[News
Release 08/12/11]
Harrogate
Line electrification is now
supported by all the local Councils
Download this page as PDF
Harrogate Line Objective (PDF)
Why Harrogate Metro Line? (PDF)
The
need to electrify the Harrogate Railway Line between Leeds, Harrogate and
York has now been fully endorsed by all of the Local Authorities
concerned. Following extensive research and lobbying by Harrogate Chamber
of Trade & Commerce, supported by Harrogate Borough Council and local MP
Andrew Jones, the plans to radically improve the services now have full
support from the leaders and relevant senior officers at City of York
Council, North Yorkshire County Council, Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire
PTE (Metro) and the Leeds City Region Transport Panel.
Harrogate Borough Council voted unanimously in favour of a cross-party
motion “The Council supports the efforts by the Harrogate Chamber of
Trade & Commerce to upgrade the rail service on the Leeds-Harrogate-York
line that serves this District and will do all it can to help those efforts
come to fruition”.
The
North Yorkshire County Council Harrogate Area Committee had a full
presentation on the plans on 1st December and voted unanimously “to
call upon the Executive to join Harrogate Borough Council in giving support
to the proposals by the Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce to electrify
the Harrogate railway line to Leeds and York and bring local rail travel up
to modern standards of efficiency, speed, frequency, comfort and
reliability, in order to improve the economic vitality of the region and
achieve a modal shift from private to public transport. We ask the County
Council as the Transport Authority for the largest part of the line to take
the lead in making a joint submission to the Department of Transport for
capital funding, together with WYPTE and City of York”.
All
the Councils are now working together to produce a Development Plan looking
at the possibilities of upgrading the route by either of two options –
Either Plan A using conventional 25kV overhead electrification with
cascaded electric trains, similar to the electrification of the Airedale/Wharfedale
routes to Skipton and Ilkley - Or Plan B using a modern form of 750v
DC 'third rail' electrification with refurbished London District Line D78
rolling stock, as originally proposed by Harrogate Chamber. If both forms
of electrification prove impossible in the short term then additional and
upgraded diesel rolling stock would be pursued as an interim measure.
Metro
Chairman Cllr James Lewis said "All the partners agree that something
needs to be done to improve the Harrogate Line, and soon. It is clear from
the discussions we have had so far that the route needs electrifying and it
needs doing as soon as possible. The Harrogate Line generates all-day
passenger flows serving a wide range of markets including commuters at both
the Leeds and York ends of the route, long distance traffic to/from London,
conferences and events as well as leisure travellers. The Line Development
Plan will need to reflect all of these different markets, as well as
enabling a new station to serve Leeds Bradford International Airport.”
Brian
Dunsby, Chief Executive of Harrogate Chamber of Trade & Commerce, said “the
Chamber Officers are delighted that all of the Local Authorities concerned
have now agreed on the need to electrify the Harrogate Line, with a common
approach and strategy that benefits all of the locations along the whole 39
mile route and also enables construction of several new Stations along the
line.”
Mark Leving is the Project Director of the
Harrogate Line Development Company, which was set up by Harrogate Chamber to
promote this important project. Mark has considerable experience as the
former MD of Hull Trains, from where he first proposed operating direct
London-Harrogate trains in 2008.
Mark said “we are delighted that the three
transport authorities have agreed with our analysis of the problems and
future needs of the route. We have been able to pull the previously
disengaged parties together to form a unanimous single voice in favour of
common-sense electrification of the line, thereby unlocking both service
level improvements and development potential for additional stations. This
represents a long awaited and much needed first step in being able to
establish the necessary business case and funding. There is much work still
to do, but we now need to ensure that impetus is maintained and that the
right specifications and detailed objectives for the whole route are
pursued”.
Metro
Chairman Cllr James Lewis added "The proposed electrification of the
Trans-Pennine route will present opportunities for ‘fill in’ schemes, such
as the Harrogate and Caldervale lines, that would present the opportunity
for more through-running of electric trains across the network. As well as
providing the groundwork for a much-needed station at the Airport, this
comprehensive electrification of the network would meet the on-going
forecast growth in passenger numbers and prepare the way for ensuring the
benefits of a high-speed rail link would be felt right across the City
Region.”
Commenting on the recent meetings, Harrogate Borough Council Leader Cllr Don
Mackenzie said: "The latest meeting of the Leeds City Region's Transport
Panel was particularly positive for Harrogate because it represents another
endorsement of the proposal to upgrade the Harrogate line. All parties are
now agreed that electrification of the line is the top priority. It is vital
that we can speak with one voice, because only with consensus are we likely
to obtain funding to take this forward. This scheme, promoted by the
Harrogate Chamber, has had the support of the borough council from the
outset, and we will continue to give it our full support, because it is so
important for the prosperity of the district."
Mark
Leving added: “The meeting was a vital part of the process of
winning the hearts and minds of an informed and important group of
stakeholders, with unanimous support expressed at the end of the meeting.
The good news was that we achieved a consensus that the route should be
electrified on the basis of the endorsement of the rail industry Vehicle
/Traction Energy Systems Interface Committee in September which was that any
form of electrification is better than no electrification and that both 25kV
AC and 750v DC options should be pursued in parallel, with the 25kV option
as Plan A and the 750v DC option as Plan B. This policy also received the
endorsement of the Leeds City Region Transport Panel on 2nd
December, so effectively the route becomes the region's next highest rail
priority after the Trans-Pennine electrification just announced. It was
also recognised that previously suggested Tram-Trains are not currently
appropriate technology for the Harrogate Line on operational, technical or
economic grounds”.
For further details see supporting documents:
Harrogate Line Objective (PDF)
Why Harrogate Metro Line? (PDF)
Comments welcome:
enquiries@harrogateline.org
Any issues of concern raised have been
addressed in FAQs
Harrogate to London Direct trains
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