THIS week saw the start of the new timetable for the railway system in Britain - and for the Leeds to Morecambe route through Craven there has been a 38% increase in the number of trains each week, with more possibilities for connections to places such as Windermere or the Cumbrian coast.

There are now seven trains in each direction Monday to Saturday (up from five) and five each way on Sundays (up from four).

Gerald Townson, Chairman of the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (the Bentham Line), said: “The Partnership warmly welcomes the improvements to the service on the route and has worked alongside Northern to bring them to fruition as soon as possible.

"All at the Partnership are keen that travellers will make good use of the extra journey possibilities this offers.”

The first eastbound train into Leeds will now arrive 22 minutes earlier at 8.43am, making it far more useful for potential commuters, as well as being attractive for educational users. With a more regular service, over a longer period each day, the leisure traveller has far more choice too.

There are connections at Carnforth to and from the Furness Line and the Cumbrian Coast route, while at Lancaster connections are readily available southwards to Preston, Manchester, Birmingham and London Euston and northwards to Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Connections at Leeds cover the East Coast Main Line and CrossCountry services, together with local services across the North.

Richard Rollins, Co-Chairman of the Lancaster and Skipton Rail User Group (LASRUG), is delighted to see the additional train services on the line for which the group have been campaigning for many years. He said: “Particularly pleasing is the introduction of the 17.25 and 19.18 departures from Leeds to Lancaster and Morecambe. These will allow business and leisure travellers to return at a more practical times than was previously possible with the last departure being at 16.45.”

There are also later eastward services than before, with new departures from Morecambe (20:10 direct and 21:08 by changing at Lancaster) and from Lancaster (20:30 and 21:34), in addition to a new commuting service from departing Morecambe at 17:31 and Lancaster at 17:45.

Over the coming months, there are further improvements to come for the route as part of this Northern franchise, such as a commuting and education service to Lancaster and Morecambe arriving in Lancaster around 09:00 and a new morning eastbound service to Skipton and Leeds.

Both the Partnership and LASRUG are now eager to promote the new possibilities for travel on and beyond the route and urge communities make full use of the new services to make ‘greener’ journeys.

Mr Townson said: "It is important for all to have the opportunities to travel for work, education, health care, appointments, days out, holidays and leisure.

"The Bentham Line is now in a better position to provide these opportunities for more people, through the improved timetable and the Partnership's initiative in working with Northern to make the line dementia friendly."