Can I take my baby in her pram on the train?

SophieHatter

Hi everyone, can anyone help?

I need to travel to Leeds from Birmingham New Street next Monday (29th Jan) and I am hoping to book some of the Virgin Advance tickets to make it cheaper for me (8.90 single there and 8.90 single back) With me however, will be my 8 month old daughter who will be in her pushchair (a Graco Mirage - fairly small and compact, shouldn't take up much space) I want to keep my daughter in her pram to sleep for as long as I can, and as the pram will also be full of my luggage and i will be alone, I do not want to have to fold it up.

Take it with you, you say? Well, I went to New Street and asked and apparently they do not have room for prams which arent folded up, which I personally think is disgraceful discrimination against parents with young children. I tried e-mailing the 'contact us' link on the Virgin Trains website to ask them if it is possible to take the pushchair unfolded on the train and got a completely useless reply which gave me the Telesales phone number. This is an 08457 number, and as I have no land line and I'm on a tight budget, I can't afford to call it off my mobile.

So what do I do? The cheap tickets are quickly disappearing, the £7 ones have gone whilst waiting for an email reply and I can't afford the full £28 saver return, esp. when I know there is a cheaper alternative.........

....so have any moneysaving parents been on a Virgin Voyager with their baby in a pram? Is it possible? Do they actually cater for us parents out there?????

Please reply soon......

Thanks

Lazy_Runner

Hi SH

Sorry I can't help you on your train question. However on the Say no to 0870 website, they list the following number for virgin trains customer service:
0121 6547400

This is meant to be the same number as for: 0845 7222333

Hope that helps.

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Yes you can do it on most trains - ask the platform staff before your train arrives to point out the the disabled coach so you can park your buggy. It should be signed but it can be hard to spot if you not sure what your looking for. this area is usually big enough for about four weelchairs the only prob being it is normally near the toilets. It is designed for those with buggies and disabled people in wheelchairs so dont feel away about using the area. My OH is an engineer on one of the train companies - he always tell me to look for the coach with a 'dipped roof' as it arrives - not virgin though but they are all very similar if they are the modern trains.

Worst case senario is that you will have to stand in the area by the doors - obviously take consideration for others but if you have to then it may be the only other option.

give the number above a call to confirm about the area near the loo's, looks better than having to pay 0870.

TBH they wont turn you away with your buggy so i think you will be fine - platform staff are usually great too.

looby75

the only way you would be able to leave your baby in the pushchair is if you took up a space meant for wheelchairs. As long as there are no wheelchair users wanting the space on the train you are travelling on I think you would probably be ok but obviously if someone need the space you would have to fold down the pushchair. There isn't a lot of room on the virgin trains. When I travel with my kids I try to take just one big case for the 3 of us, makes it easier when we have to change trains, just one case to worry about. On every other train it's not a problem but on virgin trains it's a nightmare, they just don't have the space.

looby75

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle wrote:

Worst case senario is that you will have to stand in the area by the doors - obviously take consideration for others but if you have to then it may be the only other option.

Every time I've been on a virgin train the conductor (or what ever they are called these days) has come and asked people with pushchairs, or large bags/cases to move from the door areas because they are a obstruction hazard. So be ready to be told to move if you there is no space in the wheelchair section. BTW I've been travelling on trains since my dd was 2 months old and have almost always found the rail staff to be pretty helpful. Go ahead and book the cheap tickets, I'm sure you will be fine

Night-Owl_5

You don't say what time you are travelling to Leeds, if you are going at a busy time then I would say definately not to being able to keep your pushchair up

If you are going mid morning or midday you should be okay unless there is anyone in a wheelchair and then you will have to take it down.

I know you can book assistance have you thought of doing this then the platform staff will be able to help you