The improvement is a result of a £1.5million investment by Arriva Trains Northern.

Arriva will fund a locomotive-hauled train with four mark II air-conditioned carriages providing 224 seats.

Arriva plans to start running the train in late September as part of the winter timetable. It will operate for 12 months and its future will be decided by the level of passenger response.

The project was helped by Metro and Network Rail, which invested in platform extensions at Horsforth for four-carriage trains. The larger train will form the 07.48 from Knaresborough to Leeds and 17.43 Leeds to Knaresborough.

During the day it will be used to increase services on the world-famous Leeds-Carlisle line. It will form the 09.49 Leeds to Carlisle and 13.33 return from Carlisle.

The two-carriage train that would normally run this service will be used to provide two additional services on the line. A 16.19 Leeds to Carlisle will fill a previous three-hour gap in services - and a new later return train at 19.36 fro Carlisle to Leeds.

Arriva Trains Northern managing director Ray Price said: Demand for quality services on the Harrogate line has grown dramatically over the past few years and we pledged that we would look at ways to bring about improvements for our customers.

We believe it will be welcomed by local and business communities.

It is vital that people understand that we have secured this train on a 12-month basis. In order for its continuation we need to demonstrate that the locomotive train on the Harrogate line - and the other services created, as a result, on the Leeds to Carlisle line - are being well used and are sustainable.

Metro chairman Mick Lyons said: I welcome this development and the passenger benefits it will bring. The introduction of this new train is the latest piece of good news for people who use the Harrogate line and with the refurbishment of Horsforth Station and re-engineering of the Bramhope tunnel, it completes a £12million hat trick of improvements.

But there is still room to improve the line further and Metro has commissioned a study to look at a range of issues including new stations and enhanced services.

Information from Arriva

More details from Arriva Corporate Communications Department on 0191 520 4171

email: GranvilleJ at arriva.co.uk