Passengers using mobility scooters across North Yorkshire will now be able to travel on every type of train in Northern’s fleet, provided they have a free permit and their scooter meets the relevant requirements.
The train operator has updated its rules to allow smaller mobility scooters to travel on its Class 158 trains.
The change could benefit passengers travelling from stations including Harrogate, Ilkley and Skipton, which are served by Northern services.
Passengers who already hold a Northern mobility scooter permit are being contacted to let them know whether their scooter meets the new size requirements for Class 158 trains.
Those who qualify will be issued with a new permit confirming that their particular scooter can safely board the trains and manoeuvre inside them without becoming stuck.
There is no change to the existing rules allowing mobility scooters on Northern’s other types of trains.
Northern originally introduced its Class 158 restrictions in 2020, when the majority of mobility scooters were considered too large to turn within the trains’ narrow vestibules.
However, the operator says a growing number of passengers are now using smaller and lighter models, prompting a review of the policy.
Northern consulted passengers and staff, carried out further testing with different scooter models and reassessed more than 150 stations before deciding to allow suitable mobility scooters on Class 158 services.
Alex Hornby, Customer and Commercial Director at Northern, said:
“We are determined to create an accessible railway for everyone and continue to make further improvements for our customers across Northern.
“With more people using smaller scooters, we decided it was time to review the rules and find a new way forward to enable more passengers with mobility scooters to safely board more services.”
He also thanked Janet Kidd, Tony Jennings, Sue Buckingham and Shopmobility Leeds for their support during the process.
Northern says it is committed to giving passengers with accessibility needs greater confidence when travelling, with a conductor on board every service to provide assistance.
More than 3,000 passengers have already obtained free mobility scooter permits from Northern, covering around 330 different types of scooters. Permit holders can currently travel from 262 stations across the Northern network.
The announcement comes as Northern prepares for a major investment in its fleet.
The publicly-owned operator is planning to purchase up to 450 new trains across three phases, with around 130 trains included in the first phase.
Northern aims to award contracts by early 2027, with the first new trains expected to be delivered in 2030.
The operator says improving accessibility will be a key focus of the new fleet, including improving level boarding and ensuring new carriages meet requirements at platforms that conform to the network standard.
Northern currently operates around 2,650 services each day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.
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