Dogs on Irish Rail intercity trains?

ncmc

Hi all, just wondering if anyone has brought a dog onto an Irish Rail intercity train? According to their website, small dogs are allowed as long as they stay on their owners laps or else they have to travel in a box in the guard carriage.

http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=120&n=155

I am wondering how they define ‘small’ I was hoping to take my Cocker Spaniel from Dublin to Cork on the train, and while she wouldn’t be small, she would definitely have no problem staying on my lap for a few hours – think they problem would be getting her off!

Just wondering if anyone has taken any dog larger than a Toy onto the train?

Bookworm85

Hi ncmc,

I used to work with Irish Rail and as far as I can recall, I don't think they will allow you to take the dog with you in the passenger carriage. Small dogs (for instance a jack russell, or a toy breed) would be allowed, but only if it is kept in a crate or similar. I think your cocker will be (considered) a bit on the large side They may permit the her to travel in the guards van but you will need to arrange this before you travel.Not all intercity trains will have a guards van. If they do then she will have to be crated and possibly muzzled for the duration of the journey and you will not be allowed to stay with her.

The best thing to do would be to call Houston Station and double check, but I'm pretty certain she wouldn't be allowed to travel with you in the passenger carriages. The Cork/Dublin line will be pretty busy leading up to xmas, so your best chances are to aim for a midweek offpeak train (if possible) as these trains generally tend to be quieter and you might have more of a chance of getting her in the passenger carriage with you. Its also worth noting the last paragraph in the link you posted..... they might flat-out refuse to carry her at all if they think she will cause a nuisance (or if other passengers object, so its worth bearing in mind that not everyone wants to sit next to a dog for 3hrs!)

later12

What a shame.

Reminds me of how the Germans have got it so right with their public transport (in so many ways). If you go to Berlin, not only can you take your dog on the metro, but you can buy him his own ticket too; which is the same price as a child's fare.

We don't seem to have that appreciation for the needs of pets and their owners in our transport network, and make it an arbitrarily awkward affair instead.

Stheno

A cocker would almost definitely be too big to be in a carriage, it's very small dogs that I've seen on the train.

If your dog is comfortable in a crate and you could borrow a travel crate, they might be ok in the guards van if there is one on the train.

I've done that a couple of times, and the dog was ok at the end of it.

ncmc

Thanks for the replies, I figured that she would be considered too big, and I can see that not everyone would be happy to have a dog in the carriage. She's never been in a crate or carrier before, so wouldn't subject her to that stress in addition to the stress of a train.

It's a shame, I need to get from Monaghan to Cork with her the week after Xmas, and thought getting a lift as far as Dublin then the train might work. Looks like it's back to the drawing board!

admcfad

OP, I have travelled with a Jack Russell and prior to that a ****-Tzu,I found that most train conductors will allow a dog once it remains on its lead and sitting on your lap, but be prepared to move if another passanger objects. Of course the conductor is within their rights to put you off the train so that is a chance you may not be prepared to take.

DBB

admcfad wrote: »

OP, I have travelled with a Jack Russell and prior to that a ****-Tzu,I found that most train conductors will allow a dog once it remains on its lead and sitting on your lap, but be prepared to move if another passanger objects. Of course the conductor is within their rights to put you off the train so that is a chance you may not be prepared to take.

This pretty much mirrors the one experience I've had bringing a Westie on an intercity train (Drogheda to Dublin). The ticket-office who sold the dog his ticket (:o) said he had to travel in the guard's carriage, despite us not having a crate for him. When we got to the train, the guard, bless his soul, quietly shook his head when we went to put the dog into the guard's carriage, and led us into a normal carriage, without saying a word

kylith

I occasionally bring my two terriers on the train. They travel in the carriage, under the luggage rack, in their crates. I have occasionally had trouble getting them on in Heuston, once being told that they'd have to travel in the guard's van, but that they didn't have a guard's van so I was refused travel. As I was travelling to visit an ill relative and had no-one to mind the dogs, I was very upset. Eventually someone more senior stepped in and allowed me on, but the dogs had to travel in their crates in a cupboard. Outside of Dublin I've encountered no problems, staff in Waterford even help to put the crates together and are always friendly and remark on how well behaved the dogs are.

I don't know how you'd get on with a cocker as it's a fair bit bigger than a Cairn. If at all possible I'd recommend begging, borrowing, or hiring a car. I would not recommend having the dog on your lap on the train.

