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Original poster

Catching train solo- age?

52 replies

sunlovingcriminal · 15/12/2023 13:22

What age/school year would you let your kids get the train by themselves?

To put into context 10 min walk to station (if that), 10 min train journey, 10 min walk other end (but likely to be picked up at station).

Context- pair of kids same age. Both have mobiles.
Train journey would be regular. They are familiar with where they're going at both ends.

(And usual caveat, I know it depends massively on the children in question, but this is about when you'd be okay with your own kids making this journey as a twosome).

OP posts:
MintJulia · 15/12/2023 13:25

I went to senior school on a train with a mile walk either end, so from 11 onwards.

No mobiles then but plenty of phone boxes, it was no problem.

Would they travel together?

NotFastButFurious · 15/12/2023 13:27

I think from high school age it's quite normal to do such things alone. In some areas kids commute to school by train.

KThnxBye · 15/12/2023 13:30

About 10-11, school year 6-7 seems about right for that.

PatriciaHolm · 15/12/2023 13:30

Yep, many year 7s will be doing this from the start of term. Though in those cases there are usually a number of pupils doing the same journey which does help.

Comedycook · 15/12/2023 13:31

11/12 if a mature, sensible child....it's not the journey itself that would bother me but what happens if something goes wrong. Delayed train, diverted train, cancelled train etc.

Comefromaway · 15/12/2023 13:34

Dd was 13 but it was to a city about 40 miles away and involved a change at a major station.

For the type of journey you describe I'd say from secondary age.

Daisies12 · 15/12/2023 13:35

I’d say secondary age

MumChp · 15/12/2023 13:36

10/11 yo.

TokyoSushi · 15/12/2023 13:36

Yes I'd say Yr 7

beautifullittletree · 15/12/2023 13:36

What time of day?

KingofCats · 15/12/2023 13:47

Age 11 secondary age with safe practice with grown up ready to step in during the summer after year 6.

my youngest DD has just turned 10 and I wouldn’t quite be comfortable with this yet with the element of trains going wrong. If I was WFH 5 minutes drive away if anything went wrong then maybe, but not if it was a school journey whilst I’m driving to work.

UsingChangeofName · 15/12/2023 13:53

Obviously very normal for secondary.
I would generally get them to practice in the Summer before secondary if they weren't used to doing that journey currently, with an adult (which I have inferred in this case they are).
So, depends on the dc, and how used they are to traveling by train / doing that journey, from Yr6 probably.

Original poster
sunlovingcriminal · 15/12/2023 14:14

Thanks all. Confirmed what I thought!

OP posts:
UsingChangeofName · 15/12/2023 14:19

Are you going to tell us who is questioning you ?

PuttingDownRoots · 15/12/2023 14:32

Its not jusrvage, its how familiar they are with the journey.

We live a 20 minute drive, or 45 minute bis ride from train station. DD (12yo) would not be able to do it currently as she simply doesn't have any public transport practice (something we are looking at rectifying... shecwalks to school and extra curricular activities alone). But I would trust her to do the journey if she knew it.

pinkspeakers · 15/12/2023 14:49

My kids both did it from age 11 for school. I wouldn't have been happy with them doing it much younger than that. Also, unless there is a very big age gap, I think both kids should be old enough to be responsible for themselves i.e., I wouldn't let an 11 year old take a 9 year old.

Original poster
sunlovingcriminal · 15/12/2023 14:54

UsingChangeofName · 15/12/2023 14:19

Are you going to tell us who is questioning you ?

Really isn't anything too exciting, just twin 12 year olds need to make a similar journey, and we don't personally know other kids that get the train- so just a straw poll really. Think they're ready but didn't want to go against the "norm" if others are doing it, say, at 15!

OP posts:
NotFastButFurious · 15/12/2023 14:58

Are they familiar with catching the train? I know it might sound like an obvious question but they need to know where to get their tickets, which platform to use, where to get off and how many stops it is, even that they will probably need to push the button to open the door! Assume nothing if they haven't done this regularly accompanied ;)

Original poster
sunlovingcriminal · 15/12/2023 15:02

NotFastButFurious · 15/12/2023 14:58

Are they familiar with catching the train? I know it might sound like an obvious question but they need to know where to get their tickets, which platform to use, where to get off and how many stops it is, even that they will probably need to push the button to open the door! Assume nothing if they haven't done this regularly accompanied ;)

Yup. Agree this is important and they'll have a couple of accompanied trips in the lead up!

OP posts:
Jules912 · 15/12/2023 16:05

10 or 11 for a regular journey so long as someone went with them the first couple of times to make sure they're familiar with it and the walk either end us reasonably safe ( there are some stations near me I wouldn't let DS 11 get off alone at as the area round the station is a bit dodgy). For my DS it wouldn't be so much the train as we live in London so he's familiar with them including the occasional thing going wrong ( though he'd probably need to ring for instructions if it was more complicated than wait for the next train), but the likelihood of getting lost if he's not familiar with the walk either side.

Natsku · 15/12/2023 17:45

If its a regular journey they are familiar with then definitely by 12. My DD is 12 but isn't used to travelling by public transport so I wouldn't let her but if it was something she regularly did I'd have been fine with it from about 9 or so.

HalfasleepChrisintheMorning · 15/12/2023 17:49

11, year 7. Also coincides with when he got a phone.
He only gets it home, walk from school to station, 5 minutes, lots of students doing the same. Security in high visibility jackets are around on the road and platform.
4 stops. I wait in the car in the station car park. Railway guardian is a good app.

HalfasleepChrisintheMorning · 15/12/2023 17:51

First time I got the train to school and accompanied him home. Apparently this was soo embarrassing!
I book his ticket on the app on his phone in the morning before school.

CormorantStrikesBack · 15/12/2023 17:52

Dd did this in year 7.

my mum frequently used to tell me about how in ww2 she had to catch a bus across Nottingham just her at 4yo and her 5yo sister to go to school 🙈. Think they had to change buses!

gotomomo · 15/12/2023 17:57

My DD's took the intercity from 10&12 3 hours, I'd put them on in Birmingham and my mum would pick them up the other end, plenty of kids commute daily to school by train, tube and bus, sometimes changing, from 11 it's pretty standard in cities. I would ensure they are accompanied the first time at least.

For context I went to central London by train shopping with friends at your kids age, no mobile phones and nobody thought it was odd