Harrogate commuters frustrated as early trains axed today

Harrogate commuters have vented their frustration as early morning trains to Leeds are axed today.

Rail operator Northern has cancelled the first two services of the day from Harrogate to Leeds at 6.07am and 6.33am.

It means the earliest Harrogate commuters can arrive in Leeds is 7.28am, compared with 6.24am from Bradford, 6.27am from Skipton and 6.31am from Ilkley

It will also inconvenience some Harrogate business passengers travelling to London for early morning meetings.

Harrogate rail station

Martyn Fletcher, who was one of the commuters caught out by today’s timetable change, was left waiting at a wet Pannal station at 6.15am for a service that no longer exists. He said:

“I commute to Kent every week and have done so for over two years with no problems but no longer can get to Leeds to catch my scheduled train.

“I am not the only person living in Harrogate who needs to commute . In my opinion, trains must run every half hour from 5.30am until 8.30am so that those that need to catch connecting services from Leeds to elsewhere can do so.

“This change to schedule makes no sense at all . If you want to save money only run a hourly services during the quieter mid-morning mid-afternoon period . But provide a proper service for workers and business people.”

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Northern has said the cuts are due to be reversed in December but rail campaigner Brian Dunsby told the Stray Ferret he wasn’t convinced.

“They have done this without good reason and without justification. I don’t trust them to reinstate the services.

“I can’t get proper answers out of them or find out who made this decision.

‘Harrogate is being picked on’

Mr Dunsby, of Harrogate Line Supporters Group,  said it would be far better to scrap an afternoon service rather than the key early morning trains, adding:

“It’s crazy that the Harrogate line seems to have been picked on when others haven’t been treated this way.”

Tony Baxter, regional director at Northern said:

“The new timetables are designed to deliver high levels of reliability.

“We’ve made decisions about our timetables based on the levels of resource we have available.

“We’ve then prioritised the routes with the highest customer demand, and which support the region’s economic growth.”

Pleas to reinstate cancelled Harrogate to Leeds rail service ‘ignored’

Rail campaigner Brian Dunsby has said his pleas to reinstate the cancelled 6.07am train from Harrogate to Leeds have been ignored by publicly-owned rail operator Northern.

The Stray Ferret reported last month that the weekday service — the first of the day — will be axed from May 15. Some evening services will also be cut.

Mr Dunsby, of Harrogate Line Supporters Group, branded the move ‘disgraceful’ and called for a rethink. He said the service is vital for commuters and voiced his concern that losing it will damage Harrogate’s business community.

Since the decision, he said he’s been lobbying Northern as well as Transport for the North and local Conservative MP Andrew Jones, but he’s been left disappointed.

He said:

“There’s been no progress at all. It’s quite unjustifiable. We can’t understand why they are cancelling them. It’s very unsatisfactory.”

Northern blamed lower passenger numbers, issues with rolling stock and staffing problems for the cuts, which has seen a raft of services across Yorkshire withdrawn.

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Northern will put on a bus to replace the lost early train service from Harrogate to Leeds, but it could be December at the earliest until Northern will look at reintroducing the rail service. Mr Dunsby said this was “not good enough”.

He added:

“That’s eight months away. People need this train for business trips.”

Tony Baxter, regional director at Northern, said:

“Customers are at the heart of everything we do, and the new timetables are designed to deliver high levels of reliability.

“We’ve made decisions about our timetables based on the levels of resource we have available and prioritising the routes with the highest customer demand, and which support the region’s economic growth.”

Hot Seat: Farewell to the Harrogate district’s transport chief

In less than a month’s time, the curtain will come down on the career of one of the most influential — and divisive — politicians in the Harrogate district this century.

Don Mackenzie served 16 years as a Harrogate borough councillor, but will be best remembered for his current role as executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

His portfolio includes transport, which means he has led on key decisions, such as the Harrogate Station Gateway, the junction 47 upgrade of the A1(M) near Knaresborough, realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill and numerous schemes to promote cycling and walking.

In an era when some politicians pick and choose which media to talk to, and hide behind press officers, Cllr Mackenzie has always been willing to pick up the phone and front up. He believes in transparency, he says. Colleagues say he’s on top of his brief, and some think he would have made a good county council leader.

