Northern rail firm announce U-turn on biker ban at Whitby train station carpark

Yorkshire bikers are celebrating after railway firm, Northern announced a U-turn on their ban of all motorcycles from Whitby train station carpark.

“After listening to feedback from community groups we will be lifting the ban on motorcycles at Whitby station car park,” a Northern spokesperson said.

The site, located off Langborne Road, is a popular stopping place for bikers visiting the Whistlestop Café, who are based in the grounds of the station and open late on Thursday evenings throughout the riding season.

Northern Trains Limited, which is run by the Department for Transport’s (DfT) OLR Holdings Limited (DOHL), imposed the ban on Tuesday, 28 November – erecting signage within the station carpark that stated unauthorised parking would result in a £50 penalty.

At the time, the company said: “The decision to implement a ban on motorcycles follows feedback into car park provision at Whitby station” and prevented all riders from using the area, regardless of whether it was to catch a train or not. 

This was set to be a permanent ban – sparking outrage both locally and nationally. The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) felt that the move was an act of discrimination against riders, prompting immediate action.

On Thursday, 14 December, MAG’s National Chair, Neil Liversidge wrote an open letter to DOHL Chair, Richard George demanding a reversal of the decision.

Also copying in the current Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper MP, Liversidge demanded change to: “ensure that the decision to ban motorcycles from parking at Whitby station is reversed immediately and commit to working with the Motorcycle Action Group to establish how the facilities at, not just Whitby but all, Northern operated stations can be improved for the benefit of those choosing to travel to those stations by motorcycle.”

He continued: “It is hard to see any genuine justification for this heavy-handed action other than discrimination due to intolerance and disinterest in the needs of certain customers.”

Closer to home, York MAG branch and political representative, Richard Suddaby contacted Northern, threatening a peaceful demonstration in a bid to see the sign removal.

“We have had an awful lot of support from the general public,” Suddaby told MCN at the time. “We’ve never held anything like this before, but we feel like there’s a lot of passionate people out there who feel like they’ve had wrong doing to them.”

Following the announcement to reverse the decision, the demonstration plans were called off. He again told MCN: “We were happy with the result… Like I say, there’s still work to be done and we’re not there yet. The battle’s been done, but the war hasn’t!”

Richard says he and his team are now working with Northern to try and re-establish designated motorcycle parking areas, as well as clarity on fees, with the signs themselves taken down on Tuesday, 19 December.

The reversal has also come as good news to local business owners, including Gemma Lonsdale from the Whistlestop Café. It’s estimated that half of the venue’s summer trade comes from bikers, with just two dedicated motorcycle bays found outside.

“I’m so relieved that the signs have come down and we can still welcome bikers in,” Lonsdale told MCN. “We were devastated as well… You make friends with people, and it would be a shame to say ‘sorry, you can’t come in anymore.’”

The Whistlestop will continue to open late on Thursdays during the 2024 riding season. Exactly how all bikers will be expected to park remains to be finalised at this time.