FGW Riviara sleeper - Under 16 travelling alone

[greatkingrat]

I can see why you wouldn't want a 15 year old sharing a berth with some random stranger, but I don't see why travelling in the seated portion is any different to travelling unaccompanied on any other train.

 

[Tibbs]

I am curious how many of the other parents on here would allow their 14/15 year old children to spend nights away from the family home? Letting a child of that age spend a night sleeping at a friends house is one thing.... but surely not checking into random hotels or sleeping on trains?

Or am I just behind the times? My child isn't a teen, yet!

I don't think you're behind the times, more ahead of it.

The amount of freedom I had as a child is several orders of magnitude greater than most children get today.

From 13 onwards, certainly in the Summer I (like most of my friends) was given a packed lunch and my bike and told not to come back until it got dark. It wasn't unusual for us to cover up to 100 miles in a (very long) day, with no phone etc etc.

 

[Deerfold]

Although not a child in railway ticketing terms, when I was 17 I spent a (planned) night at Leeds station to enable me to get the 0505 train to London for a day out. I left home somewhere around 2200 for the bus to my local station, returning to my home station around 2315 the next day (and in an almost unheard for me move, phoning home on the payphone on the train to ask if I could have a lift home).

 

[34D]

I can see why you wouldn't want a 15 year old sharing a berth with some random stranger, but I don't see why travelling in the seated portion is any different to travelling unaccompanied on any other train.

Probably because we don't want the situation where a 15 year old girl is asleep and some pervy bloke decides to sit next to her and his hand accidently brushes against her leg....? Which wouldn't happen on a day train due to people being awake?

 

[ainsworth74]

Wouldn't it? And couldn't this happen to a 35 year old woman just as much as a 15 year old? Or indeed a 15 year old boy or a 35 year old man?

 

[bb21]

It could, but I would imagine the railway have a greater duty of care towards a child.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I am curious how many of the other parents on here would allow their 14/15 year old children to spend nights away from the family home? Letting a child of that age spend a night sleeping at a friends house is one thing.... but surely not checking into random hotels or sleeping on trains?

Or am I just behind the times? My child isn't a teen, yet!

I'm 15 and my parents let me spend the night in hotels alone and are happy to let me on the sleeper, it's just a case of having a phone and plenty of dough in my account.

 

[hassaanhc]

I thought this posted but clearly not :/

I am curious how many of the other parents on here would allow their 14/15 year old children to spend nights away from the family home? Letting a child of that age spend a night sleeping at a friends house is one thing.... but surely not checking into random hotels or sleeping on trains?

Or am I just behind the times? My child isn't a teen, yet!

My eldest is 14 and I encourage her to travel independently. If she so wished, a sleeper journey would be just fine. I see no issue at all with sleeper travel when compared with any other time that she is away from home.
I well recall solo trips to London (on day trains) from an early age and, whilst thoroughly enjoying myself, didn't realise then the tremendous advantage this independence would give me later on in life.
As I see it there is a small risk when not in direct charge of your children but a life without risk will not help to develop the skills appropriate to success later on.
I do occasionally despair at the rampant over protectionism of children when the only difference from, say, 40 years ago is far wider reporting not a difference in circumstance.

I'm 19 now and I was not allowed to stay out at night at all until I moved out for uni (well they couldn't do anything then ), let alone stay the night somewhere else. Not to mention being very worried about my safety when out and about, and not trusting anyone. My parents did not grow up in this country so had no first hand experience of how things are, and instead relied on exaggerated reports from other people and the media. As a result it has really affected my social life and I have very little life experience compared to almost everyone my age

 

[34D]

I think I was 17 when I started going to pubs/nightclubs/staying out all night.

Thankfully I have a son (and he will be allowed to have girls stay over, and do all the things I wasn't allowed to do) but if I had a daughter I'd want to keep her locked up til age 21!

 

[Searle]

I think I was 17 when I started going to pubs/nightclubs/staying out all night.

Thankfully I have a son (and he will be allowed to have girls stay over, and do all the things I wasn't allowed to do) but if I had a daughter I'd want to keep her locked up til age 21!

21? Really?

 

[hassaanhc]

21? Really?

Isn't that what a lot of parents deep down really want?

 

[Class 92]

I emailed ScotRail as well as FGW and ScotRail replied with this:

Thank you for your email dated 9 March 2014.
In regards to your enquiry about booking under 16s on the Caledonian sleeper, I can advise that it is at the parents discretion.

The fare options for children travelling are complicated. To obtain the best and correct fare option for the customer, a fully trained member of staff is required. That way, no issues occur for the customer on the night of travel as they have the correct ticket.

It also needs to be confirmed whether the customer is travelling with other known passengers in the cabin. It requires staff clarification to make sure that customers are only travelling in berths either as solo occupancy or with passengers known to themselves. This is for the comfort and safety for both the customer traveling with children and also other customers using the service that may be booked incorrectly (via online) into cabins with unknown children.

You will need to call our Telesales department to make your reservation, please call 08457 55 00 33.

Should you need to reply to this email, please respond to scotrailcustomer.relations@firstgroup.com.

Thank you for contacting ScotRail.

 

[34D]

Isn't that what a lot of parents deep down really want?

Definitely! I know precisely how naughty lads in their late teens are, because I used to be one.

 

[Class 92]

Finally got a reply from FGW with the following:

Dear Mr Perkins

Thank you for your recent email of 10 March 2014 enquiring about travel for children on our sleeper service.

It is not recommended that children under 16 travel without an adult in either berth or seated accommodation. Where children under 16 travel in berth accommodation they must either share a twin berth cabin with another member of their travelling party or have sole occupancy of a twin or single berth cabin. In case you need further information I would request you to please contact our Telesales Department on 03457 000 125. They are our dedicated Team to assist our valued customers in this regard.

Thank you once again for contacting us.

Yours sincerely

Nigel D'souza
Customer Services Advisor

please contact our Telesales Department on 03457 000 125. They are our dedicated Team to assist our valued customers in this regard. Well... that's debatable.

 

[island]

Well at least it isn't a premium number like most TOCs.

 

[richw]

Well at least it isn't a premium number like most TOCs.

Surprised me to see it not being premium. Rail operators are not covered by the ban on premium numbers for customer service. Banks and airlines are also excused from the forthcoming premium number ban.