Would you let your 10 and 13 year old on London to Leeds train alone?

[Secondtonaan]

Dds 10 (nearly 11!) and 13 are staying with family in London for a couple of days in the summer hols.

We live in Leeds and an option is them getting the train from Kings X together if my mum sees them on the train at the station and I meet them off the train at Leeds.

They're both v sensible and have phones with trackers on. Would you do this?! I think so but seems a long way.

They only have to sit next to them for 2 hours. The adults can get platform tickets at either end to see them on and off the train. Then they just sit there quietly for a couple of hours. The OP says they're sensible.

In the unlikely even that there's a problem with the train they just follow the instructions at the station, ask for help, or call the OP if unsure.

The OP could even get a train down to Wakefield or Doncaster to meet them on their train coming back to reduce the time they're on the train alone.

No.

Ds1 went to London for the day with his gf when they were both nearly 16. It was 1 train there and 1 back.

there were works on the line so they had to get a bus replacement for part of the journey, then they managed to miss the connecting last train as the bus was slightly delayed. I thought they were both quite savvy/streetwise, able to cope with emergencies etc but that wasn’t the case.

but my mum let me walk 20 mins to school and back (crossing a main road - with a traffic island) when I was 6, and catching the bus at 8 to the local library - 6 stops. It was the 1970’s though and she was 100 times more cautious with my younger sister!

HowIrresponsible · Today 22:12
It's what 2 hours?
**
My friends sister puts her children on a flight from Johannesburg to Glasgow (via Dubai) at the age of 11 and 13 alone. Met in Scotland by granny”

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone vomit on a train and so what if they do?

Absolutely not!

No.no.

Absolutely not. This would be awful parenting

A flight is different. No one qilll be getting o or off at different pointS of the journey. They can't get on or off. No-one will be walking up and down qhen thye go to the toilet.. its juts not the same thing

It would depend on a few variables: how sensible are the kids, do they regularly travel by train, is it direct, do they have a phone, are they comfortable travelling alone.

But yes, I think I would let mine at that age of travelling together. I’d imagine they’d sit quietly and read, probably eating too many snacks that they’d bought at the station.

Absolute worst that could happen would be a broken down train in a random station, in which case they’d call you and you’d go to get them if you had to should no help be available from staff.

The actual risk of anything going ‘wrong’ is very very small. 11yr olds regularly travel independently by train and bus to school. I think teaching independence is really important and we often mollycoddle our children in the UK.

No because they would panic if the train stopped or was cancelled. An adult can go down with them and then turn around and head back to Leeds on the same train

Yes if they were both happy with the arrangement and understood the Trainline app. My dd was travelling long distances on a train on her own from 13.

I'd be fine with this if it is a direct train.

Those trains are staffed and so
there is help available should your children need it for whatever reason.

I would with clear instructions on what to do if it does get cancelled / stop somewhere and about being safe.

I have travelled on the train between Leeds and London more times than I can possibly remember and (touch wood!) have never found myself sharing a carriage with a fierce dog/vomiting passenger/people arguing or fighting. I think the main risk of OP allowing her DC to travel alone would be the risk of her getting reported to the police for allowing her DC to travel alone.

This

My child is way off this age so I am basing this on what I was like at that age.

Yes. I used to fly successfully between the UK and Ireland at that age, yes I know there was an airhost but they just sit you then leave. Same as granny putting you on the flight. After age 12 they don't do that.

By 13, I was regularly taking the train to our nearest city with friends at the weekend. This was in the 00s so it's a while ago

I'm saying no. My reason being that I travel by train a lot. I've had services cancelled half way through my journey a lot. Or there's been a fault on the tracks etc. I wouldn't allow my dc until they were old enough to navigate catching a different train etc. I was travelling from Birmingham to Liverpool quite recently. Direct train. Turfed off at Crewe due to some flooding on the tracks further north. No idea how I was going to carry on my journey but then got a different train then a bus to get to Liverpool. Do you think your dc could work it out if this happens?.

No she doesn't. Emirates doesn't allow 11 year olds to travel without an adult unless you use the unaccompanied minors service. They have to be 12. And Emirates is unusual in allowing it as young as 12. 15/16 is more common.

Several years ago, I couldn’t buy a ticket for an unaccompanied 14year old. I don’t know if you can now.

Are there any age restrictions by the train company, such as children need to be accompanied by a 16yo or something like that?

13 year old - yes if sensible. 10 year old - not a chance.

Lner says patents choice... but they don't chaperone.

It is not always this simple.

Boarding school pupils cross the globe by themselves. A single train journey should be a doddle.