Harrogate’s MP is urging the Government to reinstate a crucial £150 million rail improvement scheme between Harrogate and York.

Tom Gordon MP met with the Minister for Rail last week to discuss the future of the York Area Capacity Scheme (YACS).

The MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough has campaigned to dual the line and improve services for passengers between Harrogate and York.

Mr Gordon urged the Minister, Lord Hendy, to reinstate the part of the scheme that has been indefinitely paused by the Labour Government.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon met with the Minister for Rail last week to discuss the future of the York Area Capacity Scheme for railway improvements. (Picture contributed)

placeholder image — Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon met with the Minister for Rail last week to discuss the future of the York Area Capacity Scheme for railway improvements. (Picture contributed)

The Minister concurred that it is a sound investment and agreed to look into a timetable.

Skelton Junction is one of the most congested in the network, with passengers regularly held on the north approach to York Station.

The bottleneck creates knock-on delays and poses a major capacity constraint.

Reinstatement of the YACS scheme would see an additional electrified track between the station and junction.

Mr Gordon said: “A firm commitment would provide much-needed reassurance to passengers and strengthen the case for further improvements.

"If we fix the York junction, it unlocks potential to dual the whole line or introduce near around new developments in Flaxby or Knaresborough.

"We need to speed up improvements and make it reliable for those who already commute and a viable option for people who want to travel sustainably.”

The scheme is estimated to cost around £150 million, a small fraction of the £7 billion being invested in the TransPennine Route upgrade.

York sits between the TransPennine Route and the recent investment into the East Coast Main Line.

The station has also upgraded to digital signalling.

The relatively modest investment into YACS would ensure these other major schemes “could reach their full potential,” said the Harrogate MP.

The Government’s rail proposals are separated in three phases, the first of which will cost £1.1 billion and which includes the electrification and upgrades to the York-Leeds corridor.

In total, the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) scheme will see £45bn of investment to deliver faster journeys and more frequent trains across the North through a combination of upgraded and new lines and station improvements.