RAIL commuters between York and Leeds can look forward to less overcrowding, under new plans to lengthen trains and increase peak-time services.

Network Rail today unveiled its ten-year strategy for meeting the increasing demand for rail services between Scarborough, York, Leeds and Manchester.

Under the plans, rail users can expect additional services, longer trains with more seats, quicker journey times and better connections.

A 12-week consultation period will now take place, with a final document being published in spring next year.

Ashwin Kumar, passenger director of the rail consumer watchdog Passenger Focus, said: “We welcome this plan to meet the future needs of passengers in York. “Demand for the railway is increasing and it is critical that Network Rail responds to this by ensuring the infrastructure is in place to meet passenger needs. “As the railway consumer watchdog we will be looking at this plan very carefully to make sure it truly meets the demands of the area.”

Between 2009 and 2014, the first phase of the strategy would see trains lengthened and the introduction of more shuttle services at peak times on key commuter routes – including from York to Leeds.

Longer-distance commuters would also benefit from faster journey times between Leeds and Manchester.

Between 2014 and 2019, passengers can look forward to a new fleet of trains, replacing the existing Pacer and Sprinter fleet across the region.

David Pape, route director for Network Rail, said: “The growth in demand for rail throughout the Yorkshire and Humber region is excellent news for the industry, but this success brings us more challenges as we work to deliver a rail service passengers and freight users expect and demand.

“The publication of this draft strategy to meet these challenges marks the start of our consultation. The feedback we get will play an important role in shaping the future of the railway throughout the region.”

City of York councillor Andy D’Agorne, leader of the Green Party, said he welcomed any improvement to public transport.

He said: “There are a lot of people that travel between York and Leeds for their job and we want to encourage more people to use the train, rather than their car.

“The difficulty always is trying to provide enough services when people want them. Nobody likes to stand.”

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