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Northern to provide extra seating on Ilkley and Skipton trains

Tuesday, 24 June 2025 08:38

Thousands of extra seats will be made available on some Northern services.

Northern passengers will be provided with thousands of extra seats on busy routes in Yorkshire.

The train operator will begin introducing more six-carriage services between Leeds, Ilkley, Skipton and Bradford Forster Square this week, providing more than 5,400 extra seats a day for customers on weekdays and Saturdays.

All of the electric trains which run on these lines currently have three or four carriages.

But Northern is now working to ensure at least one in six of these trains has six carriages.

Many will run during the busiest periods of the day on these routes, which are some of the best performing on Northern’s network.

More than 99% of services running between Leeds, Ilkley, Skipton and Bradford Forster Square ran without cancellation in May.

It comes alongside a Network Rail project to extend platforms to accommodate longer trains at Kirkstall Forge, Apperley Bridge, Shipley, Bingley, Guiseley, Menston and Burley in Wharfedale.

Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern in Yorkshire, said:

“We have been working hard to run a reliable service for customers on these routes and are now focused on providing extra capacity to meet demand.

“These six-carriage services will provide customers with more space and extra seats during the busiest periods so they can enjoy a more comfortable journey.”

Passengers should check posters and information screens or ask conductors to find out which doors they can use to get on and off six-carriage trains.

Cononley and Steeton & Silsden stations have not been extended and passengers will be unable to alight from the two front carriages of the train.

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