Mobility scooter permit scheme introduced at Northern Rail for safe and accessible travel
After a successful trial, a new mobility scooter permit scheme has been rolled out across more than 21 routes and at a total of 140 stations along the Northern Rail network, making the trains and stations more accessible for elderly and disabled passengers.
The permit scheme is designed to ensure users’ scooters meet the Northern Rail’s safety standards so users can travel with peace of mind.
Passengers can apply for a permit and their scooter will be assessed to ensure it is safe to be carried on board.
Each user will be given a personalised and identifiable sticker that will be placed on the pre-assessed mobility device. This will be accompanied by a card that can be carried by customers if they use scooters that don’t have a suitable place to display the sticker.
Maxine Myers, Accessibility Improvement Manager at Northern Rail, said: “More than 21 routes across our network are now scooter friendly – and more will be rolled out in the near future as we continue to make our trains and stations as accessible as possible for our passengers.
“We have been working with members of the Northern Trains Accessibility User Group to create a phased introduction of routes and stations where Northern can accommodate scooter users.
“Anyone who wants to bring their scooters on our trains should apply for a permit first so we can check it meets the standards that make it safe for us to take it on-board.”
Mobility scooter users can apply for permits online here
Chris Jackson, Regional Director at Northern Rail, commented: “We are committed to giving people with additional mobility needs the confidence to travel by rail.
“The mobility scooter scheme is an example of this commitment and we’ll be looking to deliver improved accessibility across our network as we roll out similar improvements at other stations in the future.”
The mobility scooter permit scheme has been rolled out at over 100 stations across the Northern Rail network, including Leeds, York, Manchester Piccadilly, Lancaster, Chester, Nottingham, Liverpool Lime Street and Sheffield.
For the full list of stations incorporating the mobility scooter scheme, click here
