York’s council leader has called on the government to take action over “deeply concerning” incoming rail service cuts that will hit the city.

Timetable changes to Northern services from May 15 will see further reductions affecting the Harrogate line, which serves as a main connection between York and Leeds.

It follows the reduction in services from publicly-owned Northern back in December 2021 and further cuts in January 2022.

In the latest timetable, there will be no trains from York to Poppleton, Hammerton, Cattal and Harrogate between 8.11pm and 10.11pm.

The 6.59am from Leeds to York and the 8.47am return service are also to be cut.

Cllr Keith Aspden, leader of City of York Council, has called for services which have been cut since the outbreak of Covid to be “reinstated as soon as possible”.

In a letter to Rail Minister Wendy Morton, Cllr Aspden said: “These cuts will have a huge impact on the commuter corridor between York, Harrogate and Leeds, and the towns and villages in between which rely on those services to stay connected. 

“This will also come as another blow to commuters following the increase in rail fares announced earlier this year.

"At this time of a cost of living crisis, such decisions are deeply concerning.”

Cllr Aspden added: “Ongoing service cuts, fare increases and the failure to deliver an integrated rail service in the North frankly undermines our recovery efforts.

"This is the time to invest in rail to support our businesses and the environment, and we will continue to make this case to the government.”

A Northern spokesperson said: “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.”