Passports for Pets
EUROSTAR Campaign
PETS ARE STILL NOT ALLOWED ON EUROSTAR
Many of you will be aware of a defect in the pet travel scheme – those who do not drive can still not take their pets with them across the channel by train. The Channel Tunnel Shuttle service is only accessible for car drivers and their passengers; the ferries have only very limited facilities for foot passengers with pets.
The obvious solution is for Eurostar (the London – Paris/Brussels train) to accept passengers with pets.
After much pressure a concession was made for Guide dogs and this was later extended to include all registered Assistance dogs. But there has been no progress on travel for the ordinary passenger with a pet. There is in general no difficulty taking a pet dog or cat by train from London (or elsewhere) to Folkestone and then from Calais to any part of France. It is the link across the Channel which is missing and Eurostar has effectively a monopoly on the route and a veto over its use.
We therefore suggest that those of our supporters who are affected should write to the Chief Executive of Eurostar to express their dissatisfaction and to ask for access to Eurostar trains. For the journey to the UK the procedures would be similar to those which operate in Calais for pets entering the UK – checking of microchip and pet passport before boarding. If the management of Eurostar can be persuaded to introduce this reform the minor obstacles will be overcome without difficulty (There would be a charge for the pet and bookings could be made ahead with a specified number of pets allowed on each or on specified trains) So please add your voice to this campaign by sending your personal letter or writing on the lines of the draft below. The more of you that write the sooner we will be able to have access to mainland Europe with our pets.
The e-mail address is:
nicolas.petrovic@eurostar.co.uk
OUTLINE OF DRAFT LETTER TO MR. NICOLAS PETROVIC CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF EUROSTAR
Please use as much or as little of this letter as you wish
Dear Mr. Petrovic,
I travel frequently / occasionally to Western Europe on holiday/business/to stay with friends/family and would very much like to take my dog/cat with me. He/she has a Pet Passport and is fully prepared for the journey. However I do not drive and cannot make use of the Shuttle (which has been pivotal to the start and success of the pet travel scheme) to cross the channel. The ferries are not well equipped to take foot passengers with a pet. The longer ferry crossings are also a particular problem for passengers without a car.
The ideal solution would be for Eurostar to make facilities available for passengers with pets. These could be in a specified part of the train (at specific times) and subject to any necessary conditions. But travel for pets is already normal for passengers with pets in the UK and even more so in France. It is not clear why the stretch of rail from Folkstone to Calais and return should pose any special problem. For pet owners this is the vital link between the two separate areas of pet-friendly rail services.
Under the Pet Travel Scheme all pets leaving Paris or Brussels for London would have to have their passports and microchip checked, but
11 years experience at Calais has shown that this a simple and straightforward procedure which could easily be adapted for travel by Eurostar. Assistance dogs are already allowed on your trains and no new principle would be involved.
We cannot estimate how many people would want to make use of this service but the growth of pet travel on the Shuttle suggests that the potential for new business is significant.
I hope that you will reach an early favourable decision.
Yours sincerely.
All of these questions you can raise with your Member of Parliament
OUR LETTER TO EUROSTAR AND THE THEN CHIEF EXECUTIVE
13th April 2007
To: Richard Brown Esq
Chief Executive Eurostar Group Ltd
Thank you for your letter of 22 March about the carriage of pets on Eurostar. I would like to make the following comments
You state that most travellers do not want to travel with other people’s animals. I agree that some people might not choose to do so, just as many would not choose to travel with noisy infants, over active teenagers, who can be far more disruptive than a peaceful pet, but this is a personal preference, not an attempt to veto other peoples travel. I fully agree that dogs and cats should not be imposed on your clients, but this does not appear to be a problem on the French TGV and British Rail. If indeed there were real difficulties with Eurostar travellers it would be easy to confine pre-booked pets to one particular compartment. I notice you already allocate compartments for carrying skis and extra ski luggage on your snow trains and you also sensibly allocate quite a few seats at the end of compartments for the same overflow. Demand for space for animals would be small in comparison except perhaps in the week of Crufts. Numbers could be controlled by Eurostar with a pre-booking only arrangement
Eurostars experience with Assistance Dogs could be helpful vis-avis checking requirements. With all extra costs being carried by the individual pet owner there is no need to impose any of these costs on other travellers. This would not be revolutionary as it has been done by the Shuttle and all other pet carrying operators for the past eleven years. You are worried about discrimination between large and small dogs. There is no need to be – Eurostar could make it clear to passengers pre-booking their dog that large dogs would be subject to a surcharge. These bigger dogs would be directed to one of the disabled seats which have room for the dog (Most assistance dogs are fairly large Labradors)
If I could go through the other problems your letter brings up. Checking: checks are only required on entry to the UK and could be done at Ashford (if still operating) Ebbsfleet, Stratford and St Pancras. Each trainset might be equipped with a chip reader. Staff could check the documents and get the owner to read the chips (as at Eurotunnel). In the event of a problem they could radio ahead for a quarantine kennel owner to meet the train and take the dog away at the owners expense. Personally I think it is simpler to check the documents and microchips before bording Eurostar in France as is done by owner operators arriving from France – again the costs would be borne by the pet owner.
