Plans unveiled for Harrogate Railway Station improvements

Harrogate Railway Station will soon be back on track after North Yorkshire County Council granted permission to redevelop the station.

As well as making improvements to the surrounding area of the station, the council is also investing upto £35k to hire a team of consultants who will aim to produce new proposals for a refurbished railway station in Harrogate Town.

Harrogate station is one of the most used lines in the whole of Yorkshire as it links the county with Leeds city region, York, as well as other major cities around the North of England, including Manchester.

According to study carried out by the County Council, along with neighbouring authorities, the Harrogate rail line is a strong contender for electrification and it is predicted that 2 million passengers per year will use the station by 2020.

The council’s confirmation of the forthcoming improvement plan comes only one week after the Government Electrification Task Force announced that the Harrogate line is in the top tier of schemes for future electrification.

David Bowe, North Yorkshire’s corporate director for business and environmental Services, said: “Harrogate is the busiest station in the county and over recent years has seen usage grow by over 20 per cent.

“Now we also want a railway station that is fit for a thriving Harrogate and one that will cope with the demands of the additional passengers that are projected to use the station in the coming years.

“An attractive railway station makes a town more inviting and helps to improve its economic prospects overall.

“Harrogate railway station presently does not offer the passenger facilities of a modern railway station and could give a better first impression to people arriving in the town. We are therefore commissioning an improvement plan that can point the way for the necessary investment in the station.”