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.

No age restrictions that I’m aware of. Many 11yr olds travel to school who use the train. It’s a totally standard thing to do, probably safer than walking to school or being driven.

I’m surprised at all the negative responses on here. I would do in your shoes and have done similar with my DC. With phones and trackers I really don’t see the issue with kids that age getting daytime trains, especially with seats booked. Any issues they can call you.
I used to travel across the country on my own from secondary school age long before mobile phones, including changing trains; and to fly to see relatives, again with changes, from 13 or so. Sometimes the journeys didn’t go to plan but it all worked out eventually. 🤷🏼‍♀️

If they are responsible and used to travel, yes, I would.

I used to work on a ticket barrier and would (and have) certainly let people through to meet/see off. There is also the option of a platform ticket (10p).

I would get gran to speak to the guard/train manager as all rail staff have safeguarding training and if two children are travelling on their own long distance it may raise a red flag to the staff. Get to the train in plenty of time, speak to the onboard staff and hopefully they can be sat near to the guard.

Remember to tell them, anything/anyone seems not right/makes them uncomfortable find a member of staff. Don’t be afraid to approach, I’ve worked in rail for years and we are trained for all sorts of situations and want to help.

I’ve been delayed today by two hours coming home from work because of a broken down train. It happens.

My children started travelling Edinburgh to York aged 14 and 10 to visit relatives.

It's a direct train. We put them on at one end and my brother picks them up at the other.

Trackers on their phones so I can call them to remind them when to get off.

They've it several times over the past few years. They love it.

I wouldn’t let my almost 16 year old and a friend go. Too busy

The last 3 times I travelled from London with my DD (within last 6 months, one very recently ) the train platform was announced about 5 minutes before departure and to get to the train you needed to scan tickets on the gates - so grandma wouldn’t be able to walk them to their seats. You can say that it was just my experience- nope, the third time there was a train to Leeds 2 minutes ahead of ours and it was also advertised just 5 minutes before and tickets were scanned to get through.
All 3 times when we found our seats they were occupied already so some conversation was required to ask people to move. Twice people moved but the third time only one of them moved so I was left standing.
Also trains can be cancelled at a short notice so your children can end up in an overcrowded train possibly standing, struggling to exit at the right stop, struggling to go to the toilet (due to overcrowding). They can be separated accidentally by crowds.
All these are realistic examples which regularly happens on our trains.

Yes, Why on earth not. So long as they are happy to do so.

Sure, it happens. But it’s not a big deal. Presumably they’d already be on the train as they’d be seen on, so not stranded at a busy station.

So if they train is delayed they simply call mum to make her aware and sit it out like everyone else on the train. A bit annoying, but no drama. The worst that could happen is that they’re a bit bored, or a bit cold if turfed out at a random station to wait for the next train.

The trains are staffed, they can get help if needed, as any adult could.

I can’t remember when when DS and DD first travelled by train on their own. I think they were maybe 15 and 13.

Yes mine did at 13 and 11, direct train no issues

To add that my eldest is now 15 and he and his mates roam all over Scotland on their bus passes.

It's good to teach your children how to navigate the world, be independent, know what to do if a bus or train gets cancelled.

And they have fun doing it.

Not sure I suppose it depends on how use to trains they are and how mature they are.

I would but I live in London. Kids travel by train and bus to school from the start of Y7 some of whom will be only just 11 at the beginning of term.
If they're put on one end and collected the other and you choose a limited stop train then it's very straightforward without lots of people coming and going.
Biggest issue likely to be leaving something on the train so maybe choose a train that terminates in Leeds.

I couldn’t with my two.

DD2 travelled from Cornwall to London a couple of weeks after her 12th birthday. My sister put her on the train and I met her at the barriers in London .

i think it depends on the child/children. DD2 was happy, but DD1 at the same age would not have been.

My daughter’s dad lives in Birmingham I live 40 miles away. He left her at the train station so he could go on holiday. Train cancelled, rail replacement bus didn’t turn up. Called me age 14 crying hysterically, my friend has to go pick her up he was on a plane to Greece. Never ever again. I’d say no

There are so few train drivers these days that loads of trains get cancelled. My experience of getting a train from London to derby this last year has been dreadful. Not just trains cancelled but also journeys broken up with part of the journey on a coach. The rail service is not reliable enough for them to cope with the unpredictable nature of it.

@Thewheelweavesasthewheelwills

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.

At 10-15, I was regularly taking a train from Sidcup to Waterloo then the tube to Putney every Friday night after school, where I would then walk to my aunt and uncles flat around a mile away to stay for the weekend.

I was approached, spoken to, touched, followed too many times to count. On Sunday evenings, I did the reverse journey and can remember being followed from the station and having to knock on the next door neighbours’ door and ask to go in until mum (single parent, worked as a draughtsperson at a London based oil company, double time at weekends) arrived back at 10.30 pm.

This was in the mid 70s to very early 80s. I can only imagine it’s more hazardous now.

Well I’m coming at this from a CP perspective and it would be a no from me. There are a few issues - whether or not a 13 year old is old enough could be argued but it is not reasonable to expect a 13 year old to be responsible for a 10 year old. I’m sure they would be fine if everything went to plan but it’s their ability to manage if there was an accident or an failure in the plan along the way. I’ve been turfed off a train at Peterborough on my way to London when the overhead electricity lines failed and absolutely nothing was moving in either direction. On the same line my mum was held for 3 hours after the train hit a deer. It’s no so easy as just saying “ get on the next train” - you might have a considerable wait or the next train may be booked out. I also feel it is unreasonable to place responsibility for care with a train staff member… they are not like airline staff who are working in a small area and are very much present. Planes are not mostly stopping to pick up / drop off other passengers every 20 minutes. You do not have a constant coming and going of different people on a plane. All you need is a packed out train for a football match or big stag party for the atmosphere to feel uncomfortable. A ticket inspector has a job to do and they are not there to supervise unaccompanied children.

Yep!

Maybe I'm really unlucky but I've been turfed off LNER a lot. And it's not simply 'wait for the next train'. Often there's an issue on the line - not a train failure. So you have to make a judgement about whether to take mini bus (no rail staff to look out for kids) or hang on to see if the line issue is cleared. Communication isn't necessarily great either - has often relied on us going up to station staff repeatedly rather than announcements.

I think that's too tricky for a 13 yr old looking after a 10 yr old.

13 year old is definitely old enough. The 10 year old, probably depends on the 10 year old and the relationship between the two. Children are definitely capable of much more than we give them credit for and giving them the opportunity to demonstrate this/try things without mum and dad present is great for their independence, self-confidence and problem solving skills. I would expect a NT 13 year old and a 10 year old to be able to work out most problems that they could come across on a train journey. If there are circumstances that you are concerned that won't know what to do, you can talk them through it. They will also have phones on them so if really stuck they can always call!

Yes but having made sure they have the understanding of how to approach staff to help resolve any issues. I would flag to the guards too. Train staff are helpful. Communication easy - as long as they stick together and keep phones on I would be ok with it. Am surprised so many say no - I would expect 11 year olds to be able to independently navigate school travel so this would be a fine team challenge.