The objection about meal service would be dealt with in great measure by the suggestion of restricting pet owners to one particular carriage. And anyone who is taking holidays in France will be accustomed to seeing pets in the restaurants.
Unruly dogs. The sort of owners who go to the trouble and expense of taking his pet abroad is most unlikely to have an unruly dog, but, just as there has to be provision to deal with unruly passengers, Eurostar would have a plan to cope with bad dogs. There are, I believe detention rooms on Eurostar to which the owner and his animal could be confined.
Incontinence. The length of the journey undertaken by Eurostar should not give rise to problems of continence and from my experience the security screening process followed by the wait before boarding generally is not long. Even the seven hour over-night sea crossing from Portsmouth to Le Harve never posed a problem.
I believe this service would be greatly appreciated by non-driving pet owners who would be happy to pay for it. Eurostar could start cautiously with limited numbers or even with smaller animals that could be carried by the passenger. I am sure you would find this posed very few problems and that it would bring in extra revenue. Eurostar is the only rail link between the UK and mainline Europe and I would have thought Eurostar would like the image of being family and pet friendly. I am sure that you are aware that the European Union is moving to reduce obstacles to pet travel and that the UK is now on the same wavelength. Surely Eurostar should be too.
Lady Mary Fretwell
Chairman
Passports for Pets
EUROSTAR'S REPLY
25th April 2007
Dear Lady Fretwell
Thank you for your reply dated 13th April 2007 to a letter previously sent by our chief executive Richard Booth about the carriage of pets on board Eurostar trains after the opening of HS1 in November 2007. Richard has asked that I reply to you on his behalf.
I do appreciate the reason behind your detailed letter and thank you for taking the time and trouble to break down the main points so succinctly. Whilst your letter clearly shows your passion for pets being permitted to travel with their owners, our belief remains that the vast majority of travellers, part of Eurostar’s appeal is that they can make their journeys in a pet-free environment. This forms one of the key reasons for our decision to keep out trains pet-free (with the exception of Guide and Assistance Dogs who must travel with their owners as part of the European Regulations relating to travellers with disabilities and special needs.)
Travellers are able to take their pets through the channel Tunnel, if using Eurotunnel’s road vehicle shuttle services. I realise that this is not the same as travelling with Eurostar however it does mean that pet owners are able to travel between the UK and continent with their animals, using this alternative form of transport.
We will of course keep a keen eye on any changes to European Regulations and Act accordingly should any such changes be enforced. Your comments and suggestions will be kept and used to assess our position in the future.
Thank you again for taking the trouble to write back to Richard and for your interest in our services
Yours
Head of international Customer Relations
Eurostar Group
Eurostar House
Waterloo Station
London SE1 8SE
SANDY McCREERY'S LETTER TO EUROSTAR
I came across your website and was encouraged to email Eurostar with the following:
FAO Mr Richard Brown - Chief Executive Eurostar
Dear Mr Brown,
I recently enquired about travelling to France with my pet dog Belle (who has a
passport) and was surprised to discover that dogs are not allowed on Eurostar
trains. Why is this? I don't understand. Dogs are allowed throughout the British
and French railway network, except on your trains which link the two. Can I
please urge you to reconsider this policy, if only for a trial period. I am
certain that you will find it a positive change. My dog is a regular traveller
on London underground and it is wonderful to see how she makes even the weariest
passengers smile. I also feel that your dog ban projects an unfortunate image
for Eurostar. It is the kind of thing one might find in bland corporate America.
It does not reflect the European emphasis on quality of life. Please could you
let me know if you will be reviewing your policy. I would love to travel
regularly on Eurostar.
Yours Sincerely,
Sandy McCreery
Dear Mr. McCreery
Thank you for sending me copy of your letter to Richard Brown of Eurostar. We
need to apply more pressure on them for their short sighted policy. Can we
include your letter on our site? This will encourage more people to write to
Eurostar. I am off for a week's ski-ing to Meribel (direct line St.Pancras to
Moutiers) with mu husband who no longer skis but loves walking and we cannot
alas take our dear lurcher with us due to Eurostars no dog policy. This despite
the fact they devote a whole carriage and spare seat space to ski equipment.
They could easily do the same to parts of their train
LETTER TO PASSPORTS FOR PETS
Dear Passports for pets team
thank you very much for your information. I
just called the Eurostar to ask if they were going to change their policy
anytime soon. Answer no! What a pity. That makes my life as a continental dog
owner much more difficult! So the only way off this island with a dog is either
ferry or plane? Is there anything I can do to support your effort is putting
pressure on the Eurostar organization? All other train companies on the
continent don't seem to have problems with dogs, why should the eurostar? They
could charge for the service and no extra space on the trains is required! How
difficult would that be? Sorry for the ranting. I am just disappointed.
thanks
Sofie von Graevenitz (owner of a labrador)
Dear Sofie
Many thanks- hopefully more letters will come encouraged by these that you will
put on the site. Can you mention that the more people that write the sooner
things will change. John and I are off for a week's ski-ing in France minus the
dog alas because of Euro-tunnels stupid policy! John would have liked Honey as
company when walking in the forests.
Mary Fretwell
You can e-mail us at chairman@passportsforpets.org
or write to our London address:
PASSPORTS FOR PETS
Flat 11, 45 Queen's Gate
London SW7 SHR
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7589 6409
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7589 6403