LABOUR’S Parliamentary candidate for Leeds North West is accusing the government of “binning” a scheme to improve a railway line.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced electrification plans to speed up journey times for the TransPennine rail routes from Leeds to Manchester and Manchester to Sheffield.

But proposals for the Leeds to Harrogate line electrification, put forward last year by Metro and North Yorkshire, Harrogate and York Councils, are not among the improvements being supported by the coalition.

That project would have cut journey times and allowed four trains an hour to run on a route that serves Headingley, Horsforth, Weeton and Harrogate.

Councillor Alex Sobel (Lab, Moortown), who will stand against Otley’s current MP Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem, Leeds North West) at the next General Election, said: “In August, 2013, Mr Mulholland announced his backing for these proposals.

“It’s sad news for our area that over the last 15 months the Lib Dem MP has signally failed to convince his Westminster bosses.”