But the judgement of the people is more brutal. Barely a day passes without references to ‘Dismal Don’ or calls for his resignation on social media. Complex transport schemes rarely please everyone and rarely progress swiftly and he is remarkably relaxed about the fallout:

“If I let these things upset me, I would have given up years ago. The only thing that occasionally annoys me is social media, especially anonymous posters.

“Tough decisions have to be made and all they do is sit in the comfort of their own home posting anonymous criticism. It’s cowardly.”

‘Right time to go’

On the day we met Cllr Mackenzie, who has lived in Harrogate since 1973 and represents Harrogate Saltergate, he received an email asking how dare he approve 770 houses being built on Otley Road — the decision has not been made yet and will be taken by Harrogate Borough Council, of which he has not been a councillor since 2018.

Such confusion will end when North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council are abolished next year to make way for North Yorkshire Council, which will become the new unitary authority for the county.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council.

New weather stations have been introduced to help drivers in difficult conditions.

That looming seismic change has persuaded Cllr Mackenzie, 72, not to seek re-election on May 5. He is the only one of 10 members of the county council executive not to do so. Wasn’t he tempted to continue?

“No I wasn’t. It’s a five-year commitment. I felt that my time as a county councillor had come to a natural end. Many of my colleagues have great difficulty deciding when and if to retire. Many people say a career in politics always ends in tears so I feel this is the right time to go.”

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Nevertheless he will be sad to depart.

“I’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it.

“Most councillors set out to do something for their local community. Most people like me are in it to make a difference and sometimes it’s difficult to make that difference. There are inevitably disappointments. We’ve been disappointed this week with our Bus Service Improvement Plan.”

The county council’s plan involved bidding £116m to the Department for Transport to improve bus services in North Yorkshire. It received none. A significant chunk would have been spent easing congestion in Harrogate. But in March the government awarded the council and Harrogate Bus Company £7.8m to make the firm’s fleet all-electric.

There have been other successes, such as the Bond End double mini roundabout in Knaresborough, which eased congestion at one of the most polluted spots in the Harrogate district.

“It was a highlight because many people thought it would not work and were worried about safety and taking away the traffic lights.”

Junction 47, trains and Kex Gill

Cllr Mackenzie lauds the A1(M) junction 47 upgrade, due to end end anytime now, as a rare example of infrastructure investment coming before development.

He says train services are far better now, with more frequent direct trains to London, than before he became a councillor despite rail operator Northern’s announcement last month of cuts to Harrogate services. He says:

“Northern have assured me these reductions will be short-term only.”

He admits to being a “little frustrated” the Kex Gill realignment won’t be completed before he leaves office. Delays, he says, are inevitable when “taking a major trans-pennine highway across a sensitive area of countryside”. Peat deposits are among the vexed considerations. But the project has levered £56m from the Department for Transport and should start this year.

Walking and cycling schemes

Active travel schemes have been the most contentious, particularly the Harrogate Station Gateway. It was one of three initiatives worth £42million funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Don Mackenzie at chamber meeting

Making the case for the Station Gateway at a business meeting.

Cllr Mackenzie says the Selby and Skipton projects “have been problem free”; Harrogate has been anything but, with strong opposition from businesses and residents to reducing Station Parade to single lane and pedestrianising part of James Street. He remains a staunch advocate:

“It’s bringing £11million of much needed investment into the town centre. It will be a radical improvement to a part of town that needs improving and it will be good for the visitor economy.”

He says he would be “inclined to continue’ with the closure of Beech Grove in Harrogate to through traffic when the 18-month experiment ends in August, with the caveat that he “would be guided by the data”.

As for Otley Road cycle path, he was “a little surprised to hear complaints from the cycling lobby” because “what we have delivered is exactly what the plans showed so they had plenty of time to raise concerns then”.

He says the council will conduct another round of consultation on phase two “so people are absolutely clear” about the plans this time.

Why have these schemes provoked so much anger?

“In Harrogate, when one attempts change — in this case to improve facilities for walking and cycling — you get roughly half the population behind you and half against you.

“Also, many people feel any restrictions on car driving is a bad thing whereas if you want to overcome congestion you have to have a realistic alternative.”

