Train operator Northern has made eight more of its stations accessible to passengers using mobility scooters.

Mobility scooter users who have a permit can now access Chesterfield station in Derbyshire; Deansgate, Salford Central and Salford Crescent stations in Greater Manchester; Headbolt Lane, Prescot and Rainhill stations in Merseyside; and Kent’s Bank station in Cumbria.

Passengers who use a mobility scooter will need to be in possession of a permit, which they can obtain from Northern.

This certifies that their particular model of mobility scooter is able to board train services safely and will not tip over or become stuck while on the train.

Permits are free of charge. Northern provides a personalised sticker to passengers who register, which the passenger must place on the vehicle once it has been assessed.

If the mobility scooter does not have a suitable place to display the sticker, the passenger can use a card, which Northern will provide.

This latest expansion of Northern’s mobility scooter programme – which began in 2020 and by 2023 covered more than 160 stations – means that a total of 179 stations across 28 routes on the operator’s network are now accessible to users of mobility scooters.

Northern services stop at more than five hundred stations, of which the operator manages 479.

While Northern, in common with many other public transport operators, bans certain battery-powered devices, it exempts mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs and other aids used by people with mobility impaiments.

Vehicles including e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards are not allowed on Northern’s services, as they are prone to overheating and can cause fires.

“We are constantly evolving this scheme and have listened to feedback from customers and members of our accessibility user group to open up more opportunities for people who use a mobility scooter to travel.

“I’m delighted that we have been able to expand this programme and hope we can continue to do so in the future.”

Maxine Myers, accessibility improvement manager, Northern