New rail timetables come into force this weekend‘Ongoing service disruption’ to trains on Harrogate lineNorthern urges passengers to stop abusing staffParking charges double at Harrogate train stationHarrogate district braced for further rail strikes

Passengers are set to experience rail disruptions next week and into the Early May Bank Holiday as unions carry out further strikes.

Train union ASLEF has announced its members will carry out “action short of strike” between Monday April 29 and Saturday May 4 in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Northern, which operates stations in Harrogate, Starbeck and Knaresborough, has warned passengers to expect late notice cancellations during the time period.

On its website, the company said:

“If travelling with Northern, or connecting onto other services across the country, check before you travel as industrial action may affect multiple parts of your journey.

“Between April 29 and May 4 (during ‘action short of strike’) we expect some late notice cancellations to services, particularly the first and last services of the day.

“The majority of services will be running as planned on these days, but please check before travelling, as close to the time as possible as short notice cancellations are likely.”

There are also disruptions predicted between May 6- 11 due to ‘action short of strike’ called by ASLEF, meaning almost two weeks of disruptions with a strike on Thursday May 9.

Passengers also faced disruptions on the last bank holiday, over Easter weekend.

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Rail disruption expected over Easter weekend

Train operator Northern has advised people to ‘check before you travel’ over Easter.

Engineering work is scheduled over the bank holiday weekend, meaning there will be disruption to services between Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1.

Trains will still be running on Easter Sunday and the two bank holidays, but some journeys may take longer than usual and services may finish earlier in the day. Some routes have reduced services and a small number are closed completely.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer, said:

“Easter has long-been a period when essential engineering work is carried out as there are fewer customers travelling than normal.

“We do appreciate, however, that this still causes disruption for those who are on the move and we work closely with Network Rail to ensure the impact is kept to a minimum and alternative transport is provided wherever possible.

“During periods of disruption, customers are always advised to ‘check before you travel’ and to allow extra time for their journeys.”

Last week, the train driver union, ASLEF, announced that strikes that will take place the week after Easter. Walk outs are planned between Friday April 5 and Monday April 8.

Northern services will be impacted by this action on Saturday April  6. More information is due to be released closer to the time.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with over 500 stations across the North of England including Harrogate, Knaresborough and Starbeck.

For more information about travelling over the Easter bank holiday weekend, click here.

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Harrogate trains cancelled as flood threat remains

Rail replacement buses are operating between Harrogate and Leeds this morning due to flooding.

Rail operator Northern said this morning some lines were blocked due to the wet conditions.

It added rail replacement were in place for the 6.30 Leeds to Harrogate 7.30 Leeds to Harrogate 8.30 Leeds to Harrogate, 9.30 Leeds to Harrogate, 7.00 Harrogate to Leeds, 8.00 Harrogate to Leeds. 9.00 Harrogate to Leeds and 10.00 Harrogate to Leeds.

A Met Office weather warning for rain remains in place for the Harrogate district until 9pm until tonight.

Environment Agency flood alerts are active for the upper and lower River Nidd catchments areas and for the Lower River Ure.

More severe flood warnings — which indicate flooding is expected — have been installed for Swinney Beck at Masham and the River Nidd at Hunsingore.

The Swinney Beck warning at 1.54am this morning said:

“Flooding is forecast to affect locations and properties near the Swinney Beck, with low lying land expected to be most affected, particularly around Masham including properties situated off the A6108, Fearby Road, Westholme Road, Leyburn Road, The Avenue, Avenue Bank, Quaker Terrance, Silver Street and College Lane.”

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Morning trains disrupted due to trespasser at Starbeck

Trains between Harrogate and Knaresborough were disrupted this morning due to a trespasser near the line at Starbeck.

Northern Rail alerted commuters on social media at 9.18am, saying a “trespass incident” was causing delays.

Network Rail and British Transport Police both attended the incident, which happened at around 8.20am.

In a statement, British Transport Police said:

“Officers were called to the line near Starbeck railway station at around 8.20am today (18 December) following reports of concern for welfare.

“Officers attended and a person has been taken to a place of safety.”

Lines have re-opened but Northern said disruption is expected until 12.45pm.

No further details have been released.

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Business Breakfast: Boroughbridge firm Reed Boardall returns to profit

Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?

The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.

Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.

Boroughbridge‘s largest employer has bounced back from losses to record a £5.5 million uplift in profits.

