The service will run for a trial period of 12 months

Arriva Trains Northern has leased a locomotive and four carriages which will provide an extra 224 seats during the morning and evening rush hours.

Starting on Monday, the train will begin its journey in Knaresborough at 0758 BST, then call at Harrogate at 0808 BST before arriving in Leeds at 0842 BST.

The evening return service will leave Leeds at 1743 BST.

Tunnel work

Arriva says it will run the service for 12 months and will then decide whether it will continue.

Ray Price, the managing director of Arriva Trains Northern, said: "We promised we would look at ways to bring about improvements to the Harrogate line and we are delivering that promise with the start of this loco-hauled service."

All the other trains running on the Harrogate line are diesel multiple units.

Journey times between Harrogate and Leeds have recently been reduced following the laying of new track in the Bramhope tunnel.