NORTHERN Rail was forced to succumb to pressure yesterday and agreed to meet South Yorkshire’s battling Freedom Riders in their campaign to win back free travel for pensioners in the county.

For six months the group has been boarding trains and refusing to pay after public transport bosses withdrew their concessionary travel rights.

Now they have won a three-sided meeting involving campaign leaders, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and operator Northern Rail on Tuesday September 9.

But they said that in the meantime their protests would continue.

The campaigners have been making “freedom rides” from Barnsley railway station since March.

Two campaign leaders were roughly arrested at a rally at Sheffield railway station and will appear in court in October.

One of them, Tony Nuttall, said: “The hopes of the freedom riders for a settlement of their long-running dispute have been boosted by an invitation to a three-way meeting with Northern Rail and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.

“Freedom riders hope that this meeting will finally resolve the situation.”

A Freedom Ride took place yesterday to mark six months since the action began.

Mr Nuttall added: “Free train travel is vital for older people to be able to get out and be part of the community. We have been campaigning now for six months. But these plans show that we are determined to carry on until we win.”