Conservative for 40 years

Don Johannes Josef Mackenzie was born in Germany and is bilingual — his dad stayed there after the war and met a German woman. The family moved before Cllr Mackenzie’s first birthday and he grew up in Ipswich.

He became managing director of MMP International, which supplied industrial repair and maintenance products worldwide. The job brought him to Harrogate 49 years ago.

MMP was acquired by US company ITW in 1998. Mr Mackenzie was a minority shareholder and stayed on for 10 years as business manager. He then became self-employed, “doing small things representing British manufacturers worldwide”.

A Conservative Party member for 40 years, he cut his political teeth as a Harrogate borough councillor in Pannal from 1987 to 1991 before a 15-year hiatus to concentrate on his career and raising his daughter, who would later become the agent for Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough. Who are his political heroes?

“I liked Mrs Thatcher but I don’t have any political heroes. I also liked David Cameron — I thought he was very good.”

He returned to serve three terms in Harrogate from 2006 to 2018, during which he became the cabinet member for planning and transport for three years — a role that included oversight of the creation of the original Local Plan — a document that outlines where planning can take part in the development.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

Speaking at an online county council meeting.

The plan allocated 390 new homes a year in the district — a number that was rejected by the government’s Planning Inspectorate as too low and was eventually bumped up to around 700, leading to ongoing concerns about the number of new developments. He says:

“In hindsight 390 was a little low. Now it’s nearer 700. I don’t have a problem with 700 but recently it’s been much higher than that.”

Cllr Mackenzie was appointed executive member for public health at the county council in 2013 until council leader Carl Les moved him to his access portfolio in 2015.

It’s a bruising role but says the only time he gets real abuse is when he’s knocking on doors canvassing. It doesn’t seem to bother him — he likes a good argument. Or as he puts it:

“I can’t say I enjoy it but I wouldn’t shrink from it.

“I belong to that generation when a candidate didn’t rely on social media. I relied on public meetings. But there’s far less of that face-to-face stuff and that has led to a decline in behaviour because people think their behaviour doesn’t matter as much.”

Bird watching

Cllr Mackenzie, who is 72, doesn’t intend to retire. He has applied to become a non-executive director of a British public sector organisation and wants to keep busy.

“I wouldn’t like to think I didn’t start each day without an active programme ahead.”

He’s a keen bird watcher who engages in his hobby on family holidays in Norfolk. He doesn’t cycle but walks a lot. He often catches the bus or strolls into town from his home, near Leeds Road about a mile from the town centre. He says it’s too close to go by car.

He claims not to have any major regrets. What does he think his legacy will be?

“I would like people to think that whatever decision I took, I took with the best of motives and I thought the decision was right. I can’t claim to have got every decision right – but they were all taken with the best of intentions.”

With many of his schemes set to outlast him, his legacy will be felt in the district for years to come.

 

Andrew Jones MP urges Northern to ‘rethink’ cuts to Harrogate trains

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has written to the chairman of rail operator Northern urging him to “rethink” reductions to the service between Harrogate and Leeds.

The Stray Ferret reported last week that the 6.07am from Harrogate to Leeds — the first of the day — will be axed from May 15. Some evening services will also be cut.

Brian Dunsby, of Harrogate Line Supporters Group, branded the move ‘disgraceful’ and called for a rethink.

Now Mr Jones has also said the decision should be reconsidered. The Conservative MP said:

“Over the last 12 years we have seen steady improvements to our local rail services. The hated pacer trains have gone, we have more direct services to London with the Azumas and we had seen welcome increases in services to Leeds and York.

“Many groups and individuals lobbied hard to get those changes and we worked with regional and national rail companies in a positive and constructive way. None of us want to see these hard-won improvements lost.”

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Mr Jones added that some long-term changes were understandable because of the trend towards working from home. He said>

“However these changes won’t be forever and there are other pressures in the local and national economy – such as the increase in fuel prices, the strength of the jobs market, the re-opening of the conference and exhibition business and the emphasis on greener methods of travel – which seem likely to lead to an increase in public transport use.

“It is simply therefore too early to judge whether it is right to consolidate the cuts made during the covid lockdowns into the timetable and add new reductions on top of that.”

