Travelling with Children

You're free to travel with buggies and prams on any of our trains and we look forward to welcoming younger passengers on board for their first railway adventure! 

There are two places to store your pram on board our trains: 

• Luggage or overhead racks - please fold your pram or buggy down and store in luggage or overhead racks available, making sure that doorways and aisles remain clear. You should aim to do this on the platform (before the train arrives), particularly when boarding busier services. 
• Designated cycle area - you may store your pram or buggy here unless it is needed by cycle users. Even if there is space when you start your journey, there is a possibility that a cyclist may reserve the space and board the train mid-journey. In this scenario, they must be given priority access. 

Great tip - Travelling with your baby or toddler in a sling or baby carrier is a great way to navigate your journey, this way you keep your hands free for luggage or for holding the handrails. 

We also recognise 'Prams as Wheelchairs' tags for those parents, guardians and carers who wish to use them for children with a disability or health condition using a pram or pushchair as a wheelchair to identify this. Use of a tag is not mandatory, but if you would like to request a tag, please contact our Passenger Assist Team. 

First and foremost, it's important we keep you safe during your journeys and we're delighted to say that we have safe station accreditation. All our stations and trains are monitored by CCTV. Our stations also have help points where you can speak to us or report any suspicious activity. All help points are covered by CCTV, so staff answering the calls will be able to see you as well. 

Each of our trains also has a Conductor on board and they will be visible on the platforms at all stations and will be happy to support you during your journey. 

Digital safety is also important to us, we have Friendly WiFi, which means that harmful links and website are blocked on our network. Friendly WiFi is an industry-standard certification that ensures public WiFi networks filter and block access to inappropriate content. By achieving this certification, TransPennine Express demonstrates its dedication to creating a safe online environment for passengers, especially families and children. 

Knowing what facilities are available at our stations can give you peace of mind. We have some useful tools to help you navigate our trains and stations. 

My Station View will load your entire journey step-by-step. You can even work out the best place for a coffee or plan the most accessible route. 

Get set for your next trip with My Station View's personalised pre-departure virtual train and station tours which provide a 360-degree virtual tour of all 19 TransPennine Express stations, allowing you to plan your trip from entering the station to your platform and helps you navigate an accessible route and any points of interest. 

You can find information about the facilities at other stations which are managed by other train operators here. 

We understand that it can sometimes be daunting going to unfamiliar and possibly busy places, especially when you're travelling with children. We've worked with GoodMaps to produce live way-finding maps for all of our stations. 

Download the GoodMaps:Indoor Navigation app and receive turn by turn navigational instructions throughout our stations. The app will be able to help plot your route from entering the station to your platform and even via the coffee shop or toilet if you need! 

Before boarding, you can take a look at the seating plan on our trains to make it easier to find your seat when you travel with us. 

You'll also be able to see where the luggage racks are and where the toilets are too. There are at least two toilets on board every train, including one that is fully accessible and has baby changing facilities. If you're unsure where to find them when you're onboard, there are signs on our trains or speak to a colleague onboard who will be happy to help. 

You can ask to book a seat in the most appropriate carriage for you and your family by contacting us. 

If you're travelling whilst pregnant, please make use of our priority seats. Priority seats can be found in each carriage and our station or onboard colleagues can help you find them. 

At TransPennine Express, we have joined the Breastfeeding Network and we are breastfeeding friendly in our stations and onboard all our trains. Our trains and stations are a welcoming space and our colleagues will support you to feel comfortable to breastfeed whenever you need to. 

You can find our stations and other locations that are officially breastfeeding friendly here. 

You can travel on our trains with your well-behaved pet free of charge! 
You can bring up to two dogs on the train but they must be kepy on a lead for the duration on the journey 
Smaller animals must be kept in a pet carrier
Pets must not sit on tables or seats - we ask this for the comfort of passengers travelling without pets
Guide and hearing dogs are welcome onboard and colleagues will be happy to assist you if you need support. 

To make travelling with dogs easier, we've rolled our pup-friendly provisions for our furry friends. Dog water stations are available across 11 of our stations to keep your pooches hydrated when they're on the go. There are water stations for dogs available at Brough, Grimsby, Hull, Malton, Manchester Airport, Middlesbrough, Northallerton, Scarborough, Selby, Thirsk and Thornaby.

We've also become the first train operator to have our very own Pets as Therapy dog, Nya. Nya is owned and trained by our Safeguarding and Crime Prevention Lead, Stephen O'Callaghan. A six-year-old German Shepherd, Nya is officially registered with Pets as Therapy and regularly travels on our trains offering a very friendly welcome to colleagues and passengers, giving them a moment to de-stress whilst travelling with us. Keep your eyes peeled for Nya on your next journey!  

If you're travelling with children aged between 5 and 15, a Family & Friends Railcard could save you up to a third off your train travel and 60% off children's tickets. Your Family & Friends Railcard also gets you huge discounts off weekends away and days out! 

If your children are under 5, they can travel with you free of charge. 

We know that lots of children enjoy using screens on public transport, while these can be a great way to pass the time, here are some of our favourite games that you can play to make the journey fun and laugh together.

20 Questions
Think of something, and your family members get 20 yes or no questions to find the answer. This could be something at your destination city – for starters, why not use The Humber Bridge and see how many questions it takes to guess.

What can you see
Make a list of things your little one might be able to see from the train window. Trees, horses, cows, stations, level crossings and viaducts are all part of the passing scenery. List 10 and see how long it takes to tick the items off!

Alphabet game
Pick a topic (animals, food, places) and take turns naming items in alphabetical order. Apples.

I’m going on a train journey...
Each person adds an item to the list of things to pack, remembering all the previous ones each time. Can you get to 10 items?

One sentence story
Each person creates a new sentence in turn, what story will unfold while you pass over the Pennines?