How can Train Travel be made better for families with young children

[jttf]

Hi,

I've got a meeting arranged with some important people at LNER and GWR about how to make train travel better for parents.

Here are some of our suggestions so far:

1. Assisted boarding for those travelling with very young children.
2. Being able to book the exact seat (i.e. table/near toilet etc).
3. Dedicated pram space (that can be booked in advance)
4. Dedicated seats for mums breastfeeding
5. Level boarding

Please let me know if you have any more thoughts,

JTTF

Clean toilets with enough space for adult and at least two kids.

My kids are older now but ds is autistic so some things still stand.

Being able to choose specific seats is very important to us. Virgin were great at this, Avanti are dreadful.

Pram space definitely (not relying on the hope that the wheelchair space is free). Actual proper size luggage space - not one tiny shelf area or just the overhead ones.

A lot of trains I've been on you can't move up the arm rest. It doesn't sounds like much but makes a huge difference when trying to feed a baby or keep a toddler still. Plenty of luggage storage also helps if you need to fold a pushchair. And step free access on train and at station.

In Norway they have family train cars on the long distance trains.

I travel on trains in Europe a lot.
Some longer distance trains have a bookable children's compartment with a sliding door, right next to the accessible toilet with changing mat, close to the main door so easy to get off and with loads of space for a pram and luggage.
The sliding door means you can let your child stretch their legs safely, you won't disturb others with noise, and it's easy to get to so you don't have to battle down the aisle, and you get a bit of privacy.

If you can't change the layout of existing trains, then all your ideas sound good.

I definitely think being able to book specific seats nearer the door, and more space for prams is a good idea.
And help with boarding is an excellent idea.

A family carriage or 2 would be good, where you can be less worried if your child messes around a bit/laughs a bit too loudly.
Maybe have it decorated in a fun child friendly theme, make sure there is a toilet in or next to that carriage :-D
All arm rests be able to go upright making it easier to get in and out

A family carriage would be perfect, as much for those who aren't travelling with children. I used to and it was difficult, I now no longer do and disruptive children on trains are a nightmare if you want/need peace and quiet.

Echoing what others have said really - enough space for luggage and pram was one of the biggest stressors for us travelling with a baby and then a young toddler. Also getting on and off the train is tricky too with there often being a high drop or a big gap with a pram or a toddler. Toileting/changing facilities are poor too - they are so tiny, often dirty, often long queues, often out of order. We once did a train journey where there were only two toilets on the whole (huge) train, the main one was announced as out of order at one point until a pause at a later station where it would be fixed. The only useable toilet was this tiny one that didn't have a baby change in it and my baby did a huge shit. The remaining toilet was so small there wasn't even enough space to change her on the floor and close the door for example. Luckily the train wasn't too busy as we had no choice but to change her on a regular train table but we were able to find an empty carriage to do that but imagine how gross that would have been for other passengers if it had been busy and we'd have had to change a shitty nappy in front of everyone. Also, we were once at a main city train station and were told there was no baby change facility available as the only one was in the one disabled toilet which was only accessed by radar key. We aren't disabled so didn't have one and staff told us they didn't have one either. As the nappy was just wet we waited until we got on the train and changed her there but if it had been poo I guess we would have had to change her in either the men's or women's toilets floor or just somewhere random in the station, both of which would have been gross for everyone.

I've been on a train in Switzerland that had a family carriage with soft play and a slide!

@megletthesecond

Clean toilets with enough space for adult and at least two kids.

Yes

Visible staff on the trains who will move people sitting in other peoples reserved seats!!

We used to travel first class when the children were younger for various reasons

• quieter... As in no loud groups of adults drinking and the other being United tablets etc playing children's TV (one child was noise sensitive.
• table service for drinks and food... You can't safely take a toddler to a buffet car to buy a hot drink and carry it back
• more space
• help getting on and off

-lounges at stations with clean toilets.

Of the ideas so far, I like the idea of being able to book a pram space for babies and a family coach as long as there are restrictions on electronic noise within the coach... Competing Peppa Pig episodes is just he'll.

A family lounge at major stations would be good, with perhaps a play area and family friendly toilets.

Plus some European double decker trains because according to the children going upstairs on the train is awesome.

Not just seats for breastfeeding mums. A bottle feeding mum needs a seat too to feed the bady

Proper luggage space, so people can take prams and you know, luggage. Plus staff on the train as a PP mentioned. And enough trains that their not packed to the rafters.

Thankfully wasn't travelling with children but a couple of years back we had to stand from York to Kings Cross because despite having booked reserved seats that we could actually see a) there were people in them b) the train was so packed we couldn't get to them and c) there was nowhere to safely leave our suitcase aside from standing with it in the doorway. If we had had kids with us we'd have had to abandon the journey I think.

God only knows what would have happened in an accident with the aisle and all doorways completely full of luggage and people.

Both for people travelling with children, and those who aren't - good access, space for prams/pushchairs, near to a clean loo and a separate carriage!

Dedicated family carriages would be win-win for those with and without children

Being able to avoid the "quiet coach" for your reserved seats! Been caught out a few times with that one...

Luggage space worthy of the name

What puts me off long train journeys are the toilets which are always beyond grim. I don’t want to use them myself let alone with a potty training toddler or baby in nappies. Booking a seat would be handy. I wouldn’t really want anything beyond that. Mine has done a lot of flying so is used to staying in their seat and watching a screen with headphones. Family carriage sounds like hell and if I had to travel in that because I had kids in tow then that would be a guarantee I’d drive instead.

Possibly a bit late, but DD and I have used GWR long distance quite a lot from about aged 2. She's now a teen.

Things are a lot better than they were.

Some companies allow you to reserve your seat up to 10 minutes before you travel, rather than when you buy a ticket. Likewise it would be good to be able to cancel one if your plans change and you decide to get another train. So often reserved seats remain empty. Also if your train gets cancelled it would be good to be able to book a reservation on the next train (or see that it is pretty full and conclude it would be better to travel earlier/later).

Also it would be great for trains to be in the right formation (or at least warn people that the front carriage will be at the back).

It won't happen, but I hate the refreshment trolleys. Bring back the buffet car otherwise you just hear kids getting upset when they can't have a cookie/drink/packet of crisps.

I accidentally ended up in the quiet coach with a toddler (and a DH and older child) a while back. We were on the lookout on the way in and didn't see any signs. There was one A4 sign at one end. After a while, someone had a right go at me for my noisy toddler (who was being talkative but wouldn't have been at all excessive for a non-quiet coach). The whole thing was a bit of a debacle and is a bad memory instead of a happy one.

So, my request:

Really clearly marked quiet coaches. Inside and out. So even the most distracted parent actually has a hope of seeing them. Or sufficient staff to move people on if they have ended up in the wrong place.

Dedicated pram spaces. Clean carriages and toilets and toilets that are functioning. That's literally it. I don't want gimicks

Family train carriages. It would stop difficult journeys where you end up next to a hen or stag party. Neither party doing anything wrong but the two don’t mix.

Pram space is the main one for me. It really, really put me off travelling with DD on the train when she was in the pram/buggy because Cross Country and LNER would both make you fold it up and put it in the luggage rack which was a total nightmare if travelling alone with a little one. TPE were a bit better.

Now she’s older I like the idea of a designated family carriage where it’s fair game for children to yak on all the way (like mine does) and no one will get annoyed by it. Like the opposite of the quiet coach.