Mr Jones said he had written to Robin Gisby, chairman of Northern, “asking him to pause any proposed service reductions between Harrogate and Leeds and consider reversing the earlier reductions in stages so that we get back to the level of service we had pre-pandemic”.

 

Early morning train from Harrogate to Leeds cancelled

Northern is to cancel the 6.07am train service from Harrogate to Leeds due to declining passenger numbers since the pandemic began.

The 6.07am, which is the first service of the day, arrives at Leeds Station at 6.44am. It is also used by business travellers to get to London King’s Cross before 9am.

The change will come into effect from May 15.

A Northern/LNER service, which goes to London via York and leaves Harrogate at 6.41am and arrives at King’s Cross at 9.36am, will remain on the timetable.

There is a direct LNER train from Harrogate to London at 7.36am but it doesn’t arrive in the capital until 10.32am.

LNER has delayed plans to introduce an earlier direct service that leaves Harrogate at 6.35am due to rolling stock issues.

‘We need it’

With the 6.07am service withdrawn, it means the earliest Harrogate commuters will be able to get into Leeds by train from Monday to Friday will be the 6.56 train, which arrives at 7.28am.

Brian Dunsby, of Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said passenger numbers were back to around 80% of pre-pandemic levels and the early service was needed by commuters.

He called the move by Northern ‘disgraceful’ and urged the state-owned operator to reconsider.

He said:

“The service is particularly important for anyone going down to London for a 9am start.

“They could cancel the 6.56am or the 7.14am instead. That 6.07 is very important. It’s the first train of the day and we need it.”

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A spokesperson for Northern said:

“We fully understand the concerns of those using our trains in West Yorkshire and we are doing all we can to provide the best possible service for our customers who are very much at the heart of everything we do.”

“We’re seeing fewer commuters travelling each day, and people travelling at different times of the week and for different reasons. We’ve made decisions about our timetables based on the levels of resource we have available and prioritising the routes with the highest customer demand, and which support the region’s economic growth.

“The timetables currently in place will broadly continue with some amendments from May 2022 and into the summer.”

Harrogate district train station parking review a ‘lost opportunity’

A review into car parking at train stations across the Harrogate district has been criticised as a “lost opportunity”.

Transport officials at North Yorkshire County Council launched the review to look into where parking could be expanded in order to encourage the use of public transport and stop parked vehicles spilling over onto residential streets.

The findings were discussed at a meeting today when councillor Paul Haslam, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said he was “disappointed” that residents were not asked where they believe investment is needed the most. He said:

“There doesn’t seem to have been any discussion with any user groups.

“I would have thought they might have been able to share some very important information – we need to know what our customers want.”

Cllr Haslam said while the review was “very measured,” it was a “lost opportunity” to also look into how access to train stations can be made easier for those travelling on foot or by bike.

He told today’s meeting of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee:

“I would have hoped this review could have looked at safe and secure storage for bikes, bus stop provision and other access in terms of cycle routes.

“Train stations are going to be what we will call transport transition hubs in the future and we have to facilitate these changes so people can get off their bike and onto a train, or out of their car and onto a bus.”

His comments were backed by councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, who added:

“We must look at other means of connecting people to railway stations and not simply in their cars.”

More parking at Pannal

The review highlights how new car parking will be built at Pannal train station as part of the ongoing housing development at the former Dunlopillo site.

Construction work has yet to start on the car park and it is unclear when this could begin.

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Cattal train station has also been identified for improved parking as part of a 3,000-home settlement which is planned for the area because of its railway links.

There are no plans to upgrade parking at train stations in Starbeck, Knaresborough or Weeton, as well Harrogate which a report said already has extra capacity at the Victoria multi-storey car park.

Another area which has been identified for potential improvements is Hornbeam Park train station where previous proposals to expand the car park were met with concerns that it could encourage more car journeys on the already congested Hookstone Road.

Traffic impact

Graham North, strategic support officer at the county council, told today’s meeting that extra car parking had been considered again, although it could have had a “significant” impact on traffic.

Mr North also set out some of the reasons why parking upgrades are needed at other train stations, but can not be achieved.

He said:

“The Harrogate line has had significant improvements in frequency including the recent improvements between York and Harrogate.

