Traveling by train across the country is a common method of transportation for many UK residents. The main reasons are: train travel is easy, usually cheaper compared to a rental car, and the train network has astoundingly good coverage thanks to its development since 1820 and its major role in the industrialization of the United Kingdom.
In 1948, the UK’s railways were nationalized through the Transport Act of 1947, which was an effort to streamline operations, improve network development, and better adapt to the needs of passengers and freight alike. Great Western Railway, Scottish Railway (LMS), London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), and Southern Railway formed the body of British Rail. In modern times, you might be more familiar with the name National Rail. Today, the network covers almost 32,000 kilometers, with more than 2,500 destinations.
National Rail Dog Policy
The National Rail consists of 29 train companies that allow every passenger to bring up to two animals with them. This means you can bring two dogs or two cats or one dog and one cat at no extra charge. If you want to travel with more than two animals, there may be an additional fee imposed by your train company. Please double-check in advance of your travel.
The limit of two animals per person is valid only for pets. Assistance/service dogs will not be treated as pets and will not have to be in a carrier or a kennel. In every case, the animals will have to be under supervision. That means you can bring one assistance dog and two other animals in a carrier if you like. If you have two assistance dogs and two pets with you, please notify your train company in advance so they know you require special accommodation.
Traveling by Train With a Dog
Please be advised that no animals will be allowed on seats, even if they are assistance dogs. Your pet carrier must be firmly on the ground. Your pet must be able to stand and lie down comfortably inside the carrier. If you have two pets in a single carrier, please make sure they have enough room to move around and lie down comfortably. You are not allowed to keep the pet carrier open at the station or during travel. Passengers are not allowed to keep their pets outside the carriers in bags. You are advised to avoid soft-sided carriers or collapsible ones that are easily deformed. The train staff will accept only rigid carriers with hard and sturdy sides. If you are using an assistance animal, you are expected to keep them leashed and supervised at all times.
You’re welcome to bring your pet on sleeper trains. However, pets will not be welcomed into the restaurant cars. Only assistance dogs that accompany their users are permitted entry. You may be asked to present identification papers for your assistance dog, so best to be prepared. If you’re bringing your pet dog on a sleeper wagon, there will be an additional charge for a heavy-duty cleaning, except if you’re traveling with an assistance dog.
Important: Assistance dogs always ride the train for free. No cleaning charge will be applied, no matter which train company you use with National Rail.
If you are traveling with an assistance animal and special equipment, please make sure to reach out to your train company and their Assisted Travel Office to learn about the available accommodations and make sure your needs are respected by the train staff.
Tips:
As a general rule, the earlier you buy a ticket, the better the price you can get. If your plans are inflexible, then you should consider buying an Advance Ticket. These types of tickets are sold in limited numbers, subject to availability, and on a first-come, first-served basis. You can usually buy an Advance Ticket up to 12 weeks ahead of travel. This is the best choice in terms of pricing and availability.
If your travel plans are flexible, then we recommend looking into Off-Peak Tickets, Super Off-Peak Tickets, and Any Time Tickets. These come with some limitations, but the Any Time tickets offer the best flexibility.
There is also a “Pay As You Go Contactless” service, but it is not available everywhere. This type of service involves the use of a card or a device and lets you pay as you travel on National Rail.
If you are looking for tips on how to save on your fare, there is feedback on Reddit that can be helpful. Most people appear to agree that train splitting is the best option to save money.
Train splitting is a practice where, instead of buying a direct ticket from Place A to Place B, you would buy tickets from Place A to Place C and then to Place B. You can also do multiple splits and save a lot of money. Train passengers who do train splitting seem to prefer TrainLine and TrainSplit. A notable mention is CrossCountry.
For more tips, please click here.
