Dogs on Megatrain

[daniel3982]

I was wondering if anyone knew if you could take your dog with you when travelling on a megatrain ticket?

I've had a look at the Megatrain's terms and conditions and it doesn't mention dogs (although the megabus terms and conditions say non-assistance dogs are banned).

They do however say that the tickets are subject to normal national rail terms and conditions. Does that mean dogs are OK?

 

[ASharpe]

I was wondering if anyone knew if you could take your dog with you when travelling on a megatrain ticket?

I've had a look at the Megatrain's terms and conditions and it doesn't mention dogs (although the megabus terms and conditions say non-assistance dogs are banned).

They do however say that the tickets are subject to normal national rail terms and conditions. Does that mean dogs are OK?

If it is just a megatrain journey you are doing then taking the dog should be fine. If it is by megabus also then I would guess you would encounter problems.

Megatrain tickets are subject to the national rail conditions of carriage, which allows up to two dogs per passenger, and they are not allowed to vary from those conditions.

 

[daniel3982]

Just a megatrain ticket then so hopefully should be OK.

Seems a much cheaper way of getting from Sheffield to Exeter than Cross Country!

 

[ASharpe]

You can get most booking engines to send you via London and Reading to avoid Cross Country. But I doubt that you will beat Megatrain for price.

The longest journey I've done with my German Shepherd was about 2 and a half hours, he was getting a bit restless by the end of that.

I'd recommend leaving plenty of time for a walk in London between your trains.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Megatrain tickets are subject to the national rail conditions of carriage, which allows up to two dogs per passenger, and they are not allowed to vary from those conditions.

They do not, notably, allow bicycles.

 

[gray1404]

That said if you happened to have you bike with you it is highly unlikely the guard would refuse it just because you had a megatrain ticket. I would even consider asking a friendly booking office clark (there are still some of them about) to make a cycle reservation for you on your "booked" megatrain.

 

[jkdd77]

Megatrain tickets are subject to the national rail conditions of carriage, which allows up to two dogs per passenger, and they are not allowed to vary from those conditions.

I agree with this; the franchise agreements and Ticketing and Settlement Agreement clearly mandate that tickets sold are subject to the NRCoC, which appears to permit cycles subject to time and space restraints.

I don't believe that TOCs can alter the NRCoC to remove core passenger rights guaranteed therein, as they claim to do with Megatrain tickets.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That said if you happened to have you bike with you it is highly unlikely the guard would refuse it just because you had a megatrain ticket. I would even consider asking a friendly booking office clark (there are still some of them about) to make a cycle reservation for you on your "booked" megatrain.

In practice yes, if only because it's unusual for on-train staff to bother identifying whose a bike is any more than whose a piece of luggage is (unless it's a TOC like VT with mandatory reservations).

I half remember the reason being that they reserve the right to accommodate you on a Megabus instead, and those don't take bikes.

 

[reb0118]

.... booking office clark...

Clerk, from the Latin clericus via Scots Gaelic clèireach meaning clergyman. At one time it was mainly the clergy, as opposed to the laity, who could read & write so most clerical work was carried out by them.

Here endeth the lesson.

 

[daniel3982]

You can get most booking engines to send you via London and Reading to avoid Cross Country. But I doubt that you will beat Megatrain for price.

The longest journey I've done with my German Shepherd was about 2 and a half hours, he was getting a bit restless by the end of that.

I'd recommend leaving plenty of time for a walk in London between your trains.

In the end booked via EMT and FGW for £25 each way all the way from Sheffield to London which is about what we'd have paid for the megatrain.

Coming back direct has been £41 for an advance ticket despite buying it the hour it went online!