New rail timetable for Harrogate passengers is coming next month to bring better services says Northern

Trains across the North of England will switch to a new timetable next month as Northern seeks to improve its performance.

The UK's second largest train operator says the new timetable, which will be introduced on Sunday, June 2, will only see minor tweaks to times.

But it will mean a better experience for rail users on the York-Harrogate-Leeds line.

Brian L Dunsby OBE, of Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said the new timetable does not involve any significant changes to frequency but does amount to another step forward.

"There are no changes in the actual timetable and frequency of services,” said Mr Dunsby, who has campaigned for many years to improve rail services for Harrogate passengers.

"Odd minutes are removed or added to a few trains during the day and evening.

"The only significant change is that more Class 170 rolling stock is coming in to replace the older Class 150 series.

"This will improve the comfort and reliability of the services.”

The then Arriva Rail North began operating the more favoured Class 170 in 2018 after years of relying on Class 150 Sprinter trains.

For Harrogate commuters, the increase in Class 170 availability under the new timetable will mean a reduction of class 150 deployment on peak services on this route.

Matt Rice, the new chief operating officer at Northern, said: “We’re all set for the new timetable next month.

"The vast majority of services are unaffected by the change, but there are a small number of services that have been re-timed."

Mr Rice also confirmed there would be extra capacity on services from Leeds to Harrogate and York.

Among the other changes taking place in Yorkshire will be additional stops and extra capacity on some services from Leeds to Skipton.

In 2019 Northern introduced 100 brand new trains across its franchise as part of a £500 million investment in regional rail.

For more information about Northern’s new timetable which starts on June 2, visit: https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/timetable-change