Dogs allowed on West Midlands Metro for 3-month trial period

[Jim the Jim]

Plenty of dogs lie down quietly under the seat/table and are not even noticed by other passengers until it's time to get off!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Plenty of dogs lie down quietly under the seat/table and are not even noticed by other passengers until it's time to get off!

The only time I've ever heard of a dog's behaviour causing a serious issue on public transport has been when the owner was doing so as well, i.e. thugs with fighting dogs, not old Granny Smith and her slobbering old labrador. Some people don't like them, sure, but that just needs thought on both sides.

 

[AY1975]

According to the West Midlands Metro website the initial three-month trial to allow dogs on their trams has been extended until the end of February to gather more feedback from passengers before making a final decision on future dog policy: https://www.westmidlandsmetro.com/dogs-on-trams-trial-extended/

 

[43066]

I’ve had far more people peeing, pooing and vomiting on my tram than I have Dogs.

Same on trains. I can, off the top of my head, think of examples of humans doing all of the above on trains I’ve worked, and much more besides, sometimes to the extent the train has had to be taken out of service. I can’t think of a single example of a dog doing so.

According to the West Midlands Metro website the initial three-month trial to allow dogs on their trams has been extended until the end of February to gather more feedback from passengers before making a final decision on future dog policy: https://www.westmidlandsmetro.com/dogs-on-trams-trial-extended/

It’s extraordinary that they aren’t already allowed aboard. Dogs are permitted on the much bigger/busier Croydon Tramlink, so what makes the West Midlands metro so different?

 

[py_megapixel]

Fire risk from possibilities of self combustion.

Did we ever get an explanation of what this post meant?

 

[Class93]

Did we ever get an explanation of what this post meant?

Missed joke. Disregard.

 

[py_megapixel]

Missed joke. Disregard.

I see - fair enough

 

[AY1975]

It’s extraordinary that they aren’t already allowed aboard. Dogs are permitted on the much bigger/busier Croydon Tramlink, so what makes the West Midlands metro so different?

This has already been discussed to death in a number of earlier threads about dogs on Metrolink, which has also recently started allowing them for the first time, such as this one: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/dogs-to-be-permanently-allowed-on-metrolink.243509/

This article from the I Love Manchester site also attempts to explain the reason that dogs used not to be allowed on Metrolink, although obviously it's now out of date. Presumably the Birmingham, Nottingham and Sheffield tram operators took a similar view when they first started running:

Why aren’t dogs allowed on the Manchester Metrolink?

I made two very different trips recently. The first was flying from Ibiza to Manchester Airport. The second was from my home in south Manchester to

ilovemanchester.com

Apart from the safety aspect per se, I would guess that when most new UK tram systems first opened in the 1990s and early 2000s it was a much more safety and hygiene conscious era than, say, 100 or even 50 years ago, whereas buses and ordinary heavy rail trains have been around much longer than our modern tram and light rail networks and have always had the same policy on dogs.

Presumably TfL deemed that the same policy should apply to all modes of transport, though. The fact that bus deregulation was never introduced in London so it's a more integrated network than elsewhere may have had something to do with it.

 

[EllieAquitrain]

Same on trains. I can, off the top of my head, think of examples of humans doing all of the above on trains I’ve worked, and much more besides, sometimes to the extent the train has had to be taken out of service. I can’t think of a single example of a dog doing so.

I can think of one example of a dog making a big mess. I saw a youngish couple standing in the main area of Edinburgh Waverley just outside Pret, with a very very cute black Labrador puppy sitting by their feet who proceeded to pee all over the floor!

But I've encountered many dogs (and a few cats in baskets!) on public transport and that one incident aside they've all been very well behaved.

 

[londonbridge]

I’ve seen a dog sitting on the seat next to its owner on London Underground before and nothing was said, not by any passenger, the driver or any other TFL official….main reason I didn’t say anything was the owner looked like the kind of bloke liable to kick off if challenged…… same as when customers bring the dog in the shop where I work, more often than not if I refuse to serve them they kick off, start arguing, verbally abuse me or complain to management.

 

[AY1975]

There doesn't seem to have been any news yet about the final decision on future dog policy on West Midlands Metro following the end of the extended trial period at the end of February as I alluded to in entry #33 above. I guess it's a case of watch this space.

 

[barbette165]

There's been a news item published today to say that the trial was successful and dogs will be permanently allowed on the trams.

Dogs allowed on Metro trams following successful trial - West Midlands Metro

After a successful trial, one well-behaved dog on a lead is now allowed on board Metro trams with one fare-paying customer.

www.westmidlandsmetro.com

 

[33117]

Excellent news, I took pudsey my beagle collie X for a ride on the west mids trams last year when the trial took place.

As you can see he sat on the floor by me quiet as anything, didn't upset or annoy a single person.

If there are any metro drivers on here if you ever see us around birmingham come say hello.

Luke

 

[507 001]

Thankfully, and I’m the first to admit that my fears were very much misplaced, the change to the rules on Metrolink have been an enormous success.

We are getting a lot of nice people with nice dogs, and next to no chavs with badly trained big dogs.

Honestly, it’s great.