“We have also had modern rolling stock, station improvements and the introduction of the LNER services to and from London which are all potentially increasing demand for rail travel.

“The rail industry has looked at each station to identify any land available for car parking close to stations and whilst some land has been identified the cost to purchase, access to and from the sites and the poor business cases have meant that these were not developed further.”

Model railway exhibition pulls in to Harrogate tomorrow

A model railway exhibition is arriving in Harrogate tomorrow, with the organisers hoping it will encourage more people to take up the hobby.

Harrogate Model Railway Group holds meetings twice a week at St Aidan’s Church of England High School for rail enthusiasts to share ideas and modelling tips.

Clem Dye, one of about 20 members, said he expected as many as 500 people to attend tomorrow’s exhibition, depending on weather conditions. It will be the group’s first since covid.

As well as model railways created by members, there will be additional exhibitors there including Wenselydale Railway and Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway.

Visitors will also have the chance to browse a number of trade stands.

Mr Dye said:

“We have a number of exhibitors, who model in different gauges, be that ’009’, ’N’, ‘OO’ or ‘O’. There should be something for everyone at the show.

“Just because you might model in one particular gauge it doesn’t stop you appreciating a layout in a gauge that you’re not familiar with. People come and see the exhibits to gather ideas and inspiration for their own layouts. I’m looking forward to checking them out too.”

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He added he hoped events like this, and a further exhibition planned for August, will open the hobby up to more people.

Tomorrow’s event takes place from 10am to 4pm. Tickets are £5 for adults, £2 for children and £10 for a family.

To join the group or find out more, click here.

Improved Harrogate to London train service delayed

Concerns over infrastructure and rolling stock have delayed the introduction of improved direct train services between Harrogate and London.

A new timetable, with an earlier direct service to London King’s Cross, was due to be implemented in May 2022.

The shake-up was announced by LNER in June last year as part of wider changes to services on the east coast main line.

LNER said times between Harrogate and London would be about 10 minutes faster as part of the new timetable, which included:

In the opposite direction, from London direct to Harrogate:

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However, the improved services will now not be introduced after Network Rail recommended that the Department for Transport, which has the final decision on the timetable, delays the implementation.

The organisation said it had “concerns around infrastructure, rolling stock and performance and stakeholder feedback” with the changes.

Simon Leyshon, industry programme director for Network Rail’s east coast route, said it hoped to implement the changes as soon as possible.

He said:

“Postponing the new timetable change for the east coast main line allows us to dedicate more time to considering the views passengers and stakeholders shared with us during the consultation process last year.

“We’re now working closely with train operating companies and the wider rail industry to develop a timetable that meets passenger’s changing travel patterns and makes the most of the increased capacity on the East Coast main line following the £1.2 billion East Coast upgrade.”

Network Rail also pointed out that Harrogate had already seen an additional Northern service introduced on the Leeds to York line in December 2021.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning everyone, it’s Connor back with you to take you through to Christmas with traffic and travel updates on this cold Wednesday morning.

If you spot anything, let me know on 01423 276197. Let’s help everyone have a smooth journey today.

These blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is all from me this morning but I will be back with updates from 6.30am tomorrow.

Roads

The roads are starting to become busy but seem to be quieter than usual. Keep checking back for more updates but here is a list of places to avoid.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are starting to become busy but seem to be quieter than usual. Keep checking back for more updates but here is a list of places to avoid.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are starting to become busy but seem to be quieter than usual. Keep checking back for more updates but here is a list of places to avoid.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are running well so far early this morning with not many out driving so far. Keep checking back for more updates but here is a list of places to avoid.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are running well so far early this morning with not many out driving so far. Keep checking back for more updates but here is a list of places to avoid.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are running well so far early this morning with not many out driving so far. Keep checking back for more updates but here is a list of places to avoid.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Christmas timetables for bus and train services in Harrogate district

Several services across the Harrogate district will change over the festive period including some days where services will be suspended.

Here’s a day-by-day list of the festive timetable across the district:

Friday, December 24:

Saturday, December 25:

Sunday, December 26:

Monday, December 27 and Tuesday, December 28:

Wednesday, December 29 and Thursday, December 30:

Friday, December 31:

Saturday, January 1:

Sunday, January 2 and Monday, January 3:

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