PLANS to double the number of trains between York and Harrogate are being pushed ahead.

North Yorkshire County Council is working with Network Rail and Northern Rail to develop proposals to increase the current one train an hour to two by 2020 and reduce journey times.

This would mean at least 30 trains a day in each direction, Monday to Saturday, and 20 in each direction on a Sunday.

These improvements will be made through improving signalling and increasing the speeds of trains at points along the line.

The county council has already committed £2.9m to the £12.5m project and the authority’s Executive has agreed to prepare a detailed funding bid for the remaining £9.6m to the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), having received a positive response to the proposal.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, including rail transport, said: “Harrogate and its surrounding area have grown significantly in recent years and that growth is likely to accelerate.

“We are committed to the enhancement of strong, sustainable public transport links that support this growth.

“These rail improvements represent an important part of helping Harrogate to realise its potential and would strengthen the east to west transport links that are vital to the county as a whole.”

Harrogate station is the busiest in North Yorkshire, with 1.65 million passengers last year, up by six per cent from the previous year and by 40 per cent in the past 10 years.

The proposals build on other improvements already completed or planned by Northern Rail and Virgin Trains East Coast to upgrade the local rail network, including:a £950,000 investment in passenger facilities at Harrogate station.