Reed Boardall, the frozen food distribution business based at Roecliffe, saw profits before taxation rise to £1.4m for the year ending March 31, 2023, despite continued pressure on costs.

The previous year, the group, whose customers include many of the UK’s leading food manufacturers and supermarkets, sustained a £4.1m loss it attributed to covid lockdowns, a cyber-attack and spiralling fuel and energy costs.

Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, said:

“Given global uncertainty as the Ukraine conflict continues, together with ongoing inflation, pressure on our costs has been unrelenting. In such a challenging environment, the group has once again put in a strong performance, based on its longevity, outstanding reputation in the sector and the skills of our highly trained team.”

He added:

“Having already weathered one of the toughest years in our 30-year history, we are pleased that our latest financial results show the strength of the business as we look forward to further growth. The year ahead looks positive as we continue to prove the success of our single site strategy which enables us to provide an efficient and reliable service to our customer.”

Occupying a 55-acre site, Reed Boardall is one of the largest businesses of its kind in the UK. It has a fleet of 200 vehicles operating 24 hours a day, year-round, and delivers 12,000 pallets of frozen food daily to all the UK’s national supermarkets.

£2 Christmas market rail fares to boost Knaresborough traders

Rail firm Northern is to introduce a special £2 ticket to boost visitor numbers to four Christmas markets across Yorkshire, including the one in Knaresborough next month.

The special £2 tickets, which are available to children for just £1, will be available in each direction on services between Leeds and York to Knaresborough from Saturday, December 2 to Sunday, December 3 in support of Knaresborough Christmas Market weekend.

The lower fare will also be available on services between Hull and Scarborough on November 24-26 in support of Scarborough Sparkle, services between Selby and Beverley on December 6-8 in support of the Beverley Festival of Christmas Made in East Yorkshire Markets, and on services between Leeds and Bradford Forster Square to Ilkley on Sunday, December 17 in support of the Real Food Ilkley Christmas Market.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said:

“We know some of the big cities across our network can get pretty crowded this time of year, so we wanted to do something to encourage people to try an alternative location instead.

“Christmas markets make a huge contribution to the winter economy of local towns and we hope these special £2 tickets encourage more people to ‘go do their thing’ in Scarborough, Knaresborough, Beverley and Ilkley.”

The £2 tickets are only available on Northern services and must be bought three days in advance of travel from the Northern website or app. Tickets can also be bought via telephone on 0344 811 5111.

Knaresborough Business Collective is also organising late night shopping in Knaresborough on December 2 in a further boost to traders.

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Business Breakfast: Theakston Old Peculier returns to the US after ten-year gap 

Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?

The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.

Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.

Masham-based brewer T&R Theakston is to make its Old Peculier ale available in the United States for the first time in ten years. 

The ale has a strong following in the US after first being shipped there in 1976, and at one point was the third most imported British beer, with around 40 pallets exported every month. But the company stopped shipping to the States in 2013 due to the massive growth of foreign imported beers and the domestic craft scene.

Simon Theakston, joint managing director of T&R Theakston, said:

“With the market now settling down and the tried-and-tested imported beer brands coming once again to the fore, now is exactly the right time to return to a much admired and very enthusiastic consumer market once again.”  

Believed to have been first brewed in the early 19th century, Theakston Old Peculier is the most recognisable brand of the family-run company which has been brewing in Masham for almost 200 years.

The brewery is working with New York importer and wholesaler Iron Horse Beverages to reintroduce Old Peculier to the US market with a view to expanding its footprint in the coming years. Exports are to restart this month when the first consignment of kegs, 440ml cans and bottles arrive in New York State to be distributed throughout the Eastern Seaboard. 

Mr Theakston added:

“We are looking forward to reconnecting with loyal Old Peculier fans throughout the US, whilst introducing our rich brewing heritage to a new audience of ale lovers.”

New finance director at Northern 

Train operator Northern has appointed Richard Hinds as its finance director. 

A former CFO of global tech distributor Exertis, Mr Hinds has also held senior roles with Flogas Britain Plc and Speedy Hire Plc. In his new role, he will oversee a broad range of corporate services. 

Northern, the UK’s second largest train operator, runs Harrogate and Knaresborough stations and provides local passenger train services. 

Mr Hinds said:

“I’m looking forward to working with the team at Northern and contributing to our vision to make a positive impact for the North, getting our customers where they need to be, safely, affordably and on time.”

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