing sectors.

Business leaders in the North Yorkshire spa town are now hoping to capitalise on the new direct return train service to the capital, which is due to be launched in May.

Hotel owners and directors at the town’s main conferencing venue, the Harrogate International Centre (HIC), are launching a major charm offensive to attract more visitors for both leisure and business tourism.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The long-running campaign to boost rail links after a previous direct return service between the spa town and London was axed 20 years ago has been co-ordinated by the Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

Concerns have been expressed that poor rail connections are hampering economic growth in Harrogate and the surrounding area.

The chamber’s chief executive, Brian Dunsby, said: “The announcement of the new direct return service to London is obviously great news, but the work certainly does not stop there.

“It is an opportunity to market the Harrogate district to places like the South-East of England, and hopefully get more people to visit here – whether it is for conferences or perhaps weekends away.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The tourism and conferencing industry is vitally important to Harrogate, and we need to make sure that it continues to grow. More train services in the future will be key to the town’s success.”

It is estimated that visitors spend £331m in the district every year, and there are about 2,000 rooms in hotels and guest houses in Harrogate alone.

Events at the HIC attract more than 200,000 business visitors every year, with about 40 per cent coming from London and the South-East.

However, passengers wanting to travel to London have had only a single direct service to King’s Cross each day – leaving Harrogate at 7.28am.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The only alternative is to catch connecting services to either York or Leeds and change there. But there is only an hourly service between Harrogate and York at peak periods – and fewer trains at other times.

The new direct service, which begins on May 23, will run six days a week leaving London King’s Cross at 5.30pm and arriving in Harrogate via Leeds at 8.30pm. Campaigners hope for seven trains a day each way by 2016.

Staff at the HIC have launched an e-marketing initiative by emailing out details to prospective clients highlighting the new train service.

The HIC’s head of sales and marketing, Alison Griffin, claimed the publicity drive is already reaping rewards after several inquiries have been made about staging events due to the improved rail links to London.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The owners of some of the most exclusive hotels in the Harrogate area are also petitioning for further improvements to the rail links to London.

Members of the Destination Harrogate group, which represents 12 three and four star hotels including the Majestic and Rudding Park, are discussing the potential for more rail services with train operator East Coast.

Destination Harrogate’s chairman, David Ritson, the general manager of the Old Swan Hotel, said: “It is brilliant news that after 20 years we have had the return service reinstated, but we can only hope that is doesn’t take another 20 years to deliver further improvements.”

An East Coast spokesman said the company had listened to “some very persuasive arguments for the economic and social benefits” for an inter-city daily return service between Harrogate and London.

But he claimed “capacity issues” on the rail network meant it was difficult to introduce further services, although options are being explored.

Related topics: