Northern installs new passenger assistance points at Alnmouth, Morpeth and Hexham railway stations

Passenger assistance points have been introduced at 31 Northern-managed stations, including Alnmouth, Morpeth and Hexham.

Each point is located close to the ticket office, where customers should check in first. They are then invited to take a seat in the designated area so a member of staff can meet them when it is time to go for the train.

As part of a trial, another nine meeting points have been installed at unstaffed stations, including Ashington, Seaton Delaval and Newsham.

Disabled customers can wait in the marked area so they can be seen by a conductor when a train arrives and then be offered assistance.

Northern’s Accessibility User Group (NAUG), which represents people with a wide range of disabilities, worked with the operator to develop and deliver the project.

Mark Cutter, who chairs NAUG, said: "Anything that makes it easier to access passenger assistance can only be a good thing.

"Travelling from an unstaffed station can be stressful for anyone, but for disabled people and those requiring assistance it can simply be a reason not to travel."

Alex Hornby, Northern’s commercial and customer director, said: “The introduction of new meeting points at 40 of our stations demonstrates yet further progress in our mission to improve accessibility across the network.”

Northern is currently working with the Office for Rail & Road to improve the travel experience for people with additional access needs. It comes after the regulator submitted a complaint in September 2024, stating that not all passengers were receiving the assistance they required.