It makes me laugh that the regulations stipulate that the dog has to be in a wooden crate; how would you get a wooden crate around? Since you're using the train it probably means that you don't have access to a car, and a wooden crate would be much too bulky and heavy to carry around.

boomerang

Only time I ever brought a dog on the train it was a Golden Retriever and he had to go in the guards' van in a vari-kennel. Can you imagine me struggling to get a big woofer on a lead and a giant kennel on wheels on the train by myself? And not one person gave a hand. I felt so sorry for the dog with the noise in the guards' van that I sat beside him on the floor there for the journey.

That time there was someone waiting to collect the dog and the crate in Heuston. I'd love to bring my greyhound up on the train to see my friend in Dublin but she'd be too stressed in the guards' van and I couldn't manage both her and a crate on the bus up the quays, not to mind the train! If they had kennels built in I'd manage it by sitting on the floor with her but I can't manage both!

Tranceypoo

later12 wrote: »

What a shame.

Reminds me of how the Germans have got it so right with their public transport (in so many ways). If you go to Berlin, not only can you take your dog on the metro, but you can buy him his own ticket too; which is the same price as a child's fare.

We don't seem to have that appreciation for the needs of pets and their owners in our transport network, and make it an arbitrarily awkward affair instead.

Totally agree! I grew up in London and always took my dog on the bus, the tube, the train, whatever, was never an issue, I think it's yet another example of 'dog unfriendly Ireland'!

ncmc

It really is a shame, I actually do have a car, but I wanted to drive up home with my husband on Christmas Eve and leave my car at home. He has to go back to work earlier than me, so I was hoping to stay on for a few days and travel back with Libby on public transport. Looks like I’ll have to take my car after all. Two things Ireland isn’t good at, public transport and dog friendliness, so put the two together and it was never going to be a goer!

tk123

I'd love to take my dog on the DART!! Somebody suggested a high vis coat (he's a retriever) but I'd feel too guilty lol!!!

ncmc

tk123 wrote: »

I'd love to take my dog on the DART!! Somebody suggested a high vis coat (he's a retriever) but I'd feel too guilty lol!!!

You wouldn't be the first one...

http://www.bannedinhollywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/banneds-funny-pictures-88.jpg

ValleyoftheDoll

tk123 wrote: »

I'd love to take my dog on the DART!! Somebody suggested a high vis coat (he's a retriever) but I'd feel too guilty lol!!!

I've brought my dog on the Dart a few times, grand canal station to Bray and back, have never had any problems, usually its a Sunday though so a bit quieter, he's a collie cross so medium sized.

antrophe

Brought my dog on the train about 3 times now. The Carlow to Dublin one and return. The first time it was so painless, I was surprised. So went and asked at the ticket office what the craic was, was more or less told that with a small dog it was grand. It says so on their website as well, but leaves it to the discretion of staff which to be honest is a load of bollocks.

My dog is some sort of small terrier cross, utterly harmless and really well behaved. I have him on a lead and a harness, he basically sits underneath the seat and in between my legs, apart from him moving occasionally to stretch or for comfort you'd barely know he was there, very calm. I have one hand either clutching the harness all the time, or the lead wrapped around me leg so he can't make a break for it.

Getting the train down from Dublin today, I got on early and sought out one of the two person seats, strong chance you can have both to yourself for the journey. It was fifteen minutes before the train left, and an Irish Rail staff member came on and started bugging me over the dog.

Turns out he was the driver, and kept haranguing me about whether the dog would be a problem, what would happen if he got off the lead and bit someone and this endless stream of bollox and hypothesis. He was going to put me off the train, but I played the poor mouth and insisted on his good behavior and that I'd never had a problem before. Down the line, someone took up the seat beside me and didn't even notice the dog was their until I had to get off.

It wasn't exactly very nice, I don't drive and wanted to get down home to see the folks before I return to work after Xmas. It was the last train out of the station. Fairly ****ing sick of Irish Rail's arbitrary application of rules and power tripping of the staff when a passenger is anyway out of the ordinary. I used to commute from Carlow to Dublin, regularly bringing a bike on the train.

No body seemed to mind but the staff, and then one day, after the Dart announced it was allowing bikes to travel - a staff member made a point of coming over and looking for my bike ticket, telling me I couldn't bring a bike etc and it wasn't the Dart.

anniehoo

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