It’s easy to add your voice to the conversation for Tails on Rails. And worth it.
The current legislation (the Passenger Transport (General) Regulation 2017) has the ability for Sydney Trains to allow dogs. Section 53 (1) b does not allow dogs “except under conditions imposed by the rail transport operator…”
As the operator, Sydney Trains imposes the conditions of carriage. A change of conditions for dogs to allow under these or similar conditions: on a lead, clean up mess, muzzles (or not – thanks London), well behaved, respect Service Dogs are not onerous conditions.
You can contact Transport for NSW on their feedback form (https://transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/train-feedback) and ask for dogs to allowed to travel by amending the current conditions of travel to include dogs. Add you contact details and ask for a reply.
Also through your local State Member you can ask them to contact the NSW Transport Minister and request that the conditions of carriage are amended to include dogs on trains.
Tails on Rails would like dogs on trains on weekends as the first step. You may want to go further. Please add your wishes for dogs on trains.
“The NSW Government aspires to become the world’s most customer-centric government by 2030. This means Transport for NSW must continue to place the customer at the centre of everything we do.”
We think the statement above from the 2023 Draft South East and Tablelands Regional Transport Plan speaks perfectly to Tail on Rails.
Melbourne, Auckland, London and many cities in Europe allows dogs on trains and this would have occurred after customer feedback and requests.
We know the status quo is a powerful brake to societal change and there will be passengers who don’t want dogs on trains and can bring up many reasons why not.
However, if there are customers who want to bring their dogs on trains the NSW Government needs to develop model to accommodate their needs “into the centre of everything” they do.
Tails on Rails believes there is a strong and reasonable case to create conditions of travel that enable responsible dog owners to share their lives with their dog using the access that the Sydney Trains network provides. The comfort and safety of other passengers can be accommodated.
Please add your voice. Thank you