is it illegal ?

[topman9thnov]

i have been divorced for the last 8 years. i have had to travel 300 miles round trip too see my sons who are now 15 and 13 years old usually once a month. i have asked my ex if they can come to visit me by train and i will meet them at the station. she says this is illegal. i think shes just being awkward what do you think.?

[redcrx]

I cant see that its illegal but is it wise?
What if they got off at wrong station? were approached by any dodgy people? what if train was delayed or part of journey had to be altered due to problems on the track.
I know children can travel sometimes on planes without a gardian but they are contained on a plane.
Its more to do with how both parents think their child could cope in such circumstances.

[Goodsoulette]

No, it would be fine, you could even arrange with the service operator that the train manager or another service assistant could keep a watchful eye over them. 15 and 13 they arent babies, find out who would provide that service and contact them, I bet they would be happy to help.

[4getmenot]

I'd ask this in the law section too to see if they can help. :-)

[JustSia]

Aye it's not illegal. But they will be travelling at their own risk. Goodsoulette is right it's not gonna hurt to ask the train manager, however they don't usually do it and will not accept the responsibility should anything go wrong. It is up to the parents. The question is do you want this weight on your shoulders? Are there any flights close to where you live it might be another option?

[Suzyboo]

Is it a direct train or would they have to change?

[WendyS]

Could your sons possibly make the journey to you by coach if there's a coach station nearby and a direct route between you . That way they would be more contained and they would be safely visible for the journey. Coach fares might also be cheaper than train, which is possibly another factor - depending on who has to pay!. In another year your son will be 16 and old enough to have sex and legally become a father so although that's not very desirable Iat that point I would certainly consider him old enough to chaperone his younger broher

[laurence2]

As a train driver, it is not illegal for them to travel by themselves, but the railway companies WILL NOT keep an eye on them, its at your risk.
Their are not always Guards on trains as most train {especially down south} are driver only operated, it is possible to sit them behind the drivers compartment, but theirs no guarantee he could check on them every so often, theirs to many things that can go wrong on the railways {trust me} as other AB's have already pointed out, a coach journey would be much safer & if one of the boys has got a mobile phone that would be of benefit for peace of mind foyou and your ex, by all means contact your train operator, but i would be VERY surprised if they took responsibility

Good luck

[noxlumos]

Perfectly legal, she's just being awkward. unless they have been babied to a ludicrous extent then they should be perfectly capable of making the journey, our kids travel by train, coach and bus all the time and are much y9ounger than that, they just need to have some common sense and they are together so no earthly reason why not.Your eldest can join the flaming army when he's 16 and get married for goodness sakes so why the hysteria about travelling on a train?